It’s a universal certainty: ads are everywhere. And today, there are more opportunities than ever for shoppers to see marketing messages, whether they’re checking emails or scrolling on social media.

‍

As a result, a lot of marketing messages end up becoming white noise – like seeing another wise, bearded wizard in a fantasy movie (it’s been done). 

‍

So, how do you stand out?

‍

The key is actually pretty simple: personalization. Hyper-personalized strategies allow you to run ads that are actually relevant to the customer. And today, we’re breaking down our favourite strategies: retargeting and remarketing.

‍

Read on because we're breaking down our top 15 remarketing and retargeting ads examples to help inspire your strategy.

‍

What is remarketing vs. retargeting?

Remarketing and retargeting are personalized marketing approaches that focus on customers who visited your website or mobile app but did not take a specific action.

‍

Although both terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are a few key differences:

• Remarketing involves reaching out to a customer whose information you already have. This can be through a previous purchase or an email list sign-up. The goal is to reach out through personalized channels like email, SMS, or push notifications to create customer loyalty. 
• Retargeting focuses on customers who have visited your website but have not yet made a purchase. It uses cookies from when customers visit your site and then serves them ads once they leave your site on third-party websites like the Google Display Network or the Meta Audience Network.  

‍

BONUS: Track what’s actually working

Running retargeting ads without tracking profitability is like driving with your eyes closed. Just because someone came back to your site doesn’t mean the ad paid off.

‍

To help you dial in your spend, we put together a free Ads Profitability Tracker Spreadsheet—built specifically for ecommerce teams.

You can use it to:

• Track ROAS across Meta, Google, TikTok, and other channels
• Compare retargeting vs. prospecting campaign efficiency
• Monitor performance by audience, creative, and funnel stage
• Make faster decisions on where to scale or cut back

👉 Grab the spreadsheet here.

‍

15 top-tier remarketing ad examples for every stage of the customer journey

Time for the fun part! Here are 15 of the best remarketing ads examples we’ve seen.

‍

1. Good Protein – pair social ad retargeting with welcome offers for first-time customers 

‍

‍

Good Protein’s approach was to use this collection ad to dynamically display products customers can click on. Customers are taken directly to the product page where they can learn more or add the item to their cart. 

‍

They also:

• Retargeted customers through the Meta Display network through Instagram Feed Ads and Facebook right column ads 
• Offered first-time customers 20% off their first order to incentivize the first purchase 
• Supplemented the discount with social proof by highlighting 20,000 5-star reviews 

‍

Top takeaway

Running ads across multiple channels keeps the offer top-of-mind. Varying the format, style, and imagery of each ad also prevents the customer from feeling ad fatigue or annoyance.

‍

2. Sloane Tea – use carousel ads to show off your best-sellers 

‍

‍

Sloane Tea used a dynamic social media carousel ad to highlight multiple products based on what the customer had viewed.

‍

Each slide in the carousel features a different image and caption. Each image also has a “Shop now” CTA, making it easy for customers to visit the product page they’re most interested in.

‍

Top takeaway

Sloane also wisely used the same ad format on Facebook to reach shoppers across multiple channels.

‍

‍

3. Journeys  – bring customers back with display ads

‍

‍

Journeys used this dynamic Google Display ad that shoppers see on a third-party site. The ad shows sneakers they were previously browsing or similar styles.

‍

Top takeaway

Highlighting the price of each sneaker takes the guesswork out. Calling out “Free in-store returns” can help remove the risk customers feel with online purchases.

‍

4. Arrae – drive conversions by retargeting customers based on their pain points

‍

‍

Arrae strategically retargeted customers through this Instagram Feed ad. They called out common symptoms of high cortisol and positioned their Arrae Magnesium as the solution.

‍

It’s also a collection ad, so customers can click only on the product they’re most interested in.

‍

Top takeaway

One of the most tried and tested ad formulas is the problem-solution approach, which Arrae has masterfully used in this remarketing ad example.

‍

5. Levi’s – retarget past shoppers with new product releases 

‍

‍

Social media retargeting can also work for customers who have shopped with you in the past, but haven’t returned in a while. 

