CTV Campaigns In Action: Creative Examples That Deliver ROI

Streaming now dominates the television landscape. In the United States, connected TV (CTV) and other streaming outlets make up 43.8% of all television time as of March 2025, a ten‑point gain in just two years. Industry analysts note that more than 72% of total TV viewing is already ad‑supported, and more than half of marketers expect to increase CTV budgets in 2025. Brands are racing to turn this attention into real outcomes.

Unlike traditional TV commercials, CTV spots can target viewers precisely, include shoppable overlays, and track results down to sales. When executed well, connected‑TV campaigns rival, and sometimes exceed, the efficiency of digital display or search advertising.

This article explores what makes a great CTV ad, showcases CTV ad examples across sectors, examines today’s formats, and explains how to measure return on investment. Throughout, you will find external research citations, practical diagrams, and expert insight to help you build performance‑driven campaigns.

What Makes a Great CTV Ad?

Before looking at specific CTV advertising examples, it is useful to outline the key elements that separate winning campaigns from forgettable ones. CTV gives marketers the freedom to tell richer stories, but that freedom can be squandered if ads are poorly targeted or fail to invite action. Nielsen’s 2025 insights advise advertisers to “experiment with new formats,” use advanced audience targeting, align campaigns with broader marketing objectives, and invest in robust measurement.

The following checklist summarises those best practices. These early CTV examples set the stage for the rest of the article by illustrating how creative, targeting, interactivity, and measurement come together. You will see how different industries apply these principles in real campaigns.

Reason #1. Attention‑grabbing Creative

At the core of any ad is the creative. On a large television screen, crisp visuals, clear branding, and a memorable story matter even more than on mobile. Use high‑contrast colours and dynamic motion to draw the eye; avoid small text that becomes illegible on a ten‑foot screen. Tailor the narrative to your audience’s interests and show the product in context. For example, a fashion retailer could feature outfits being worn in different settings to inspire viewers.

Reason #2. Data‑driven Targeting

With programmatic buys, you can define audiences by location, demographics, viewing behaviour, shopping intent, and even exposure to past ads. Nielsen notes that advanced targeting enables advertisers to reach the right households while controlling frequency. A well‑targeted CTV ad feels relevant rather than intrusive. Build segments using first‑party data where possible; many CTV platforms also offer powerful look‑alike modelling.

Reason #3. Interactive Experiences

CTV is not just TV. It is the internet on the biggest screen in the house. Interactive overlays, product galleries, and QR codes transform a passive spot into a mini‑website. Innovid reports that interactive ads add over 73 seconds of engagement compared with standard pre‑roll and drive 10× higher engagement for consumer packaged goods brands. Simple prompts like “Scan to Shop” or “Add to Watchlist” shorten the path to purchase. When designing interactivity, ensure the experience is intuitive and remote‑friendly; even asking viewers to press a button can drive meaningful lift.

Reason #4. Brand & Message Alignment

Smart targeting and shiny technology cannot compensate for a weak message. Make sure the ad reflects your brand voice and fits with your broader marketing goals. CTV often works best when paired with other channels. Nielsen recommends integrating CTV strategy into the overall marketing ecosystem. For example, a streaming ad that introduces a new product can later be retargeted on mobile or email.

Reason #5. Measurement & Optimization

CTV’s digital nature means you can track every impression, completed view, click, and conversion. Yet many campaigns still rely on outdated TV metrics. Advertisers should use sales, installs, or lead generation as north‑star indicators, supported by cost‑per‑completed‑view (CPCV), view‑through rates, and brand‑lift surveys.

tvScientific warns that bot fraud and “background running” TVs can inflate results. About 11% of CTV inventory may be served while the TV is off. Working with accredited measurement partners and insisting on transparent log‑level data helps ensure accuracy. We will return to measurement later with a funnel diagram.

CTV Campaign Examples by Industry

Case studies make theory tangible. Below are examples of CTV campaigns by major verticals, each drawn from 2024–2025 research rather than anecdotal blog posts. The industries, retail & e‑commerce, automotive, healthcare & pharma, entertainment & gaming, and real estate, illustrate how precise targeting and interactivity convert audiences into customers.

