How are brands using Instagram Reels to win customers? Check out these Reels examples and ads to get inspired to level up your own social video strategy.
Looking for examples of brands using Instagram Reels? You’ve come to the right place!
As both short-form videos continue to boom on Instagram, brands are scrambling for new ways to engage customers with Reels and their bite-sized format.
Jump-cuts and slideshows. How-tos and tutorials. Stop-motion storytelling. That's just a taste!
Need more creative ideas for your Reels and Reels ads? We've got you covered!
Below are twelve of the best brand Instagram Reels examples plus tips for creating your own.
It’s no secret that short-form video has taken over social media.
Not only does the Instagram algorithm love them, but so do brands and creators.
In our analysis of 30,000+ influencer posts, we found that Reels are the most requested type of content by CPG brands heading into 2025. That's because they drive so many interactions.
Instagram has pushed Reels hard since its launch a few year years back. Brands were skeptical of the format back then, mostly due to its similarities to TikTok.
Fast forward to the present and Reels represent 50% of the total time spent on Instagram.
Heck, it's hard to find a brand that doesn't post Reels regularly. From the “Explore” page to your feed, brands rely on Reels to reach their target audiences.
Source: @peaceoutskincare
Consider that Reels can be used alongside other types of content on Instagram. You don't have to look hard to find brands cross-posting Reels to their Instagram Stories or In-Feed Posts.
The thing is, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach for brands using Reels.
Strategy-wise, here are some widespread trends we've seen among brands on Instagram when it comes to short-form videos:
Here’s a snapshot of how we’re seeing most brands engage followers with short-form videos.
The problem? Many brands get overwhelmed with so many creative options!
What’s the best way to engage viewers? Which types of Reels earn views and interactions? To answer all of these questions and more, we put together the list below.
With the new Instagram algorithm prioritizing original content, unique Reels should be a priority for brands.
Whether you’re new to posting videos or just need some fresh ideas, here are twelve examples of Instagram Reels from brands across industries. We hope these Reels can inspire your own.
Fashion Reels like this highlight how brands can squeeze so much out of a short-form video.
Making announcements to hype up your audience? Check.
Featuring creators that reflect your target audience? Double-check.
Showing potential customers how to style a product from multiple angles? Yep, that too.
Source: @senita
These UGC Reels from Senita highlight how brands can drive engagement and create a sense of community via short-form videos. Not to mention how to sell products via video without being “salesy” or in-your-face about it.
No equipment or experience editing video? No problem — all you need is your smartphone.
Reels are a brilliant way to showcase your product’s features and key selling points ASAP.
Rather than force shoppers to dig through product pages for info, social videos provide instant answers to questions like:
This “show and tell” video from Fenty Hair is one of our recent favorite examples of Instagram Reels.
Source: @fentyhair
This side-by-side product Reel answers shoppers’ questions in a matter of seconds. Whether you’re already interested in The Homecurl or are seeing it for the first time, this video earns your interest. This shows how Reels can reach people at multiple stages of the customer journey.
Beauty brands are crushing it with Reels.
But makeup and skincare content isn’t as simple as showing off products in action.
Consider how beauty consumers are putting ingredients first during purchasing decisions. Beauty brands must balance educating potential customers about products without overwhelming them.
That’s where Reels come in.
Fourth Ray Beauty does a brilliant job of informing and engaging viewers at the same time. Colorful and oddly satisfying, this video proves that educational Reels should never be “boring.”
Source: @fourthraybeauty
Short-form, educational videos like this tend to perform well on social media. Consider that “discovering something new” drives content discovery on TikTok. It’s safe to assume similar rules apply to product Reels on Instagram.
4. OLAPLEXThis Reel from OLAPLEX is pretty much the blueprint for how creators can promote products with via voiceover videos. The creator's rapid-fire delivery and quick time-lapse cuts hold viewers' attention while showing viewers how to use their curl-defining gel step-by-step.
Source: @olaplex
Coupled with text captions, this video can reach viewers whether or not they have their sound on. Whether or not you believe the oft-cited stat that between 80% and 90% of social video viewers watch content with their sound off, the importance of including captions shouldn't be overlooked.
Reels are valuable for food brands to bring products to life.
These in-store Reels from Smartsweets use humorous skits to highlight how the brand's products are available in retailers like Target. This sort of TikTok-style content works brilliantly for the brand's target audience. Bonus points for taking advantage of trending audio!
Source: @smartsweets
With over 1.3 million views on this video alone, Sephora reminds us why they’re among the best brands on Instagram Reels.
Showing off legit results from a #SephoraSquad creator, this video serves as social proof to shoppers. Bonus points for prominently featuring the product packaging, too!
Source: @sephora
But what really makes this Reel example effective is the authenticity and vulnerability on display.
Because most creators would be hesitant to document an acne breakout.
Totally understandable! That makes the before-and-after format so much more effective, though.
Beauty products are prime for Reels because buyers want to see firsthand what a product can do for them. Chances are you’ve been underwhelmed by a “must-have” product in the past, right? Sephora acknowledges the power of that pain point and uses this video to remedy it.
Not sure where to start with Reels? Don’t panic.
When in doubt, just keep it simple. Below is a great example from Penguin Books.
Source: @penguinbooks
This quick-cut slideshow highlights how to create a simple but stylish Reel with little more than customer photos. Featuring followers in your content not only serves as a way to show your customers love but also encourages even more @mentions in the future.
“Who wants to watch a video of someone dropping ice cubes into a glass?”
Sure, it’s easy to psyche yourself out or second-guess your Reels for products.
But no matter your business or industry there’s likely an audience for your content ideas.
