Short answer: Black Friday ad creative is a set that explains a single offer in the first second, is prepared in different formats from vertical video to square images, and carries a separate message for each wave. Write separate messages for early access, 11.11, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, try three different openings for each message and scale the winner in peak week.
Why is ad creative a separate job in the Black Friday period?
In November a user sees dozens of sale ads in a single day. So the job of the creative is not to look good but to stop the scroll and explain a single offer. This guide covers the creative side: which formats, which messages and which tests. For how to adapt offers and price wording between markets, see our campaign localization guide.
In Turkey, Black Friday and the whole November season also go by local sector names. Build the campaign name and the offer on your own brand, and do not carry another company's campaign name, logo or interface into your creative.
Do not try to build the brand and sell the discount in the same creative. According to Mark Ritson's article published on Think with Google in January 2025, dual-purpose ads that combine brand building and performance goals in one creative perform worse than ads that do each job separately. In November the job is clear: one offer sold, one sentence said.
Which formats and sizes should you prepare for Black Friday ads?
The table below brings together the sizes we use in our November sets and the specifications published by Google. Platforms update their size and length rules from time to time, so check the platform's own specification page before you publish.
| Format | Ratio and size | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical video | 9:16, 1080x1920 | Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts | Keep important content away from the top and bottom edges of the screen |
| Feed image | 4:5, 1080x1350 | Meta feed ads | One offer, one call to action |
| Square image | 1:1, 1200x1200 | Google Performance Max, catalog cards | Product images in shopping ads must not carry text or badges |
| Landscape image | 1.91:1, 1200x628 | Google Performance Max | One of the core ratios Google asks for, together with the square image |
| Bumper video | 6 seconds | YouTube | According to Google Ads documentation, at least 5 seconds |
| Shorts video | Under 60 seconds | YouTube Shorts | According to Google Ads documentation, under 60 seconds is recommended |
How do you write the creative message for each wave?
Each wave makes the customer a different promise. Change the message by wave but keep the visual system (color, typeface, logo position) the same. That is how the user comes to recognize you across the waves. We recommend at least three formats per wave, and the one thing we add is to make vertical video the first format you produce, because the other formats can be derived from it.
The phrases in the table are examples, so change them to fit your own offer. Use stock and time phrases only if they are true.
| Wave | Job of the message | Example phrase | Call to action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early access (November 1-10) | A feeling of priority for the list | See the November deals before everyone else | Join the list |
| 11.11 (November 11) | A one-day, limited selection | November 11 only, on selected products | See the selection |
| Black Friday (November 27) | The strongest offer of the year | Black Friday prices, today only | Start shopping |
| Cyber Monday (November 30) | Last chance | Last day, November 30, while stock lasts | Get the last deals |
What should you say in the first second of Black Friday creative?
In short video the most expensive second is the first. The viewer decides within a second or two whether to stay, so say the offer and the date in the first sentence and leave the brand introduction for the end. We covered how to build an opening in our article on short-form video trends.
Keep to one offer and one call to action. Presenting a percentage discount, free shipping, a gift and a payment plan in the same creative scatters the message. Choose the single strongest item and explain the rest on the product page.
If your creative shows a discount percentage or a struck-through price, it is a sale ad, and how you show the prior price must follow the rules of the market where the ad runs. For the EU rule, see our campaign localization guide.
How do you build a creative test plan?
Our recommendation is simple: prepare three different openings in the same visual system and change a single variable each time. Three variants let you compare without splitting the budget too thinly. Many variants spread a small budget and none of them gives a readable result.
Read creative fatigue with a metric and not a hunch. When click-through rate drops and cost per conversion starts to rise, the creative is tired and a new one should be ready. In November this can happen within days, so produce a backup set in October.
A test result cannot be read without a break-even ROAS threshold. If the winner's ROAS is below the threshold, even the best creative is losing money. For the calculation, see our article on break-even ROAS.
| Period | What is tested | Decision criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Late October | Three openings, same offer | Add-to-cart and cost per conversion, compared with break-even ROAS |
| November 1-10 | Static image against vertical video | Which format brings cheaper conversions in the warm audience |
| November 11 | Testing the winning opening with a time-limited offer | Hourly sales and move to the payment step |
| November 12-26 | Refreshing tired creative | Decline in click-through rate and cost per conversion |
| November 27-30 | No new tests, scale the winner | Budget cap and stock status |
How does creative differ on Meta, Google and TikTok?
