Producing Ads in the Age of Short-Form Content
Producing Ads in the Age of Short-Form Content
Nicky Lauro
Remember when ads had time to breathe? A 60-second story that actually felt like a story. Now, if you don't hook someone in the first two seconds, they're gone. So, what does production look like for us in this reality?
Our generation doesn't just prefer short-form content, they expect it. Studies suggest the average attention span has shrunk to about eight seconds, and viewers are far more likely to watch a quick video than read anything on their screen.
Short-form videos, typically 15 to 60 seconds, dominate platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, where content is fast, constant, and competitive. About 66% of consumers say it's the most engaging type of content, and once you open the app, it's easy to see why. Everything is designed for immediacy. There's no buildup anymore, just impact.
Ads That Don't Feel Like Ads
Scroll for a minute and you'll notice that the ads don't look like ads anymore. Someone talking to their phone. Unfiltered lighting. Slightly chaotic. A "wait, I just found this" kind of tone.
And you've definitely felt this before: you're watching a video and then you notice the tiny "Ad" bubble at the bottom. Suddenly, your mindset shifts. It's not just content anymore, it's trying to sell you something, and your immediate instinct is to scroll.
That's the challenge!!!
User-generated content has completely reshaped what "good" advertising looks like, blurring the line between content and marketing in the process. Brands are trying to meet audiences in a way that feels natural, but when that authenticity starts to feel like a disguise, it can backfire. On platforms like TikTok, authenticity beats overproduced, and content that feels too produced often gets skipped while something raw and imperfect blends seamlessly into feeds.
So, UGC works because it feels honest. It answers questions, shows products in real life, and creates the kind of social proof traditional ads struggle to replicate. A quick demo or day in the life clip can feel less like marketing and more like a recommendation from a friend, but do we actually want our friends trying to sell us things...?
At AdLab, we're feeling this shift in real time, as producing now means rethinking everything we once defined as "quality" and learning how to create content that feels effortless, even when it's strategically anything but effortless.
Producer Identity Crisis
Here's the uncomfortable part for us producers: If the best-performing content looks like it was shot on an iPhone... Where does that leave us?
When content becomes shorter, faster, and more "authentic," brands start asking:
Do we even need a full crew? Do we need expensive equipment? Do we even need a producer?
Creators are now directors. Talent. Editors. Sometimes all at once. SO WHAT ARE WE MEANT TO DO!?
However, where we do see we could still have an important role, is within the fact that UGC doesn't mean no strategy. In fact, it often needs more. Because behind every "effortless" video that performs well is a clear understanding of what the hook needs to look like, what format audiences recognize and trust, what pacing keeps someone watching, what message actually lands in under 30 seconds.
That's where producers could and should still matter, the role might just look different now, and we're actively adapting to this shift.
So, where do I believe this is all going?
Short-form content isn't going anywhere. If anything, it's becoming the standard across every platform. Content will keep getting shorter, faster, more personal, and definitely more saturated.
But that doesn't mean producers disappear, it means we evolve. The producers who succeed won't just be the ones who can just execute a vision. I believe they'll be the ones who understand culture, platform behavior, and why people stop scrolling in the first place, and with that, what elements we need to include into the actual production and into sets.
The most important lesson I take from this shift is that, in a world where anyone can make content, the real challenge isn't just producing something. It's producing something that feels real enough to watch, and strategic enough to work. So learning how to involve ourselves in the strategic aspect should and will be top priority for evolving producers.