Look no further than the 3.5+ million posts on tags like #OddlySatisfying and #Drinkstagram for evidence. Check out the 80k views on this video from Sakara Life (which is also the brand’s most-viewed Reel):
Source: @sakaralife
Experimenting with “unconventional” video ideas can produce unexpectedly positive results. In short, creativity counts on Instagram.
Sure, this brand does have the advantage of posting adorable pups to promote their Reels.
But if you’ve got it, flaunt it!
Wagwell does a great job showing off its product in action here, including a close-up of the packaging and how to apply it. For a product that shoppers may be unfamiliar with, this video answers a ton of questions all at once and is entertaining, too.
Source: @wagwellpet
Sugarfina got in on the ground floor of rolling Reels into their creator marketing strategy.
The brand by sharing a new tea collection and promoting its own branded hashtag via micro-influencers. Sugarfina has since partnered with baking creators to show off creative ways to enjoy their confections.
Source: @sugarfina
Piggybacking on viral trends can be tricky for brands, but The Woobles nails it with Reels like this one.
The brand started a series where they try to create and recreate viral memes and animals using the company's crochet kits for beginners. This is yet another example of how to show off a product in action without it feeling like a sales pitch at all.
Source: @thewoobles
Instagram Reels is a prime place to cement your brand’s identity.
For example, check out Indy Brand Clothing’s eye-popping Reels that promote nature and simple living. Their products don’t necessarily need to be the center of attention when the amazing landscapes and scenery do the talking. At the same time, viewers get a clear sense of who Indy Brand Clothing is.
Source: @indybrandclothing
Short-form video is a promotional powerhouse for brands whether it's organic or paid.
On that note, the popularity of Reels ads speaks for itself. We're seeing more and more brands run Instagram Partnership Ads featuring influencers using Reels' short-form video format.
Below is an Instagram Reels ad example from r.e.m beauty which features a creator showing off a shoppable product. Note how tapping the "Shop Now" CTA takes you to the brand's shoppable Instagram feed to see the product shown in the video.
Keep in mind that these ads aren't exclusively shoppable. As of writing, campaign objectives and calls-to-action for Instagram Reels ads include: awareness, traffic, engagement, leads, app promotion and sales.
Here's another Reels ad example, this time from Kosas. This ad is unique as it combines a variety of creator product reviews and testimonials into a single ad that's packed with social proof.
Note how this Reels ad (on the left) included some of the raw video from a creator (on the right).
This highlights the creative options brands have to create influencer ads on Reels. While many brands whitelist influencer content on Instagram with Partnership Ad codes, you can also edit together a unique ad featuring influencer content yourself (granted you have the usage rights for it).
To wrap things up, let’s quickly review and recap some last-minute tips for brand Reels.
As noted earlier, what makes a "good" Reel isn't one-size-fits-all. Still, brands should keep in mind that even seemingly minor details can have a major impact on your video's engagement.
For example, consider experimenting with the length of your Instagram Reels. Despite being called short-form videos, many top-performing Reels are actually on the "longer" side.
In our analysis of 2,000+ short-form influencer videos, we found that Instagram Reels between 60 and 80 seconds long earned 71% more average views than Reels under 60 seconds. We also saw that Reels under 20 seconds earned the second-highest number of views.
These aren't hard or fast rules, but just an example of why experimenting with different formats and styles is important. Especially when it comes to your brand's UGC videos featuring creators.
It's no coincidence that many of the brand Reel examples above feature voiceovers.
Narrating what a product does can grab viewers' attention and likewise help them understand what you're selling ASAP. Not to mention that spoken keywords in Reels can get picked up by the algorithm and are great for social SEO.
In the analysis mentioned above, we found that 63% of creator Reels contained voiceovers. We also found that Reels longer than a minute containing a voiceover earned 110% more views than those without them.
Just something to keep in mind! While obviously not all Reels can (or even should!) use voiceovers, consider testing how they perform for your brand compared to Reels that use music.
Instagram acknowledges that creators are active on both networks but still want Reels content to be unique. Custom descriptions, filters and newer features like product tagging for creators can make your brand’s videos different between TikTok and Instagram.
There’s plenty of debate about Reels vs In-Feed posts and their reach. In our experience, Reels in 2024 are seeing higher engagement than usual.
Still, the IG algorithm can change at a moment’s notice. Now that you can cross-post Reels to your main feed, there’s no reason not to publish videos to Reels as part of your regular content calendar.
As we’ve said a million times, Instagram creators know what kind of branded content makes people tick. For reference, here’s an Instagram Reel example from our own network.
Source: @lifestylewithjanelle
Our take? Creators can craft stellar sponsored content when given the opportunity and creative freedom. That's because know exactly what to post to delight their followers.
Source: @lifestylewithjanelle
Reels should be a top priority for any brand looking to win more customers via Instagram.
We hope these Reels examples inspired you to do exactly that. Regardless of your brand or budget, there are plenty of creative Reels you can produce sooner rather than later.
The thing is, breaking through the noise on Reels means having a high volume of authentic content consistently published on behalf of your brand.
Making that happen in-house is a tall order. That's why brands today rely on influencer collabs to make it happen.
And if your brand needs influencer collaborations at scale, Statusphere can help.
Our micro-influencer marketing platform matches brands with influencers from our vetted creator community. Statusphere creators generated tens of millions of views via Reels and TikTok last year.
Unlike other platforms, we generate guaranteed content for brands so they can scale their presence on Instagram without wasting time. We've already generated 75,000+ pieces of content for 400+ consumer brands.
Want to see how our software works? Get in touch with one of our experts to see how we can scale your influencer marketing efforts in a fraction of the time.
This article was first published in October 2020. It was last updated November 20, 2024.
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