To visualise performance across sectors, the bar chart below normalises return‑on‑ad‑spend (ROAS) multipliers from available reports. While not a direct apples‑to‑apples comparison, it reveals how different businesses leverage CTV. Gaming campaigns, for instance, often deliver extraordinary multipliers because the audience is inherently digital.

Retail & E‑Commerce

Retail media networks hold a treasure trove of first‑party shopping data. AlixPartners observed that combining retail data with CTV ads can produce 67 % higher ROAS and even double year‑over‑year sales.

Shoppable CTV spots, where viewers can click or scan to add items to their cart, also generate 1.5× incremental reach and 1.67× better in‑funnel conversion rates than benchmarks. For instance, a grocery retailer partnered with a streaming service to deliver ads for pantry staples during cooking shows. A clickable overlay lets viewers put ingredients directly into their online basket.

The campaign lifted incremental sales by nearly 29% and gave the retailer granular insights into which households bought which products.

Key takeaways for retailers:

• Prioritise first‑party data: match loyalty‑card data with streaming IDs to reach known shoppers.
• Use product carousels and QR codes to make ads shoppable.
• Optimise for lift metrics such as sales incrementality and cost per order rather than just impressions.

Automotive

Auto shoppers are high‑value and often deep in research mode. In a 2025 case study, a car maker ran seven campaigns on Vizio’s Inscape platform over three months. By targeting households tagged as “auto intenders” and measuring sales conversion, the campaign delivered more than 2,600 vehicle purchases and achieved an average ROAS of $31.91 for every dollar spent.

The brand also saw incremental reach by layering CTV impressions on top of national TV—viewers who never saw the linear spot accounted for a significant share of conversions. This demonstrates that CTV can capture incremental audiences and drive big‑ticket purchases when paired with deterministic data.

Lessons from the auto case:

• Target in‑market households using dealer visitation data and online configurator interactions.
• Tie ad exposure to dealership visits or test‑drive bookings for clear attribution.
• Rotate creative to highlight different models or financing offers based on viewer profiles.

This automotive CTV ads example shows how precision targeting and data‑driven optimisation can generate high‑value conversions and a strong return on ad spend.

Healthcare & Pharma

Pharmaceutical advertisers face strict regulations and must ensure messages reach the right patients. Analytics consultancy Analytic Partners found that CTV yields 30% higher ROI than other channels for pharma clients. One campaign for a diabetes medication achieved 82% higher on‑target reach and 50% better audience quality than linear TV.

Another program targeting asthma sufferers delivered 2× more new‑to‑brand prescriptions than online video and 2.5× more than display, while combined exposure (CTV plus digital) produced six times the new‑to‑brand prescription rate.

A third case drove a 570% increase in verified patient reach and slashed cost per verified patient by 83%. These outcomes underscore the value of deterministic healthcare data for reaching qualified patients and lowering acquisition costs.

Best practices for pharma marketers:

• Use anonymised health‑status signals (e.g., condition, medication adherence) within HIPAA‑compliant environments.
• Focus on verified patient reach and new‑to‑brand prescriptions as success metrics.Sequence CTV wi
• th programmatic display or social to maximise brand recall and drive adherence.

Entertainment & Gaming

Gaming and entertainment brands often need to re‑engage lapsed users or promote new content drops. YouAppi’s 2024 analysis shows that CTV retargeting delivers 12× higher engagement and costs 32% less to re‑engage lapsed gamers than typical mobile channels. A mobile game publisher’s CTV campaign increased unique app re‑opens by more than 15% and generated a day‑7 ROI exceeding 230%.

Overall, the campaign achieved a staggering 450% ROI relative to initial benchmarks. Meanwhile, Nielsen notes that about 70% of CTV viewers also play video games, making the platform a natural fit for promoting games, streaming events, and subscriptions.

Considerations for gaming advertisers:

• Use CTV to retarget lapsed players with personalised highlights or in‑game rewards.
• Leverage audience data showing cross‑over between streaming consumption and gaming to find high‑value segments.
• Combine CTV ads with playable mini‑demos accessed via QR codes for deeper engagement.

