12 Chat and DM Ads on Facebook & Instagram That Lasted
Checked 25 Oct 2026 · 12 ads from 10 brands, from Meta's Ad Library · How we pick ads
To stop a scroll, a chat ad has to look like something the viewer already reads, a comment, a text or a forum post, and it fails when the thread is too long to read on a phone or nothing says whose message it is. The ads here give the viewer a question, a request or a confession to overhear before the brand answers: the longest run, 314 days, is Tropicfeel's reply to a commenter asking what is special about its sneakers.
- 314+days, the longest run
- 170days, the median run
- 7ads had run past 90 days at our check
- 75%are screenshots with proof printed on the picture
The conversations brands borrow, and who is speaking
Grouped by the job each ad does. Swipe a row, and tap “Why it works” for our breakdown.
A comment starts the ad · 5
A shopper's question or request is the reason the ad exists, so the product arrives as an answer. Tropicfeel answers a doubt about its sneakers, and Jones Road shows shoppers asking for minis before it announces them.
“what's so special about these sneakers?”
Why it works
A low shot of white sneakers on dirt carries a reply-to-comment card at the top and a short answer at the bottom: "Water-friendly, comfy and super packable." The card puts the viewer's own doubt in the frame before the brand speaks, so the features arrive as a reply and not a pitch. The shoes fill the middle of the picture, and the discount stays out of it, left to the body copy. A reader's doubt becomes the hook.
Started 15 Dec 2025. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“Can you pack my order 85331 live”
Why it works
A blurred first-person view of gloved hands over a packing conveyor, with a comment card asking the brand to pack a named order live because the buyer is surprising their dad. The card turns an ordinary warehouse clip into a reply to a customer. The picture shows the packing line, not the licorice, so the body supplies what the frame leaves out: flavors, tubes and gift boxes. That one comment is the only text on the picture.
Started 6 Apr 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“i like the slim line but i do not want extra deep”
Why it works
A comment bubble at the top left says a shopper likes the slim line but does not want extra deep. Below it, an overhead photo labels the sofa seat options in plain type, and a hand-drawn arrow points at the one that answers the comment. A black caption box closes the loop by telling the shopper the brand hears them. The comment doubles as a spec question, and the labeled photo settles it at a glance. Drawn on the photo, the arrow is the answer.
Started 18 May 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“You need to make minis ALL THE TIME”
Why it works
A few comment cards sit over a flat lay of open balm pots, each asking for mini sizes. Under them a serif line says the mini balm sold out again and again, and the logo closes the frame. The comments are the launch's reason, so the headline "Mini Miracle Balms Are Here" lands as an answer to demand instead of an announcement from nowhere. Like counts and Reply links keep the cards looking like a live thread.
Started 28 Jul 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“Now Permanent, by Demand.”
Why it works
A tall frame: the top half is a pile of overlapping comment cards, tilted and cropped at the edges, most asking for the scent to be made permanent. The bottom half names the perfume, Milk Orchid, with "Now Permanent, by Demand." over a soft shot of bottles wrapped in sheer fabric. The pile reads as a crowd, so the viewer meets the mass of demand before the answer. Shoppers are pointed to Sephora in the body copy.
Started 10 Aug 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
A feed post in costume · 4
A group thread or forum post borrows the look of content the viewer already scrolls. Aviron stacks community members' comments, and Fussy sets its pitch inside a forum post about price.
“The active community here was a big factor in selecting Aviron over others.”
Why it works
Dark comment bubbles stack over a night-blue background, each with a member's name and a few lines about the group. The body asks "Don't believe us?" and the bubbles are the reply. It reads as a crowd shot: the viewer takes in the mood of the thread more than every line. One member, tagged Top Contributor, tells how long they rowed in one go. Belonging is what these comments sell, and a product photo cannot show it.
Started 14 Jan 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“Never thought I would get this far.”
