UGC Ad Examples #98

Food, Beauty, Growth + color grading for cinematic feels

September 04, 2025

In partnership with

🎬 UGC Ad Examples #98 | September 3, 2025

Welcome to your weekly dose of ad creative inspiration.

What separates a good ad from a great one? Often, it's not the camera or the script—it's the feeling it leaves behind. The best creators know how to use subtle editing techniques to tell a deeper story and create a specific mood.

This week, we're focusing on one of the most powerful and overlooked aspects of editing: color grading. As you'll see, a few simple color adjustments can transform your work from standard to cinematic.

Protect your checkout from coupon plug-ins. Boost your margin today.

KeepCart: Coupon Protection partners with DTC brands like Quince, Blueland, Vessi and more to protect your checkout from plug-ins like Honey, CapitalOne, RetailMeNot, and more to boost your DTC margins

Overpaid commissions to affiliates and influencers add up fast – Get rid of the headache and revenue losses with KeepCart.

After months of using KeepCart, Mando says “It has paid for itself multiple times over.”

Now it’s your turn to see how much more profit you can keep.

Ad Teardown: How Color Grading Changes Everything

Creator and editor @valhermedia posted a brilliant reel explaining how the difference between a simple video and a "cinematic" one often comes down to the color.

Her core message is that color isn't just a filter; it's a storytelling tool. Here’s a breakdown of the key moods she highlights:

🌿 Cooler Tones (Blues, Greens, Whites)

  • The Mood: This creates a calm, elegant, and often minimalist or "clean" feeling.

  • When to Use It: Perfect for skincare brands, tech products, health supplements, or any brand that wants to feel modern, fresh, and trustworthy.

🍂 Warmer Tones (Oranges, Yellows, Reds)

  • The Mood: This evokes a nostalgic, cozy, and comforting vibe. It feels human and familiar.

  • When to Use It: Ideal for food and beverage brands (especially coffee or baked goods), fall fashion, and any product you want to associate with comfort and warmth.

🖤 Muted Contrasts (Lowered Highlights & Shadows)

  • The Mood: This creates a timeless, serious, and traditionally "cinematic" look, similar to what you'd see in a movie.

  • When to Use It: Excellent for luxury brands, high-end fashion, or any product that wants to feel premium, sophisticated, and serious.

💡 Steal This Tactic:

You don't need expensive software to do this. The next time you're editing in CapCut or a similar app, don't just use a pre-set filter. Go to the "Adjust" settings and play with the Temperature (slide toward blue for cooler, yellow for warmer) and Contrast sliders. A tiny adjustment can completely transform the story your video is telling.

The Creator Suite

  • Need a client to test this recipe on? ➡️ Find your next gig in our UGC Jobs newsletter, featuring 10+ paid opportunities every week. Click here to join now.

  • Want to learn the business side? ➡️ Level up with our UGC Community newsletter for pro strategies on pricing, pitching, and building systems. Click here to join now.

Creative Roundup

Here are three more ads worth studying, each with a unique and effective angle.

1. Food & Beverage This is a perfect example of a fast-paced, problem-solution ad. It uses quick cuts and text overlays to demonstrate the product's value in under 10 seconds.

2. Creator Growth (Then vs. Now) Showing your progress is a powerful way to build trust. This creator's "one year later" comparison is a brilliant piece of self-promotion that proves her skill development to potential clients.

3. Hair & Beauty A great example of a "Get Ready With Me" (GRWM) style ad that feels native and authentic. It sells the final look and the feeling of confidence rather than just the product's features.