10 Rich Media Ad Examples From Global Brands (+ How to Build Them)

To help you explore the world of interactive ads, we’ve put together some of the best rich media ad examples created with NEXD for major global brands.

What are rich media ads?

Simply put, rich media ads are advertisements that use multimedia elements such as video or interactive features. These might let viewers swipe through a product carousel or play a mini-game within the ad. For more detail, read our full guide to rich media ads.

Below we will showcase ads made for global brands, using Nexd’s Campaign Manager.

Rich media type	Example	Best suited for	Main interaction
Shoppable ad	Urban Outfitters	Product discovery	Clickable hotspots
Playable ad	National Geographic	Entertainment / awareness	Find hidden objects
Social-style video	Nature Made	DTC / social creative	Video + CTA
Carousel	L’Oréal	Product variants	Switch between shades
DCO	Lidl	Contextual campaigns	Weather-based content
3D ad	Disney	Storytelling / launches	Rotate 3D creative
Expandable + map	Mango	Online-to-store	Browse + store finder
Game-like ad	Maltesers	FMCG / seasonal	Catch falling objects
Expandable ad	Hermès	Premium storytelling	Expand for more content
Scratch ad	LEGO	Reveal / launch	Scratch to uncover

10 rich media ad examples and how to apply them

1. Shoppable rich media ad — Urban Outfitters

This shoppable ad for Urban Outfitters lets users click on different product points within the creative. Each point opens a small product view where users can learn more about a specific item. From there, a CTA takes them directly to that product’s shopping page.

Why the interaction fits: The interaction feels natural. It works much like browsing in a physical shop or an online store: if something catches a person’s eye, they can take a closer look — by clicking on it online or picking it up and feeling the material in a shop.

Transferable to: fashion (“shop the look”), beauty (“explore the routine”), automotive (“explore the car’s features”), hospitality (“tap to explore rooms, spa, restaurant or pool”), real estate (“explore different rooms or property features”), and electronics (“tap different features to learn more”).

What you need to build it: A lifestyle image showing several products, clickable product points (hotspots), and a product card for each item with its image, information, CTA and destination URL.

2. Gamified playable ad — National Geographic

A playable ad made for National Geographic, where users search for animals hidden in a forest. They have to find six animals, and at the end, the ad leads them to watch the show on Disney+.

Why the interaction fits: Instead of simply showing clips or images from the show, the ad gives users something to experience themselves. The gamified interaction makes the ad more engaging and memorable, while also reflecting the sense of discovery and entertainment that the show itself aims to offer.

Transferable to: travel (“find the hidden destinations”), retail (“find the products to unlock a discount”), entertainment (“spot characters or clues”), automotive (“find different features of the car”), and seasonal campaigns (“find the hidden gifts” or “find all the Easter eggs”).

Because playable ads can use different custom-built mechanics, the interaction can be adapted to fit the campaign rather than forcing every brand into the same type of game.

What you need to build it: Gamified ads are built with custom code. NEXD offers this service whether you need the same “find it” game or something more custom. Explore more gamified ad examples here: https://www.nexd.com/ad-gallery/#layout=custom-ad.

3. Social lookalike video ad — Nature Made

A video ad for Nature Made designed to look like a social media post. The video uses additional overlays to recreate familiar social elements such as the profile area, post copy, reaction icons and a “Shop Now” CTA.

Why the interaction fits: The familiar social-media-style design makes the video feel closer to the type of content users already see while scrolling. Instead of presenting the video as a standalone banner, the added elements give it more context and make the creative feel like a social media post.

Transferable to: DTC brands, beauty, food and beverage, wellness, fashion, entertainment, or any campaign that already has strong social video assets and wants to adapt that style to display advertising.

What you need to build it: Video asset plus the visual elements you want to layer around it, such as your logo, copy, social-style controls and CTA.

4. Product discovery carousel ad — L’Oréal

In this carousel ad, instead of just rotating products, you can see the product and try on different versions. When you click on the shade, it changes the lipstick color. 

Why the interaction fits: The interaction makes the different lipstick shades easier to compare. Instead of only showing the available colours, users can switch between them and see how each one looks on the model.

Transferable to: automotive (“switch between car colours or trims”), fashion (“try different colours or styles”), food and beverage (“explore different flavours”), beauty (“compare shades or finishes”), consumer electronics (“switch between device colours or models”), and travel (“compare room types or destinations”).

What you need to build it: Create one product card for each product or variant you want to show. Each card needs its own hotspot media and a clickable pin that users can select to reveal that version.

5. Weather-based DCO ad — Lidl

This weather-based DCO ad changes the creative based on the current conditions. In this example, the ad shows the current weather and temperature, and the products change to match the conditions.

Why the interaction fits: The creative becomes more relevant by responding to the user’s environment. Instead of showing the same message to everyone, it connects the offer to the current weather, making the product feel more contextual.