Why it works
A full group post fills the frame: a member name with a Group expert badge, a one-line thank-you, a selfie on the left and a photo of the rower's screen on the right, with reactions and a comment count along the bottom. The screen shows a monthly challenge at halfway, so the proof is a person's progress and not a claim. Nothing on the picture is a logo or a price. Only the thanks names the brand.
Started 14 Jan 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“Did not expect to be this hyped about a deodorant but here we are.”
Why it works
A white square holds one long forum post under r/deinfluencing, with vote and comment counts and a Join the conversation bar. The post moves from the price of a favorite scent to a cheaper swap to a claim that it held up through gym sessions and long work days, so one picture holds the objection, the answer and the proof. There is no product photo and no logo; the brand name sits inside the post text. Subscribing for 25% off is the offer, and it lives in the body.
Started 29 Apr 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“We're looking for 20 athletes who are chronic under-eaters.”
Why it works
A white Reddit-style post under a u/FuelinAthletes handle recruits athletes who are chronic under-eaters, lists their habits as bullets and ends on one line about what Fuelin does. It is a call-out, not a testimonial: the headline names the reader and the bullets describe them, so the viewer qualifies themselves before the brand speaks. The vote and reply row sits at the bottom. Only the costume differs from the DM version, which shares this body copy.
Started 4 Oct 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
Private messages, read over a shoulder · 3
A DM or text carries one voice and one problem, which suits products bought on a recommendation. Manta frames a dorm roommate problem in a text thread, and Fuelin sets one long thank-you inside a direct message.
“Can I please get girly supplements recommendations list?”
Why it works
A story screenshot opens with a follower's message asking for supplement recommendations, then the creator's long answer in serif type, a link sticker with a discount code and a tilted Berberine bottle in the corner. The question makes a health pitch read like advice passed on to a friend. The hashtag #JSHealthPartner and the code sit on the picture, which shows the tie to the brand. The body adds that individual results may vary.
Started 30 Mar 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“can't see her can't hear her”
Why it works
A text thread sits above a desk scene. A friend asks how dorm life is, the reply complains that the roommate stays up late with the lights on, and the last bubbles say the sleep mask means they can't see or hear her. The mask itself rests in the foreground beside a notebook and textbooks. The thread states the problem in the buyer's own words, and the photo shows the fix. Here the product sits on the desk the thread describes.
Started 24 Aug 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
“I love not thinking about what I have to eat to fuel properly.”
Why it works
A single direct message fills a muted pink frame: a handle, an Active 14m ago line, and one long message from a runner who says they just have to tell someone. The message opens with an apology for the random note, which makes the praise read as unprompted. Fuelin's name never appears on the picture, and no product does either. One benefit, told in one bubble: no more guessing how much to eat.
Started 4 Oct 2026. Live when checked on 25 Oct 2026. View in Meta Ad Library ↗
The parts of the ad
- 01
Screenshot of an app or chat. In 12 of 12 ads on this page.
- 02
Customer quote. In 8 of 12 ads on this page.
- 03
Lifestyle scene. In 4 of 12 ads on this page.
- 04
Packaging. In 3 of 12 ads on this page.
- 05
Collage. In 2 of 12 ads on this page.
Opening lines that sound like a person, not a brand
Lifted from the ads above. Swap in your own product.
- 01Reply to [name]'s comment: [the doubt a buyer has]?Tropicfeel, “what's so special about these sneakers?”, 314 days
- 02[Product] Now [Permanent], by Demand.Commodity Fragrances, “Now Permanent, by Demand.”, 76 days
- 03We're looking for [number] [people who share the problem].Fuelin, “We're looking for 20 athletes who are chronic under-eaters.”, 21 days
- 04[Casual check-in]? ... but I brought my [product]Manta Sleep, “can't see her can't hear her”, 62 days
Keeping a thread readable at scrolling speed
- Pick the conversation firstChoose a comment, post or message that sounds like how your buyer already talks about the problem, as Manta does with a roommate who stays up late.