‍

For example, Levi’s used this Instagram Story ad to serve a message about their new product drop. This creates excitement and has a clear call to action. 

‍

Top takeaway

Don’t underestimate the power of imagery. Using lifestyle photography makes this ad feel natural in the story feed and non-disruptive to the shopper’s experience.

‍

6. Blume – inspire customers with social proof

‍

‍

Customer reviews and testimonials are one of your most effective marketing tools. Blume did a great job of using these through its Instagram ad for its Clear Skin Kit. 

‍

This ad highlights real before and after pictures from a customer to show how effective the product is at targeting acne and scarring. 

‍

Top takeaway

Combining this ad with a 30% off discount goes a long way to helping shoppers who are on the fence commit to making a purchase. 

‍

7. Hush Blankets – take an omnichannel retargeting approach to stay top of mind

‍

‍

Hush Blankets’ recent “Buy 2, Get 2 Free” pillow campaign was the perfect example of balancing retargeting and remarketing. They used a combination of Instagram Story, Instagram Feed, and Facebook Feed ads through the Meta Ad Network.

‍

To keep things interesting, each ad used slightly different sizes, images and captions while maintaining a consistent message of “Buy 2, Get 2 Free!” to create cohesiveness and brand recall. Hush also combined these retargeting ad examples with a personalized remarketing email with the same message but more information. 

‍

Top takeaway

Hush paired this ad with a personalized remarketing email that helped encourage the shopper to take advantage of the deal before it ends. Remember: personalization! 

‍

8. Loop Earplugs – create FOMO with limited-time-only deals

‍

‍

Loop Earplugs promoted a buy one, get one 50% off sale through this Instagram Feed ad. The idea is that customers who had browsed specific earplugs or added products to their cart wouldn’t want to miss out on this offer (hence the FOMO).

‍

Top takeaway

Everyone loves a sale. Creating a sense of urgency with time-constrained offers is one of the best retargeting ad messages you can use.

‍

9. Oak + Fort – recover abandoned carts with SMS campaigns 

‍

‍

Oak + Fort re-engaged this customer who abandoned their cart through a hyper-personalized SMS. The message:

• Highlighted the specific trench coat they were browsing
• Created urgency by telling them to check out before it sells out
• Provided a link directly to the customer’s cart, making it as seamless as possible to check out

‍

Top takeaway

Cart abandonment campaigns are one of the most effective types of remarketing ads – and for good reason. 45% of cart abandonment emails are opened!

‍

10. Riversol – reduce browse abandonment with personalized outreach 

‍

‍

Browse abandonment campaigns are for customers who spent a certain amount of time viewing a certain product without adding it to their cart. Riversol’s remarketing email highlighted the product they were browsing and offered a button to buy now.

‍

It was also followed by a more in-depth explanation of the product benefits and mention of the 60-day money-back guarantee to ease the purchase pressure. They strategically tried to upsell the customer with a “You might also like” section of complementary products too. 

‍

Top takeaway

While cart abandonment remarketing often gets the spotlight, don’t forget about browse abandonment campaigns for interested customers who may need a little nudge before they commit. 

‍

11. Anna’s Garden – win back dormant customers with a strategic offer

‍

‍

Winback campaigns can help re-engage customers who have shopped with you before but haven’t made a purchase in a while. Anna’s Garden did a beautiful job of this through a remarketing email that offered the customer $5 off their next purchase for a limited amount of time. Then, they followed up with curated product recommendations for the customer.

‍

Top takeaway

Use winback campaigns as an opportunity to remind customers why they shopped with you in the first place.

‍

12. Kiyoko Beauty – spark excitement with restock notifications 

‍

Kiyoko Beauty expertly retargeted a customer through a series of SMS messages telling them that the face cream they were looking at was back. 

‍

They use time-based remarketing to send messages every couple of days. Each message created a more urgent call to action by saying “Hurry” and “Last Chance”. When a customer clicked the link, it automatically placed the item in their cart and brought them right to the checkout page. 

