A concise guide to the latest ad products you should be aware of — from comment sections to post-checkout screens — including what they cost (where platforms have been willing to say) and, crucially, why they matter.
Roblox: Rewarded Videos
What is it? Roblox users can now watch 30-second ads in exchange for in-game perks like currency or power-ups. Announced this week, ads are only shown to players aged 13+ and creators must be 18+ to enable them.
What good is it? It’s opt-in, so engagement tends to be higher. For brands, it’s also the first time Roblox’s 60 million daily users have been folded into Google’s media ecosystem, turning the platform into a buyable audience at scale.
How much is it? No public pricing yet. The ads are being sold programmatically through Google’s Immersive Ads platform or via direct deals, so expect performance-based rates tied to views, clicks or conversions.
Snapchat: Sponsored Snaps
What is it? Advertisers can drop full-screen videos, which appear unread above contact messages until tapped, directly into Snapchat’s main chat tab. Launched in September 2024, the format’s been used by brands like Oreo, but Snap shared its first performance results this week with a campaign from Wendy’s.
What good is it? Snapchat says Sponsored Snaps are built to drive the full funnel — awareness, engagement and conversion — in a single swipe. Wendy’s test run suggests they can deliver: the campaign clocked 52 million impressions in a day and drove a 17% lift in ad awareness. For brands with punchy creative and something to sell fast, it’s a direct line to users’ inboxes and their wallets.
How much is it? Snap’s ad platform can start as low as $5 a day, but advanced features and premium placements can scale significantly higher.
Instagram: Testimonials
What is it? Instagram is turning comments into ad inventory by allowing influencers to post branded endorsements (with a paid-partnership label) under a brand’s post. Introduced in late February 2025, it’s a formal version of what many creators already did informally.
What good is it? Comments feel organic and are easily overlooked, which often lends them more credibility. Brands get subtle social proof where people don’t expect a hard sell. It’s also a smart move from Meta; mining underused parts of the platform for monetisation, without disrupting the feed or Stories.
How much is it? Meta hasn’t released an official price structure because the format hinges on influencer deals. Rates will vary widely, likely mirroring typical Story or Feed pricing, anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand pounds per partnership.
Discord: Quest Ads expand to mobile
What is it? Discord is rolling out Quests Ads to mobile, letting brands sponsor in-game challenges in exchange for rewards, such as a player completing a task in a game after watching a short video ad.
What good is it? It’s Discord’s first native mobile ad format, opening up inventory in a space the platform had previously kept ad-free. If your product fits the culture of a server, it’s a rare route in — and users are more likely to play along when there’s a reward at the end.
How much is it? No official rate card yet. Expect typical cost-per-click or cost-per-impression structures.
TikTok: Automotive ads
What is it? TikTok launched a new ad format for the auto industry in February 2025, letting car brands showcase vehicles, link to dealership sites and drive test drive bookings, all without users leaving the app.
What good is it? TikTok wants to position itself as a full-funnel platform, from discovery to test drive. But as our content and social editor, Svilena, explored last month, it’s less clear whether users are ready to buy a car mid-scroll. For now, it’s a brand-building tool: a way to get models in front of an audience already searching for reviews and recommendations on the app.
How much is it? No public pricing yet. Ads run via TikTok’s standard performance-based model, likely cost-per-click or cost-per-mile.
DoorDash: DoubleDash banner and product ads
What is it? DoorDash has formalised its DoubleDash upsell feature as ad inventory, letting brands run banner ads and sponsored product placements beneath a prompt that invites users to add extra items to their order. Rolled out in March 2025, it’s currently limited to ‘highly adjacent’ categories — snacks, drinks, desserts — with plans to expand.
What good is it? It’s not reinventing the wheel. Post-checkout prompts have been part of delivery apps for years, but a distinct ad product gives brands a clearer, more targetable way to catch customers mid-spend. And with DoorDash typically cheaper than Uber Eats, users might be more inclined to engage.
How much is it? Cost-per-click or cost-per-engagement model. DoorDash hasn’t shared specific rates, but DoubleDash will be broken out as a distinct placement in its reporting tools.
Google: Expandable shopping carousel
What is it? Google is reportedly testing an expandable Shopping ad carousel in search results, letting users scroll horizontally through product listings without clicking away. It’s a small but significant tweak to its Shopping Ads format, aimed at keeping shoppers in the search results longer.
What good is it? For retailers, it’s extra shelf space in a crowded search environment — and another way to catch browsers before they drift to Amazon. For users, it’s a frictionless scroll through products. For Google, it’s a few more seconds of attention to monetise.
How much is it? Pricing follows Google’s standard Shopping Ads model, typically cost-per-click, with costs varying by product category and competitiveness.
WhatsApp: Broadcast limits for businesses
What is it? WhatsApp is capping how many broadcast messages businesses can send, aiming to curb spam and push companies toward quality rather than quantity. Announced in March 2025, it’s part of WhatsApp’s larger plan to preserve the user experience.
What good is it? It’s not a new format, but it impacts how brands can use one of the world’s biggest messaging platforms. If WhatsApp’s part of your media mix, you’ll need to target more carefully, or pay to scale.
How much is it? WhatsApp’s Business API charges per conversation. It can range from a few pence to £1+ depending on region, volume and use case.
Reddit: Hide an Ad
What is it? In an effort — similar to the one above — to reduce annoying or irrelevant ads, Reddit users can now block specific advertisers from their feed. Rolled out as part of a user-control update, it doesn’t cut ads entirely, just the ones they really don’t want to see.
What good is it? For users, it’s a way to declutter their feed. For brands, it’s a quiet reminder to make ads worth seeing — or risk being blocked. Again, it’s not a new format, but it limits how far your media dollars will stretch if users opt out. And it reflects a growing trend: audiences actively shutting advertisers out.
How much is it? Reddit ads often run on a CPM basis starting around £4–£8 per thousand impressions.
Main image by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
