January is quiet for new B2B video ads. Budgets are locked, campaigns are “in progress”. Everyone is waiting to see what everyone else does first.
It's the perfect time to reflect on what actually worked last year. 2025 was loud. We saw an increase in B2Bs take the risk and be BRAVE.
What 2025 Made Very Clear:
It’s time for B2B to rethink playing it safe with their Video Ads.
The polite explainer videos with the calm narrator, that didn't offend and but didn’t move anyone either.
People remembered the videos that were bold, weird, funny and unapologetic. The ones that were willing to pick a niche and run with it.
Humor wasn’t a bonus, it was the strategy.
Workday, Amazon Business, monday.com. That didn’t use comedy as decoration. They used it to explain complexity faster. Absurdity made features understandable. Laughter earned attention that media budgets can’t buy anymore.
Example: Monday.com | This is monday sidekick
Specificity beats “relatable” every time.
The best ads didn't try to appeal to everyone. They went deep into very specific pains, phrases and frustrations. The audience didn’t just nod, they said “this was made for me”.
What We expect to see in 2026
Fewer ads explaining what the product is.
Buyers already know. They’ve done the research. What they want now is proof, confidence and clarity.
2026 will favor ads that answer:
Why should I care?
Why should I trust you?
Why should I remember this?
Prediction: Brands that skip the intro and jump straight into the idea will win.
Even BRAVER creative choices.
Once one brand takes a risk and it works, others will naturally follow.
Prediction: 2026 will reward brands that go one step further instead of copying last years joke.
A backlash against “AI-only” messaging.
AI is everywhere now. Saying you have it isn’t impressive anymore.
Then what will stand out now?
Showing how it changes someone’s day.
Making skeptics fall in love on camera.
Turning invisible tech into visible outcomes.
What needs to be left in 2025.
Lets be direct.
Ads that try to please everyone.
Vague value propositions.
Explainers that sound like product documentation
Humorless videos pretending to be “serious”.
If your ad could be swapped with a competitors logo and still make sense, it’s already dead.
Your 2026 Challenge
Before you brief your next video, pick one:
Take a cliche your industry love and film it literally.
Put your product somewhere it absolutely does not belong.
Make a painful, annoying problem genuinely funny.
Don’t do all of them. Pick one and do it properly, boldly and without apology.
Surprise us. We'll be watching closely as the year unfolds and when the ads start dropping, we’ll be breaking them down.
Catch you next time,
Regan George | [email protected]
P.S. If you see a B2B ad in 2026 that makes you say “they actually did that,” send it over. Those are our favorites.