‍

Top takeaway

If a customer browses a product that’s out of stock, you risk losing them forever – unless you strategically retarget them once that product is back!

‍

13. Paula’s Choice – drive repeat purchases with smart replenishment remarketing campaigns 

‍

‍

You have tons of customer data at your disposal, so why not use it? Paula’s Choice's sends an email to a customer when it’s time to restock on their exfoliant, as part of a replenishment remarketing campaign. Using customer shopping behaviors lets you send these types of emails at the right point.

‍

Paula’s Choice also uses this as a cross-sell opportunity, recommending complementary products to give the customer “next-level results.” 

‍

Top takeaway

First-party customer data, like previous purchases, is one of the best sources to use in remarketing campaigns.

‍

14. Summer Fridays – personalize your outreach through quiz follow-up campaigns  

‍

‍

When customers complete a quiz on your website, you get valuable zero-party data that you can use to retarget them. Summer Fridays capitalized on this through personalized remarketing emails sharing a skincare ritual tailored to the customer. That way, they could target the customer’s unique skin type and concerns while showing off their best products to help.

‍

Top takeaway

Not to sound like a broken record, but remember: personalization (like a quiz) is key for your remarketing ad strategy!

‍

15. Crocs – make customers feel special with a gift on their birthday 

‍

‍

When customers make accounts or loyalty profiles, you collect valuable information about them – like their birthday! Use this information to remarket to them on their special day. 

‍

Crocs does a great job at this through a personalized birthday email that offers $15 off the customer’s next order over $50. 

‍

Top takeaway

Everyone loves feeling special on their birthday. Take advantage of the customer information you have on-hand for your remarketing strategy. 

‍

Retarget customers with Reactiv Clips 

‍

If you’re ready to take your remarketing strategy to the next level, a Reactiv Clip is a lightweight version of a mobile app that allows users to access a specific part of the app's functionality without having to download the full app. Brands can send push notifications to users up to eight hours after they engage with the mobile app page without requiring a download or an opt-in. 

‍

That means every single ad click can trigger a personalized follow-up on iOS, helping you reduce customer acquisition cost (CAC) and get more from your ad spend.

‍

Use this strategy to achieve any of the goals of the remarketing ad examples we’ve shared, like:

• Converting a cart abandoner
• Driving sales during time-sensitive promotions
• Creating excitement for new product drops 

‍

Take inspiration from the remarketing examples above, have fun with your brand, try a Reactiv Clip and get ready to watch your conversion soar to the stratosphere. 

You’ve done the hard part—getting a shopper to your site or app. But if they leave without buying, what happens next?

‍

This is where remarketing and retargeting come in. These tactics help you stay top of mind, re-engage visitors, and give them a second (or third) chance to convert. But there’s more to it than just “showing the same ad again.” When done well, remarketing and retargeting work together to improve ROI, drive retention, and create a more personalized buyer journey.

‍

In this guide, we’ll break down the difference between the two, explore the different types of campaigns, and share a free tool to help you track what’s actually moving the needle.

‍

What is remarketing vs. retargeting?

Remarketing and retargeting are personalized marketing approaches that focus on customers who visited your website or mobile app but did not take a specific action.

‍

Although both terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are a few key differences:

• Remarketing involves reaching out to a customer whose information you already have. This can be through a previous purchase or an email list sign-up. The goal is to reach out through personalized channels like email, SMS, or push notifications to create customer loyalty. 
• Retargeting focuses on customers who have visited your website but have not yet made a purchase. It uses cookies from when customers visit your site and then serves them ads once they leave your site on third-party websites like the Google Display Network or the Meta Audience Network.  

‍

It’s a good idea to use a healthy mix of remarketing and retargeting campaigns. This helps you:

• Avoid overspending on paid ads
• Reach customers across channels
• Invest equally in customer acquisition and retention
• Stay relevant throughout the entire customer lifecycle from discovery to customer loyalty

‍

Types of remarketing ads 

Without a doubt, remarketing works. A recent survey even showed that 26% of customers will return to a website through remarketing.

