Carousel Ads for Instagram Stories to open new possibilities for advertisers

Instagram introduced Carousel Ads for Instagram Stories and Type Mode, with the former allowing advertisers to have up to three pieces of media per Stories ad.

From face filters to superzoom to gif stickers, Stories has changed the way people share and express themselves on Instagram. And businesses are embracing that creativity too. For example, a luxury shoe retailer recently encouraged shoppers to “hold and pause” on their favorite pair as the brand flashed through its new line.

Carousel Ads for Instagram Stories behave the same way as other Stories content, meaning you can tap through, swipe back and forth or pause the content whenever you'd like.

Now with two additional pieces of media, advertisers can add depth to their storytelling in the same way the community does today. Already, Gap (@gap) is tapping into Carousel Ads for Instagram Stories to incorporate native elements—like pinning and drawing tools—and using the additional space to highlight more of their campaign.

“The captivating nature of Instagram Stories provides another platform for our consumers to experience the Logo Remix campaign. The campaign is all about paying homage to Gap logos of the past, while featuring some of today’s global culture remixers. We love using Instagram’s creative tools to add fun details to our creative, and the full screen format of Instagram Stories makes it feel like you’re part of the remix,” said Craig Brommers, chief marketing officer for Gap.

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To learn how the community and brands engage with this new ad format, Carousel Ads for Instagram Stories is starting with a limited set of global advertisers such as Coca-Cola (@cocacolamx) and Paramount (@paramountpics). More details on Carousel Ads for Instagram Stories will be available when the feature is more widely available.

Type mode in stories on the other hand, is a new way to share anything that’s on your mind with creative text styles and backgrounds — no photo or video required.

When you open the camera, you’ll see “Type” next to “Normal” under the record button. Tap “Type” and write whatever comes to mind — your favorite lyrics, a silly thought or a random idea — and play with different styles to change the look and feel. Then, you can pick different background colors, highlight words and phrases or add a background photo.

You can also use the new styles when adding text to any photo or video. And, like everything else you share to stories, it’ll disappear from your story after 24 hours.