Libraries/Social Media Ad Techniques/Formats

    Reaction / Stitch

    Reacting to another clip - a stitch or duet - and steering it to the product.

    VideoCost: low

    The creator reacts to an existing video - a stitch, a duet, a quote-tweet in motion - adding their take and landing on the product. It works because it rides content the viewer already finds interesting and feels native to the platform rather than placed, so the reaction format buys reach and credibility the brand could not manufacture alone.

    Why it works

    It rides a clip the viewer already finds interesting and feels native, not placed, so the format borrows reach and credibility the brand could not manufacture alone. Reacting also reads as a real opinion rather than a scripted ad.

    Format Examples

    How this format plays out across different products and segments.

    App

    Stitching a viral 'this doesn't work' clip and proving it does.

    SaaS

    Reacting to a competitor's claim and countering it on screen.

    DTC

    Duetting a customer's post and replying in real time.

    How to build it

    1

    Pick the right clip

    Choose source content that's relevant, current, and yours to react to.

    2

    Add the take

    Your reaction is the value - agree, debunk, or build on it, don't just replay it.

    3

    Land on the product

    Steer the reaction to the product as the natural payoff, close on a CTA.

    Example executions

    Stitching a viral 'this doesn't work' clip and proving it does.

    Reacting to a competitor's claim and countering it on screen.

    Duetting a customer's post and replying in real time.

    Carries these angles well

    FOMO / Cultural MomentMyth-Buster / ContrarianSocial Proof / Crowd Logic

    Reach for it when

    Cultural-moment and myth-busting angles, platform-native top-of-funnel, and brands willing to engage with what's already trending.

    Skip it when

    Brands that need full message control, and any reaction that leans on a clip without the rights or relevance to use it.

    Common mistake

    Reacting with nothing to add. If your take is just nodding along to the original, there's no reason to watch your version over the clip you stitched.

    Combine it into an ad

    A format is the container. In the Hi5 Framework it wraps an angle and opens with a hook to become a finished concept.

    The Hi5 FrameworkBrowse angles