‍

Your success with remarketing, as with anything in life, depends on a few factors. This includes the type of campaign, target list parameters, your ad copy and calls to action, ad timing, and more.

‍

1. Standard remarketing

This broad approach uses pixel tags and customer cookies to target everyone who has completed a certain action on your website. It retargets everyone who visited your homepage through Google remarketing ads, social media ads, SMS or emails. Everyone will see the same ad or message

‍

2. Dynamic remarketing 

Dynamic remarketing serves ads or messages based on the specific product a customer has browsed or added to their cart. Ecommerce brands add their product catalog to whatever platform they’re retargeting through. This approach retargets through Google remarketing ads, Facebook retargeting ads and direct channels like email, SMS and push notifications. This more specific approach can also be more effective in driving sales.

‍

3. Display remarketing 

This is a Google ads remarketing strategy that tracks customers who have visited your site and serves them visual ads when they visit another website. Examples include banner ads, discovery ads, native ads and video ads.

‍

4. Search remarketing 

This is another type of Google remarketing ad that reaches customers through search results pages. It offers tailored messaging for each user based on their browsing behaviour on your website. This means if a customer was browsing sneakers, they’ll see a text ad with the shoes they were looking at at the top of their Google results page when they search “best sneakers.”

‍

Types of retargeting ads

Retargeting ads are all about keeping your brand top of mind after someone leaves your site. Whether they were just browsing or abandoned their cart, these ads help draw them back in by showing up where they’re already spending time.

‍

Here are a few common types of retargeting ads:

‍

1. Pixel-based retargeting 

This is the most widely used method. A small piece of code (a pixel) gets added to your site, and when someone visits, it drops a browser cookie. You can then retarget that visitor with relevant ads on other websites, social platforms, or apps. It’s fast, anonymous, and doesn’t require an email address.

‍

2. List-based retargeting

List-based retargeting uses your first-party data—usually emails collected from users who signed up or made a purchase. You upload these lists to platforms like Meta, TikTok, or Google to serve tailored ads. This gives you more control over who sees your ads and lets you segment based on past behavior or purchase frequency.

‍

3. Social media retargeting

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest offer robust retargeting options. You can show ads to users who visited a specific page, interacted with a product, or even watched a certain percentage of a video. The visual, scroll-stopping format of social makes it ideal for recapturing attention.

‍

4. Search retargeting

Not to be confused with search remarketing, search retargeting targets users based on their recent search activity—even if they haven’t visited your site yet. It’s more of a prospecting play but works well in tandem with standard retargeting to reach high-intent shoppers.

‍

5. App-based retargeting

For mobile-first brands, app retargeting is essential. If a user downloads your app but hasn’t purchased—or abandoned their cart—you can serve personalized push notifications or in-app popups, or even use Apple and Android ad networks to retarget across other apps.

‍

Track what’s actually working

Running retargeting ads without tracking profitability is like driving with your eyes closed. Just because someone came back to your site doesn’t mean the ad paid off.

‍

To help you dial in your spend, we put together a free Ads Profitability Tracker Spreadsheet—built specifically for ecommerce teams.

‍

You can use it to:

• Track ROAS across Meta, Google, TikTok, and other channels
• Compare retargeting vs. prospecting campaign efficiency
• Monitor performance by audience, creative, and funnel stage
• Make faster decisions on where to scale or cut back

‍

👉 Grab the spreadsheet here and start making your retargeting spend work smarter, not harder.

‍

Anyone who has ever doomscrolled in their bed when they should be sleeping knows the feeling of coming across something really cool and thinking, “I’ll get that later…”.

‍

Window shopping isn’t new—it dates back to the 18th century. But thanks to the convenience of online shopping, it’s now a digital behavior, too. The difference? It's so easy to browse online that shoppers rarely feel pressure to buy right away, unlike the more intentional experience of walking into a store. 

‍

That’s why only 2% of website visitors convert on their first visit. This means you’re missing out on conversions from 98% of the potential customers you drove to your site if you’re not actively re-engaging them. 

‍

Retargeting is powerful for this exact reason—you get another, more targeted chance at reaching customers who visited your site in the past.