- Give it a reason to existOpen with a question or a request, as Tropicfeel's sneaker doubt and Jones Road's mini requests do, and let the product be the answer.
- Keep one voice, one problemFuelin's DM carries one person and one benefit, while Aviron's stacked thread sells a mood and leaves the detail to the body.
- Size the text for a phoneFuelin's single message and Manta's short bubbles read at a glance, so a longer thread needs the body copy to carry the point.
- Put the product somewhereTropicfeel and Manta keep the product in the frame, and JSHealth adds a bottle under the story; a message alone leaves the buyer without a picture of what is being sold.
- Disclose any tie to the brandIf a partner or staff member is speaking, say so on the picture, as JSHealth does with #JSHealthPartner.
Sizes and Safe Zones are on our Instagram Safe Zone checker page.
Which app to dress as
Comment cards. Tropicfeel and Licorice.com use a reply-to-comment card, while 7th Avenue, Jones Road Beauty and Commodity Fragrances use plain comment boxes, some with Reply links and like counts.
Feed posts. Aviron copies a Facebook group post with badges and reactions, and Fussy and Fuelin copy a Reddit post with vote counts.
Messages. Fuelin uses an Instagram-style direct message with a handle and a reply bar, Manta an iMessage-style thread laid over a photo, and JSHealth Vitamins a story with a follower's question on top.
Whose words, whose claim
The brand answers for it. The FTC's Endorsement Guides make an advertiser responsible for what an endorsement says, so a message inside a screenshot needs the same backing as a headline.
Show the connection. The Guides also say a material connection, such as a partnership or an affiliate code, should be disclosed. JSHealth Vitamins prints #JSHealthPartner and the creator's discount code on the picture.
Health claims need care. Meta's ad standards cover misleading claims and personal health, so read them before a message promises a body or health result. JSHealth's body carries the FDA statement beside a quote about cravings and weight.
Sources: ecfr.gov, transparency.meta.com
Chat ad questions, from comment to DM
Which chat formats do brands keep running on Meta?
Comment cards, forum posts and direct messages all appear among these ads, and each does a different job. The comment-led ads, from Tropicfeel to Commodity Fragrances, all ran as dynamic creative images, while the Aviron, JSHealth and Fuelin screenshots ran as single images.
Can I use a real customer's message in an ad?
Only with the person's permission, and only if it reflects what they honestly said. The FTC's Endorsement Guides make the advertiser answerable for the claims in an endorsement. Aviron's posts show member names and badges.
Does the product have to appear in a chat-style ad?
No, but the brand has to show up somewhere on the picture or in the body. Tropicfeel and Manta keep the product in the frame, while Fuelin shows none and relies on the message to name the benefit.
How do you keep a chat ad readable in a feed?
Cut the text until one idea fits a phone screen. Fuelin's single message and Manta's short bubbles read quickly, while Aviron's stack of comments works as a mood and leaves the detail to the body copy.
What should the body copy do in a chat-style ad?
Carry the offer and the details the picture leaves out. Tropicfeel's body adds "Up to 30% OFF", Fussy's adds the subscription discount, and Licorice.com's lists flavors and gift boxes the packing clip never shows.
Make chat screenshot ads like these
These ads work because each opens as someone else's conversation, so paste your client's website or your own and make ads built on a hook like that.
How we pick ads. We search Meta's public Ad Library for ads from DTC brands that sell to US and UK shoppers, keep ads running 14 days or more, skip catalogue ads, and show at most 3 per brand. Days running is a spend signal: brands rarely keep paying for an ad that doesn't sell. Day counts are as of the check date above. Breakdowns are written by Gimme Gimme's ad analysis engine from each ad's image and copy, and edited by Josh Jackson, founder. Not affiliated with the brands shown; ads appear for commentary and analysis. To have an ad removed, email hello@getgimmegimme.com and we'll take it down within 7 days.