Consumers are tired of ads. Especially Gen Z moves effortlessly through feeds on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, spotting commercial messages in a split second. One swipe later, that carefully crafted ad is already gone.
As a result, classic advertising formats like TV commercials and standard 30-second video spots are losing impact on social media. What used to be the norm in advertising fits less and less in an environment driven by speed, authenticity and entertainment.
On social, that shift is clearly visible. Brands are no longer trying to stand out with interruptive ads, but with content that matches how people actually watch, scroll and consume today. They’re creating series, recurring formats and narrative-driven content people choose to follow.
Or simply put: brands are no longer advertising between content, they’re trying to become part of it.
Building emotional connection takes time
A strong story doesn’t happen in 30 seconds. Emotional connection even less so.
By investing in longer formats and recurring content, brands get the space to show personality and gradually build a meaningful relationship with their audience. Not through a single campaign that briefly grabs attention, but through stories that stick, and that people actually want to come back to.
The feed as primetime
TikTok and Instagram are long past being just social networks. They’re entertainment platforms where attention is fought for every second. Where the remote control used to rule the living room, today it’s the thumb that decides what stays and what gets skipped.
Episodic content fits perfectly into that reality. Think weekly series, recurring formats or returning characters that keep viewers coming back. On top of that, algorithms tend to reward consistency with more visibility.
The stronger someone is pulled into a brand’s world, the higher the chance they’ll keep watching. And when content starts feeling like entertainment instead of marketing, there’s room for a deeper connection to form.
Inspiring examples
More and more brands are experimenting with series or sitcom-like formats to keep audiences engaged.
Oatly, for example, featured a grandfather of an employee in Café con el abuelo, tasting coffees he had never tried before. No big product demo or classic ad narrative, just simple, relatable human moments that are genuinely enjoyable to watch.
InStyle Magazine also taps into this with the Intern Series. In this recurring format, short episodes follow the life of an intern at the magazine. It doesn’t feel like advertising, but rather an entertaining behind-the-scenes look that subtly strengthens the brand identity at the same time.
InStyle Magazine also taps into this with the Intern Series. In this recurring format, short episodes follow the life of an intern at the magazine. It doesn’t feel like advertising, but rather an entertaining behind-the-scenes look that subtly strengthens the brand identity at the same time.
So now … go to part two
When you watch this kind of content, the product or brand often feels almost secondary. Not because it’s unimportant, but because the story comes first.
In a world where attention is increasingly scarce, it’s not necessarily the loudest brands that win, it’s the most interesting ones. The question is no longer how to interrupt your audience’s attention, but how to make them want to swipe through to part two.