‍

In this blog, we’ll explore 7 retargeting tips alongside real-world examples of how to use retargeting to convert visitors who bounced from your site.

‍

What is retargeting?

Retargeting re-engages people who have visited your website or mobile app through paid ads. The graphic below provides a high-level look at how retargeting ads work:

‍

How is retargeting data collected?

There are 2 main types of retargeting ads. The primary difference between them is how the list is populated:

‍

Pixel-based retargeting

This approach uses small pieces of code that allow your site to place and track cookies for every visitor on your website. The retargeting tool you use accesses each customer’s unique ID code and adds them to a specific audience segment or retargeting list once they’ve completed a specific action. 

‍

List-based retargeting

This approach uses email addresses collected from visitors. If you have the email addresses of a group of visitors, you can upload this information to your retargeting platform (Google Ads, X, TikTok, Meta, etc.) to match them and target these users. 

‍

You can create lists for specific actions, such as abandoning a cart or visiting a product category page, and then tailor your remarketing to these specific groups. 

‍

How do retargeting ads benefit ecommerce brands?

The benefits of retargeting ads are immeasurable—ok, maybe they’re a little measurable. What we mean is that there are a ton of benefits, which include: 

• Higher conversion rates - retargeted ads give customers the extra push they need to make a purchase. Because the ad is personalized to their journey, retargeted users are 70% more likely to convert.
• Strategic product placement - 37% of customers click on retargeted ads because they’re drawn to the displayed product.
• Higher ad engagement - Retargeted ads have a 10x higher click-through rate (CTR) than typical display ads, with an average CTR of 0.7%.
• Increased brand recall - retargeted ads increase branded searches by 1046%. This means that even if your ad isn’t converting directly, customers are remembering your brand and coming back to your site. ‍
• Reach customers at multiple touchpoints with omnichannel retargeting - with the right strategy, you can target customers across a multitude of devices and channels like Google ads, social media ads, direct email, and SMS.

‍

7 retargeting best practices to level up your conversion rates

There are many strategies, ranging from high-level to extremely granular, that can let you accomplish some amazing things, but the limitless freedom can be a little daunting. So here’s a list of real retargeting examples to help:

‍

1. Clearly define your audience segments and campaign goals

User behavior is a great method of creating actionable audience segments and remarketing lists. These can include:

• Cart abandoners
• Product viewers
• Past purchasers
• Subscribers

‍

With these segments in mind, you can create precisely targeted and segmented campaigns that could increase your ROI by 760%. For maximum efficiency, ensure you create clear goals for each campaign that align with the relevant audience segment or list.

‍

For example:

• Welcome discounts to drive acquisition for first-time visitors 
• Time-sensitive offers for visitors who viewed a certain product that’s on sale
• Cross-sell or recommended product campaigns for browse abandoners to increase average order value (AOV)

‍

AG1 uses Instagram Feed ads to retarget previous visitors who haven’t made a purchase with a free welcome kit offer.

‍

2. Limit how often you retarget each segment

Nobody likes it when a salesperson follows them in a store, and it’s not much fun online, either! 

‍

You don’t want prospective customers feeling like you’re following or hounding them everywhere they go. This creates brand fatigue.

‍

With 71% of people saying that annoying or intrusive ad experiences make them less likely to purchase from that brand in the future, it’s important to take this seriously. Use frequency capping and rotate your ad images and formats to stay relevant without being repetitive.

‍

With Reactiv, you can control the timing and delivery of push notifications with Clips. 

‍

Reactiv Clips give you an 8-hour window to send push notifications to a visitor after they engage with your ad, without requiring an opt-in or download. This allows you to retarget every ad click through personalized follow-ups on iOS, and ensures your messages land with the right frequency so you don’t scare potential customers away. 

‍

3. Design mobile-first retargeting ads

For most ecommerce brands, mobile shoppers account for the majority of their traffic. However, the higher bounce rate that comes with this traffic means more missed sales opportunities. 69.02% of mobile shoppers abandon their carts—higher than any other device. 

