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In this newsletter we’re breaking down what makes great B2B video ads actually work and how you can steal these techniques for your next campaign. This week we're looking at a B2B video ads that's doing something most brands won't dare try. Let's dive in.
This ad makes use of parody to make its point. One character plays the role of Morpheus with the trench coat, shades and serious tone, offering to “show the way” to an average guy, much like Neo. The visuals used mimic that of the film's iconic look, green code, dark room and tangled wires. The idea of “plugging in” to gain new skills becomes the metaphor for using AI in creative strategy. The closing joke? An awkward mess of wires, this keeps it self-aware and funny. By hijacking a famous movie trope, the brand makes its pitch feel both smart and memorable.
What can B2B marketers learn from this? Use parody and exaggeration to keep it real, humorous and impossible to ignore.
How can you apply this to your next campaign? Pick a real frustration no one talks about. Turn it funny and over-the-top by parodying a famous pop culture reference that your audience knows. Show your product as the clear fix without spelling it out. Make people laugh and remember you.
The main technique Iterable relies on when creating this video is Exaggerated Absurdity. This Ad takes the everyday tasks of campaign planning and blows it up into something extremely absurd and ridiculous, a full on cult ritual with robes, chanting and over-the-top seriousness. It turns the whole process into a joke to show the outdated and nonsensical nature of traditional marketing methods, making iterable look like the obvious modern alternative.
What can we learn from this B2B Ad? Exaggerate a familiar pain point in your industry to make it more noticeable, then mock old methods and make your solution stand out.
How could this be applied? Find a frustrating industry norm, blow it completely out of proportion, and use humor to highlight the contrast between the chaos and your product’s simplicity.
This Ad leans hard into satire, making fun of tired marketing clichés with the dramatic “Digital Marketing 101” guy with his rocket diagram and buzzwords. Everything about him is exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness, from the tone of his voice to the bored reaction from those around him. Although let’s be honest, watching them shove him into the closet was extremely satisfying! Meanwhile, Cloudbeds positions itself as the no-nonsense alternative, no in-depth, intense message, just “our product works”.
What can we learn from this ad? Lean into the chaos your audience experiences on a daily basis. Show the messy moments and be the calm they need. Being real and funny makes you memorable.
How could this be applied? A quick example on how this can be used. Say you sell CRM Software. Instead of creating another long demo, create a video with a single sales rep buried under a mountain of sticky notes, drowning in “pipeline synergy” meetings. The punchline? A coworker quietly clicks once and everything is sorted. Your product in action, no extra nonsense.
Dialpad’s ad gained 703 views by tapping into a real life tension, that is, AI is often more frustrating than helpful. The ad flips that pain into comedy by turning “bad AI” into the punchline, casting it as a ridiculous audition failure. It makes use of a surreal twist by turning an AI tool into a bizarre drunk and smoking robot auditioning for a role. It’s weird on purpose, using the absurd setup to highlight a real pain: finding the right AI is messy, frustrating and most of the time ridiculous. The casting directors’ reactions say it all.
What can we as B2B Marketers learn from this? Start with a real pain point, exaggerate it and wrap it up in humor. Don’t over explain, just entertain.
How can we apply this? Take a broken industry promise, turn it into a character or scene and position your product as the one that actually delivers.
What these B2B Ads got right:
The pattern across these B2B video ads is clear, they’ve rejected the typical B2B Video Ad formula. No feature lists, no forced demos, just real entertainment. Each one hides its pitch inside something people actually want to watch, whether it’s a parody, a fake cult, or a casting call gone completely wrong. That’s Trojan Horse thinking. They’re loud, weird and risky, choosing to be remembered rather than feeling like a sales job.
Want to dive deeper? If any of these videos caught your attention, check out the full breakdowns in our library. We've analyzed exactly why each one works and how they can be done on a budget. Perfect for when you need to convince your team to take similar risks.
Keep making B2B memorable,
The Camel Crew
Regan George
P.S. Spotted a scroll-stopping B2B video ad we missed? Send it our way - the best submissions get featured in next month's roundup.