Reddit Launches New Interactive Ads

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Reddit is introducing a new ad format designed to make promotions more engaging, and potentially more fun.

The platform’s new Interactive Ads invite users to actively participate with branded content directly within Reddit’s feed.

As shown in a recent example promoting the upcoming film The Running Man, these ads use an eye-catching static image to draw attention before prompting users to tap and interact, in this case, by playing a mini-game within the Reddit app.

But the possibilities go well beyond gaming. According to Reddit,

“Interactive Ads are a Reddit-unique ad unit that lets brands build custom, interactive ad experiences directly for Reddit’s 100,000+ communities – inviting redditors to play, participate, and explore directly within the ad itself. Interactive Ad units range from fully bespoke campaigns and creative activations to low-lift, high-impact, repeatable templates like countdowns, quizzes, dynamic reveals, and trivia, offering flexibility based on creative goals and investment needs.”

Brands will be able to choose from a range of creative options, from fully bespoke campaigns to simpler, repeatable templates such as countdowns, quizzes, dynamic reveals, and trivia, depending on their creative goals and budgets.

The new format gives marketers more freedom to move beyond static or video ads, potentially driving higher engagement, brand recall, and community participation.

Still, Reddit’s famously opinionated users could make this a tricky balancing act. Interactive ads may stand out, and stand apart, but poorly executed campaigns risk being perceived as intrusive or “too much.” As always on Reddit, authenticity and cultural fit will be key.

With 116 million daily active users spending an average of 24 minutes per day on the platform, and with Reddit content increasingly influencing AI search and chatbot responses, these new ads could offer brands a powerful opportunity to connect in new ways.