‍

Design your retargeting ads to be mobile-first, but remember this means more than just being mobile responsive. It means vertical-friendly layouts, fast load times, and native-feeling interactions. 

‍

Social media retargeting ads are a great example - vertical videos shown in Reels or TikTok feeds, swipeable carousels on FB or IG, and “tap-to-buy” messaging that feels native to the platform are all great ways to blend in.

‍

Good Protein retargets customers through an Instagram Reel ad that doesn’t disrupt their scrolling experience. 

‍

It features brand ambassadors using the product and describing the benefits, perfectly aligning with the endless stream of influencer and ambassador content that’s already prominent on the platform. The only clues that this is an ad are the “Sponsored” call-out and the call to action (CTA) to “Shop now” 

‍

4. Use a variety of images, text, and ad formats

Ad fatigue is real. Everyone is constantly bombarded by ads on every platform and every device. Mix up the imagery, format, and CTAs on your ads to keep them fresh and improve the likeliness of engagement. 

‍

One way to do this is to use multiple ad formats, such as:

• Static images
• Videos
• Carousels
• Social media collection ads
• Search ads
• Display network ads

‍

Most retargeting tools will let you A/B test headlines, visuals, and CTAs to optimize your ads' performance. 

‍

You should also A/B test your offer by experimenting with both emotional and practical copy. For example, are you leading with the customer pain points your product solves? Or are you just offering 10% off to get that first sale? Test both and see which resonates more. 

‍

Kala Therapy promotes its red light therapy products in a variety of ad formats to show off their offering in multiple styles. They use an Instagram Feed video ad to show how an ambassador uses the product, as well as an Instagram Story static image ad that showcases their collaboration with a professional Canadian hockey player. 

‍

5. Create, test, and optimize your call to action (CTA)

This one’s a no-brainer — the CTA is arguably the most important part of any ad.

‍

Personalized CTAs convert 42% more visitors into leads than untargeted CTAs, so when building retargeting ads for different segments, you’ll want to tailor your CTA to the relevant funnel stage. 

‍

“Learn more” is a great CTA for first-time web visitors, while “Claim My Offer” is strong for winning back cart abandoners. 

‍

Blume promotes the same offer (30% off their Clear Skin Kit) in each of their Instagram ads. However, one ad uses social proof and guides the user to “Learn more”, while the other tells the customer to “Try something new”. 

‍

6. Try dynamic retargeting for specific products or collections

Dynamic ads can automatically show users the exact products they viewed or similar ones that you want to cross-sell/up-sell them on. 

‍

Facebook Dynamic Product Ads and Google Dynamic Remarketing are both common tools for dynamic ad retargeting. This leads to a more personalized feel for the ads as well as a higher chance of re-engaging since it’s a product/product category the visitor has shown interest in before.

‍

This Lululemon dynamic Facebook ad shows the user a carousel of products they’ve previously browsed to move them down the funnel. 

‍

7. Pair retargeting ads with other remarketing strategies and channels

At some point, you may come across the term “remarketing.” While it sounds different, it is different than “retargeting” (there’s an article about the differences here). 

‍

So, which should you be using? Trick question—the answer is both!

‍

Customers interact with your brand across multiple touchpoints. Your ads should, too. 

‍

Retarget across Google, Meta, and social media ads, as well as direct remarketing tactics like email, SMS, and push-enabled Reactiv Clips for maximum reach and consistency. 

‍

Blissy employs multiple remarketing and retargeting ads best practices through their omnichannel approach and have created their own remarketing and retargeting ecosystem. 

‍

They use search ads to retarget the customer and promote their biggest sale of the year. Simultaneously, Blissy sends a remarketing email about a product they left in their cart, with multiple related product recommendations for cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. 

‍

Use Reactiv to put these retargeting strategies into action

If you direct your ads to a Reactiv Clip, you can retarget anyone who engages and get started on your way to a 3x ad conversion rate increase.

‍

Reach out to us if you want our help getting started with your retargeting strategy. If you’re not ready yet, maybe you’ll see us again while you’re browsing!