Do not copy the same creative onto three platforms as it is. Each platform expects something different from creative and has a different risk point.
For Meta setup, see our Advantage+ Shopping guide. For Google product data, see our Merchant Center guide. For measurement of creator content and creative partnerships, which are a strong tool in November, see our influencer marketing guide.
| Platform | Creative logic | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Meta (Facebook and Instagram) | Many images, videos and texts are uploaded and the system matches them person by person | Creative variety is the strongest lever of Advantage+ performance, and large changes reset learning |
| Google (Shopping and Performance Max) | The product image comes from the feed and images and video are added to the asset group | Feed price and page price must match, and product images must not carry text or badges |
| TikTok | Vertical, natural and imperfect content is more believable | A polished corporate ad looks foreign in the feed and gets scrolled past |
Which rules and policies affect Black Friday creative?
Advertising rules differ by market, so creative approved in one country is not automatically approved in another. Four topics come up most often in November. Check the rules where each ad runs and treat this list as a prompt for your approval process, not as legal advice.
Paid creator content should be disclosed clearly. Most markets and platforms expect a visible label, such as the platform's paid partnership tag or a clear word like Ad, together with the name of the advertiser. For audio-only content, say it at the start.
Do not show an AI-generated copy of a real person using or recommending a product they did not actually use. Where the use of AI, or a digital character that looks human, could change how viewers judge the ad, say so clearly and follow each platform's AI labeling policy.
Avoid targeting that profiles children. Platform policies and national rules restrict this in many markets. A discount percentage or a struck-through price must rest on a valid prior price, and our campaign localization guide explains the EU rule.
On the platform side there is also risk. According to Google Ads policies, review is a mix of AI and human evaluation, and repeated violations can lead to account suspension. A creative rejected in November disrupts the pace of the whole account, so send creative for approval at least a week ahead. Pre-publication checklist:
- Is there a single offer and a single call to action?
- Are the date and the end clearly written?
- If a struck-through price is shown, does it follow the prior-price rule of the market where the ad runs?
- If creator content is used, is the paid partnership label or the Ad wording with the advertiser's name present?
- Are the logo and interface free of another company's?
- In vertical video, is important content away from the top and bottom edges?
- Is the price in the product data the same as the price in the ad?
Frequently asked questions
What size should a Black Friday ad image be?
There is no single size, and a set is prepared by platform. We recommend 1080x1920 for vertical video, 1080x1350 for the Meta feed, and a 1200x1200 square and a 1200x628 landscape for Google Performance Max. Platforms can update their specifications, so check their help pages before you publish.
What should be in the first second of Black Friday creative?
The offer and the date. In short video the viewer decides within a second or two whether to stay, so the strongest moment goes at the start and not at the end. Leave the brand introduction for the end and say in the first sentence what you offer and until when.
How many creatives are needed for each wave?
We recommend at least three formats per wave and three different openings for each message. Three variants let you compare without splitting the budget too thinly. Because creative fatigue can start within days in November, produce backup variants in October.
Can I show a discount percentage in my creative?
Yes, but then the ad is a sale ad and the prior-price rules of the market where it runs apply. In the EU the prior price is based on the lowest price applied during at least the 30 days before the discount, as explained in our campaign localization guide. Check the rules of each market you advertise in. This is not legal advice.
Can I use AI-generated images or video?
What matters is not the tool but the impression the ad gives. Do not show an AI-generated copy of a real person using or recommending a product they did not actually use. If AI use or a human-looking digital character could change how viewers judge the ad, say so clearly and follow each platform's AI labeling policy. Check the rules in each market you advertise in.
What should I write when I publish creator content as an ad?
Label it as an ad, using the platform's paid partnership tool or a clear word such as Ad or Sponsored, together with the name of the advertiser. For audio-only content, say it at the start. Check the rules of each market and the platform's own branded content policy.
Related articles
- Singles' Day 11.11 2026: An E-Commerce Preparation Guide
- Campaign Localization: Don't Translate Your Ads, Rebuild Them for the New Market
- Meta Advantage+ Shopping guide
- Short-form video trends 2026
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