It’s a universal certainty: ads are everywhere. And today, there are more opportunities than ever for shoppers to see marketing messages, whether they’re checking emails or scrolling on social media.
As a result, a lot of marketing messages end up becoming white noise – like seeing another wise, bearded wizard in a fantasy movie (it’s been done).
So, how do you stand out?
The key is actually pretty simple: personalization. Hyper-personalized strategies allow you to run ads that are actually relevant to the customer. And today, we’re breaking down our favourite strategies: retargeting and remarketing.
Read on because we're breaking down our top 15 remarketing and retargeting ads examples to help inspire your strategy.
What is remarketing vs. retargeting?
Remarketing and retargeting are personalized marketing approaches that focus on customers who visited your website or mobile app but did not take a specific action.
Although both terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are a few key differences:
- Remarketing involves reaching out to a customer whose information you already have. This can be through a previous purchase or an email list sign-up. The goal is to reach out through personalized channels like email, SMS, or push notifications to create customer loyalty.
- Retargeting focuses on customers who have visited your website but have not yet made a purchase. It uses cookies from when customers visit your site and then serves them ads once they leave your site on third-party websites like the Google Display Network or the Meta Audience Network.
BONUS: Track what’s actually working
Running retargeting ads without tracking profitability is like driving with your eyes closed. Just because someone came back to your site doesn’t mean the ad paid off.
To help you dial in your spend, we put together a free Ads Profitability Tracker Spreadsheet—built specifically for ecommerce teams.
You can use it to:
- Track ROAS across Meta, Google, TikTok, and other channels
- Compare retargeting vs. prospecting campaign efficiency
- Monitor performance by audience, creative, and funnel stage
- Make faster decisions on where to scale or cut back
15 top-tier remarketing ad examples for every stage of the customer journey
Time for the fun part! Here are 15 of the best remarketing ads examples we’ve seen.
1. Good Protein – pair social ad retargeting with welcome offers for first-time customers
Good Protein’s approach was to use this collection ad to dynamically display products customers can click on. Customers are taken directly to the product page where they can learn more or add the item to their cart.
They also:
- Retargeted customers through the Meta Display network through Instagram Feed Ads and Facebook right column ads
- Offered first-time customers 20% off their first order to incentivize the first purchase
- Supplemented the discount with social proof by highlighting 20,000 5-star reviews
Top takeaway
Running ads across multiple channels keeps the offer top-of-mind. Varying the format, style, and imagery of each ad also prevents the customer from feeling ad fatigue or annoyance.
2. Sloane Tea – use carousel ads to show off your best-sellers
Sloane Tea used a dynamic social media carousel ad to highlight multiple products based on what the customer had viewed.
Each slide in the carousel features a different image and caption. Each image also has a “Shop now” CTA, making it easy for customers to visit the product page they’re most interested in.
Top takeaway
Sloane also wisely used the same ad format on Facebook to reach shoppers across multiple channels.
3. Journeys – bring customers back with display ads
Journeys used this dynamic Google Display ad that shoppers see on a third-party site. The ad shows sneakers they were previously browsing or similar styles.
Top takeaway
Highlighting the price of each sneaker takes the guesswork out. Calling out “Free in-store returns” can help remove the risk customers feel with online purchases.
4. Arrae – drive conversions by retargeting customers based on their pain points
Arrae strategically retargeted customers through this Instagram Feed ad. They called out common symptoms of high cortisol and positioned their Arrae Magnesium as the solution.
It’s also a collection ad, so customers can click only on the product they’re most interested in.
Top takeaway
One of the most tried and tested ad formulas is the problem-solution approach, which Arrae has masterfully used in this remarketing ad example.
5. Levi’s – retarget past shoppers with new product releases
Social media retargeting can also work for customers who have shopped with you in the past, but haven’t returned in a while.
For example, Levi’s used this Instagram Story ad to serve a message about their new product drop. This creates excitement and has a clear call to action.
Top takeaway
Don’t underestimate the power of imagery. Using lifestyle photography makes this ad feel natural in the story feed and non-disruptive to the shopper’s experience.
6. Blume – inspire customers with social proof
Customer reviews and testimonials are one of your most effective marketing tools. Blume did a great job of using these through its Instagram ad for its Clear Skin Kit.
This ad highlights real before and after pictures from a customer to show how effective the product is at targeting acne and scarring.
Top takeaway
Combining this ad with a 30% off discount goes a long way to helping shoppers who are on the fence commit to making a purchase.
7. Hush Blankets – take an omnichannel retargeting approach to stay top of mind
Hush Blankets’ recent “Buy 2, Get 2 Free” pillow campaign was the perfect example of balancing retargeting and remarketing. They used a combination of Instagram Story, Instagram Feed, and Facebook Feed ads through the Meta Ad Network.