Real Estate

Home buyers research extensively across digital channels before visiting a property. In Strategus’ 2025 analysis of real estate CTV campaigns, the master‑planned community Babcock Ranch received 5,743 in‑person visits after running video ads on streaming services. Another national home builder generated over 277,000 post‑view website visits from a CTV campaign.

By geo‑targeting ads within specific ZIP codes and using household income data, the campaign ensured only qualified leads saw the message. Because home purchases have long sales cycles, these post‑view engagements were key indicators of future conversion.

Tips for real estate marketers:

• Employ precise geofencing and household income targeting to avoid wasted impressions.
• Invite viewers to take virtual tours via QR codes or schedule appointments directly from the ad.Optimi
• se campaigns for downstream metrics like listing views, inquiries, and site visits rather than immediate purchases.

Another CTV ad example from this vertical emphasises the importance of long‑tail engagement. Rather than expecting instant sales, smart real‑estate marketers treat site visits, virtual tour bookings, and phone inquiries as leading indicators of eventual conversion.

Connected TV Campaign Formats: What’s Possible Today

CTV advertising has evolved rapidly from simple 15‑second pre‑rolls to rich, interactive experiences. Understanding the available formats helps brands choose the right approach for their goals. Below is a concise table outlining popular formats and their advantages.

When selecting a format, consider whether the goal is awareness, engagement, or direct action. Interactive units can supercharge performance but require creative adaptation and careful testing. Amazon Ads’ vice president Alan Moss noted that these new formats “reimagine the streaming experience” and help advertisers reach customers “across the full purchase funnel.”

How to Measure ROI from CTV Advertising

Measuring CTV return on investment requires more than tallying impressions or completion rates. A comprehensive framework captures performance at each stage, from exposure to action, and ties results back to business outcomes. Track the following metrics:

• Sales and Revenue. Determine incremental sales attributed to the campaign using matched‑market tests or lift studies.
• Installs or Sign‑ups. For apps and services, monitor installs, registrations, or subscription starts.
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). Calculate revenue divided by ad spend; a ROAS above one means the campaign pays for itself.
• Clicks and Interactions. For interactive formats, count clicks on overlays, carousel selections, or QR scans.
• Frequency and Completion Rate. Measure how often households are exposed and whether they watch the full ad.
• View‑Through Conversions. Attribute conversions that happen within a set window after an impression without a direct click.
• Brand Lift. Use surveys to assess changes in awareness, favourability, or purchase intent among exposed viewers.

Working with vendors that provide log‑level transparency and using privacy‑compliant identifiers helps mitigate these issues.

Expert Insight: The Shift to CTV Is a Shift to Performance

Here’s an expert opinion from our CEO & Founder, Roman Vasyukov:

“Streaming is the default. Viewers expect to discover and shop inside the experience. Interactive CTV formats, shoppable carousels, pause ads, and branded trivia move people from awareness to conversion in one session. This is not replacing TV; it turns television into a performance channel where every impression is measured and optimised.”

The quote above underscores how CTV is evolving from an awareness medium into a performance engine. As advertisers adopt interactive formats and data‑driven targeting, campaigns can be managed like any other digital channel, with measurable outcomes and rapid optimisation cycles.

Conclusion: Which Platform Fits Your Strategy?

CTV advertising combines the reach of television with the precision of digital marketing. Research from Nielsen shows that streaming already commands nearly half of all TV viewing and continues to grow. Case studies across retail, automotive, healthcare, and gaming demonstrate that well‑executed campaigns can deliver ROI multiples ranging from 1.3× to more than 13× depending on the sector.

Choosing the right partner is crucial. Consider whether you need full‑funnel control via a DSP, the ability to monetise your own inventory with an SSP, or the flexibility of a white‑label exchange. Ensure your provider supports the formats and measurement tools discussed here and that they can integrate with existing marketing systems. Finally, stay vigilant against fraud and champion transparency. By treating CTV as a performance channel, rather than a repackaged TV buy, you can turn couches into checkout lines and living rooms into revenue engines.

These examples of connected TV across multiple industries reinforce that streaming ads are not one‑size‑fits‑all. When you adapt creative, targeting, and measurement to the needs of your sector, you unlock the true potential of connected television.

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