(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
China’s digital advertising landscape in late 2025 is dominated by full-funnel, native, and interactive ad formats that blend entertainment with instant commerce. Overseas brands that shift budget to the latest high-conversion formats on Douyin, WeChat, Xiaohongshu, and emerging platforms see 4–8x better ROAS than traditional banner or display ads. With over a decade optimizing ad spend for overseas brands, here are the exact formats winning right now.
- Douyin (TikTok China) High-Conversion Ad Formats 1.1 Spark Ads + Livestream Reservation Ads Boost authentic KOL organic posts as Spark Ads and layer Livestream Reservation cards that let users book reminders and enter rooms directly. This combo inherits social proof and drives pre-warmed traffic.
Late-2025 data shows blended ROAS consistently above 7.0 for overseas brands using mid-to-top KOLs.
1.2 Interactive CTA Overlays & Shoppable Ads Add swipe-up product tags, polls, and countdown stickers directly inside video ads. Users tap to add to cart without leaving the video.
Conversion rates jumped to 18–25% in Q4 2025 after Douyin upgraded shoppable tag limits to 30 per video.
- WeChat Ecosystem Formats for Private Traffic & Lower Funnel 2.1 Channels Live-Room Ads + Mini-Program Jump Ads Place non-skippable or rewarded video ads inside WeChat Channels that jump straight into branded Mini-Programs or live rooms. Perfect for high-AOV categories.
Overseas luxury and beauty brands report 40–60% of sales from this format during peak hours.
2.2 Search Ads with Rich Media Cards WeChat Search now supports video + carousel cards at the top of results. Combine with branded hashtags for owned search dominance.
This format captures active intent and delivers 3–5x higher transaction rates than Moments ads.
- Xiaohongshu Native & Search-Driven Formats 3.1 Professional Notes Ads with “Buy Now” Buttons Sponsored notes from verified creators or brand accounts now feature direct purchase buttons and price tags. The algorithm prioritizes notes with high save & collection rates.
Overseas skincare and fashion brands achieve 20–30% direct sales from single notes in 2025.
3.2 Keyword + Brand Hashtag Banner Ads Secure top-of-search banners tied to high-intent keywords and combine with branded hashtag pages. Essential for new-to-China overseas brands building awareness.
- Emerging Formats on Bilibili & Tencent Video 4.1 Bilibili Sparkle Ads & Mid-Roll Interactive Pauses Full-screen interactive ads that pause videos and offer polls, scratch cards, or mini-games before resuming playback.
Gen-Z heavy audience delivers exceptional engagement—overseas gaming and electronics brands see 12–18% interaction rates.
4.2 Tencent Video Feed + In-Stream Shoppable Overlays Native vertical video ads in the Tencent Video feed with real-time product overlays synced to content.
Case Study: L’Oréal Paris Douyin Shoppable Interactive Campaign (Nov 2025)
L’Oréal used upgraded Interactive CTA Overlays on 200+ KOL Spark Ads, allowing users to tap shades on the model’s lips and add to cart instantly. Paired with Livestream Reservation Ads, the two-week campaign generated 1.8 billion impressions, 22% direct conversion from ad views, and sold out multiple SKUs on Douyin Small Store within hours.
Conclusion
In China’s 2025-2026 digital landscape, success belongs to overseas brands that allocate 80%+ of budget to interactive, shoppable, and livestream-linked formats while testing emerging platforms aggressively.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation! info@pltfrm.cn