To keep things interesting, each ad used slightly different sizes, images and captions while maintaining a consistent message of “Buy 2, Get 2 Free!” to create cohesiveness and brand recall. Hush also combined these retargeting ad examples with a personalized remarketing email with the same message but more information.
Top takeaway
Hush paired this ad with a personalized remarketing email that helped encourage the shopper to take advantage of the deal before it ends. Remember: personalization!
8. Loop Earplugs – create FOMO with limited-time-only deals
Loop Earplugs promoted a buy one, get one 50% off sale through this Instagram Feed ad. The idea is that customers who had browsed specific earplugs or added products to their cart wouldn’t want to miss out on this offer (hence the FOMO).
Top takeaway
Everyone loves a sale. Creating a sense of urgency with time-constrained offers is one of the best retargeting ad messages you can use.
9. Oak + Fort – recover abandoned carts with SMS campaigns
Oak + Fort re-engaged this customer who abandoned their cart through a hyper-personalized SMS. The message:
- Highlighted the specific trench coat they were browsing
- Created urgency by telling them to check out before it sells out
- Provided a link directly to the customer’s cart, making it as seamless as possible to check out
Top takeaway
Cart abandonment campaigns are one of the most effective types of remarketing ads – and for good reason. 45% of cart abandonment emails are opened!
10. Riversol – reduce browse abandonment with personalized outreach
Browse abandonment campaigns are for customers who spent a certain amount of time viewing a certain product without adding it to their cart. Riversol’s remarketing email highlighted the product they were browsing and offered a button to buy now.
It was also followed by a more in-depth explanation of the product benefits and mention of the 60-day money-back guarantee to ease the purchase pressure. They strategically tried to upsell the customer with a “You might also like” section of complementary products too.
Top takeaway
While cart abandonment remarketing often gets the spotlight, don’t forget about browse abandonment campaigns for interested customers who may need a little nudge before they commit.
11. Anna’s Garden – win back dormant customers with a strategic offer
Winback campaigns can help re-engage customers who have shopped with you before but haven’t made a purchase in a while. Anna’s Garden did a beautiful job of this through a remarketing email that offered the customer $5 off their next purchase for a limited amount of time. Then, they followed up with curated product recommendations for the customer.
Top takeaway
Use winback campaigns as an opportunity to remind customers why they shopped with you in the first place.
12. Kiyoko Beauty – spark excitement with restock notifications
Kiyoko Beauty expertly retargeted a customer through a series of SMS messages telling them that the face cream they were looking at was back.
They use time-based remarketing to send messages every couple of days. Each message created a more urgent call to action by saying “Hurry” and “Last Chance”. When a customer clicked the link, it automatically placed the item in their cart and brought them right to the checkout page.
Top takeaway
If a customer browses a product that’s out of stock, you risk losing them forever – unless you strategically retarget them once that product is back!
13. Paula’s Choice – drive repeat purchases with smart replenishment remarketing campaigns
You have tons of customer data at your disposal, so why not use it? Paula’s Choice's sends an email to a customer when it’s time to restock on their exfoliant, as part of a replenishment remarketing campaign. Using customer shopping behaviors lets you send these types of emails at the right point.
Paula’s Choice also uses this as a cross-sell opportunity, recommending complementary products to give the customer “next-level results.”
Top takeaway
First-party customer data, like previous purchases, is one of the best sources to use in remarketing campaigns.
14. Summer Fridays – personalize your outreach through quiz follow-up campaigns
When customers complete a quiz on your website, you get valuable zero-party data that you can use to retarget them. Summer Fridays capitalized on this through personalized remarketing emails sharing a skincare ritual tailored to the customer. That way, they could target the customer’s unique skin type and concerns while showing off their best products to help.
Top takeaway
Not to sound like a broken record, but remember: personalization (like a quiz) is key for your remarketing ad strategy!
15. Crocs – make customers feel special with a gift on their birthday
When customers make accounts or loyalty profiles, you collect valuable information about them – like their birthday! Use this information to remarket to them on their special day.
Crocs does a great job at this through a personalized birthday email that offers $15 off the customer’s next order over $50.
Top takeaway
Everyone loves feeling special on their birthday. Take advantage of the customer information you have on-hand for your remarketing strategy.
Retarget customers with Reactiv Clips
If you’re ready to take your remarketing strategy to the next level, a Reactiv Clip is a lightweight version of a mobile app that allows users to access a specific part of the app's functionality without having to download the full app. Brands can send push notifications to users up to eight hours after they engage with the mobile app page without requiring a download or an opt-in.
That means every single ad click can trigger a personalized follow-up on iOS, helping you reduce customer acquisition cost (CAC) and get more from your ad spend.
Use this strategy to achieve any of the goals of the remarketing ad examples we’ve shared, like:
- Converting a cart abandoner
- Driving sales during time-sensitive promotions
- Creating excitement for new product drops
Take inspiration from the remarketing examples above, have fun with your brand, try a Reactiv Clip and get ready to watch your conversion soar to the stratosphere.
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