Transferable to: grocery (“hot day = ice cream, cold day = soup”), retail (“rainy weather = jackets”), travel (“sunny destinations”), beverages (“cold drinks on warm days”), beauty (“summer skincare”), and delivery or QSR campaigns with weather-based product promotion.

What you need to build it: Set of creative variants, weather-based rules for when each version should appear, and the copy and visuals for each condition. If using a carousel, each card can feature a different product or offer matched to the selected scenario.

6. 3D rich media ad — Disney

This a 3D cube for Disney+ Hotjar The First Responders tv-series. This creative calls users to engage with the cube to view the video in the ad and also see the overlays that spin giving a parallax effect.

Why the interaction fits: Instead of fitting everything into one flat banner, the 3D format gives users more to explore within the same ad space. It works especially well when a campaign has several visuals or messages that belong together.

Transferable to: entertainment (“explore different characters or scenes”), automotive (“show different sides or features of a car”), travel (“explore a destination”), product launches (“reveal different features”), and technology (“show different product benefits”).

What you need to build it: You need creative assets for each side of the cube. These can be images, video or a mix of both, depending on what you want users to explore.

7. Expandable store finder ad — Mango

This Mango ad uses many elements, combining a carousel splitscreen with a map layout. The ad enables the viewer to look at clothes inspiration, an illustrative video above and also click on “Find the nearest store” to find where to shop in person.

Why the interaction fits: The different elements follow the way people often shop for clothes. First, they browse for inspiration and see how the pieces look together. If something catches their eye, the store finder gives them an immediate next step to shop in person.

Transferable to: fashion (“find the nearest store”), automotive (“find a dealership”), restaurants (“find the nearest location”), events (“find a venue”), travel (“explore nearby places”), and retail campaigns with multiple store locations.

What you need to build it: Start with an expandable ad and choose what you want to show in the first and second states. In this example, the first state uses a carousel with a video at the top, although an image could also be used. You’ll need the carousel assets and the top media. When the user interacts with the ad, it opens the second state with the map.

8. Game-like interactive ad — Maltesers

Users move the Maltesers bag with their cursor or by tilting their phone, while animated chocolate bunnies fall from the top of the ad. The goal is to move the bag underneath them and “catch” them.

Why the interaction fits: The interaction is simple, playful and easy to understand. Instead of just showing the product, the ad turns it into a small challenge that encourages people to engage with the creative.

Transferable to: food and beverage (“catch the treats”), retail (“catch the products”), seasonal campaigns (“catch the gifts”), entertainment (“catch the characters or items”), and any campaign that wants a light game-like interaction without building a fully custom playable ad.

What you need to build it: You need a main background, an object the user can control, and the items you want to animate. In this example, the bag is controlled by the user while the chocolate bunnies are animated to fall. The effect can be built with NEXD’s Floating Object layout + animations, so it doesn’t require a custom-coded game.

9. Expandable rich media ad — Hermès

This Hermès ad is a small polite ad but should a viewer want to know more, all they have to do is click on “See More”, which opens an expandable ad with a carousel, showing featured outfits from the campaign.

Why the interaction fits: Full-screen ads can feel intrusive when they appear without warning. An expandable format gives the user more control: the ad starts small and only opens into a larger experience when they choose to interact with it.

Transferable to: fashion (“open a collection”), automotive (“explore models or features”), travel (“see more of a destination”), entertainment (“open trailers or additional content”), and retail campaigns with several products or offers.

What you need to build it: You need assets for both states of the ad: the smaller first view and the expanded second view. The expanded state can include images, video, product carousels or other interactive elements, depending on what you want people to explore.

10. Scratch-to-reveal ad — Lego

A interstitial ad from Lego with a scratch effect. The viewer has to scratch the ad moving the red Lego block which reveals the contents of that Advent Calendar product.

Why the interaction fits: The user has to actively uncover the content instead of seeing everything immediately. That makes the reveal part of the experience and works particularly well when the campaign has something worth discovering.

Transferable to: product launches (“reveal the new product”), retail (“reveal an offer or discount”), entertainment (“uncover a character or scene”), food and beverage (“reveal a new flavour”), seasonal campaigns (“reveal a gift”), and competitions (“scratch to see what you won”).

What you need to build it: You only need two images: the image users scratch away and the image underneath that you want to reveal. In NEXD’s Scratch layout, you can also adjust how the scratch effect works and choose what users “scratch” with — in this LEGO example, it’s a LEGO brick.

How to choose a rich media format

If your goal is…	Consider…
Let people explore products	Carousel or shoppable hotspots
Compare product variants	Product discovery carousel
Drive people to stores	Expandable + map
Make the campaign more playful	Scratch, game-like or playable
React to context	DCO
Tell a larger visual story	3D or expandable
Reuse existing social video	Social lookalike video

Create your next rich media ad

Enjoyed these rich media ad examples and want to make ads like these for your brand? Sign up for Nexd’s 14-day free trial and try making your own.