The best adtech marketing campaigns prove a claim buyers already doubt. The Trade Desk reported a 68% rise in brand awareness and a 70% drop in cost per acquisition from its open internet campaign, according to WARC's Effie Awards case summary. Taboola's work for OTTY and Adidas reported return on ad spend up more than 50% and click-through rate up 50%. Here are three adtech campaigns with published results.
Last updated: October 24, 2026. Results are vendor reported, not independently audited.
In this guide
- Which adtech campaigns made this list?
- Which adtech campaign is best for each goal?
- What are the best adtech marketing campaigns?
- What do the best adtech campaigns have in common?
- How can adtech brands copy these campaigns?
- Where can you find more campaign roundups?
- Frequently asked questions
Which adtech campaigns made this list?
This list covers three adtech campaigns, one from The Trade Desk and two from Taboola, each chosen because the company or its partner published a result.
Only three campaigns cleared that bar, which is why the list is short. Many adtech companies publish case studies without numbers, and 5W left those out. "Best" is a judgment call, so this is 5W's pick of the clearest mechanisms, not a ranking by sales. All three results are vendor reported, so treat them as claims from the company or its partners, not audited figures.
| Campaign | Company | Idea | Reported result |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Because the Open Internet Matters" | The Trade Desk | A brand campaign positioning the company as an alternative to big tech | 68% awareness lift, 70% lower cost per acquisition |
| OTTY native campaign | Taboola | Native ads measured beyond last click | ROAS up more than 50% versus last click |
| Boost technology video | Taboola with Adidas | Video with clickable hot spots | 50% CTR uplift |
Which adtech campaign is best for each goal?
The best adtech campaign depends on the goal: The Trade Desk for category positioning, Taboola with OTTY for a measurement story, and Taboola with Adidas for a creative result on a named brand. The table matches each goal to the case with the strongest reported result for it. The matches are 5W's reading of vendor-reported figures.
| If your goal is... | Look at | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning against bigger platforms | The Trade Desk | 68% awareness lift and 70% lower cost per acquisition |
| Showing value beyond last-click measurement | Taboola with OTTY | ROAS up more than 50% versus last click |
| Proving creative performance with a known brand | Taboola with Adidas | 50% click-through rate uplift |
What are the best adtech marketing campaigns?
The three campaigns below show an adtech company selling itself, an adtech company selling a measurement idea, and an adtech tool selling a result for a famous brand.
1. The Trade Desk "Because the Open Internet Matters"
The Trade Desk, a media buying platform, set out to position itself as an alternative to big tech in digital advertising and to raise brand awareness and revenue in the United States, according to WARC. The company found that marketers felt trapped in the walled gardens of large platforms, which still took most digital advertising dollars.
The campaign used programmatic video, digital out-of-home and social media, with a "Because ______ Matters" message that pointed back to the open internet. WARC, which lists the case as shortlisted in the 2023 Effie Awards North America, reports a 68% increase in brand awareness, a 26% increase in brand consideration and a 70% reduction in cost per acquisition.
Why it works: The Trade Desk named the problem its buyers felt, dependence on a few big platforms, and used a fill-in-the-blank line that any advertiser could finish for themselves.
2. Taboola and OTTY
Taboola, a native advertising company, was shortlisted for Best Brand Engagement at the Performance Marketing Awards 2021 for a campaign with OTTY, a box mattress company, according to Taboola's investor release. The agency QueryClick measured the campaign and reported that return on ad spend rose by more than 50% when compared with last-click measurement.
The release quotes Andrew Jacobs, OTTY's digital marketing manager, and Chris Liversidge, QueryClick's CEO and founder, who both describe the results as strong. The figure comes from Taboola's own announcement, so it is vendor reported.
Why it works: Last-click measurement tends to under-credit ads that people see before they search or buy, and showing a higher return under a wider measure gave OTTY a reason to keep funding the channel.
3. Taboola Video Studio and Adidas Boost
The agency EssenceMediacom used Taboola Video Studio to promote Adidas's Boost sneaker technology in Israel, where the Adidas name is already familiar, according to a Taboola case study. The goal was to build awareness of Boost separate from the brand name.
The team added clickable hot spots to the videos so viewers saw a call to action at the moment they wanted more information. Taboola reports a 50% uplift in click-through rate and a click-through rate 25% higher than other video platforms. It also says the gray women's Boost model shown in the video became a best-seller while the video ran.
Why it works: Putting the call to action inside the video at the right moment turned a view into a click, and the case study ties the result to a single product that sold.
What do the best adtech campaigns have in common?
All three campaigns reported a lift in a measure that buyers already track: awareness, return on ad spend or click-through rate.
| Approach | Campaigns on this list | What the audience sees |
|---|---|---|
| Sell the category position | The Trade Desk | A simple line that names a problem advertisers share |
| Change how success is measured | Taboola and OTTY | A higher return under a wider measure |
| Show a named brand result | Taboola and Adidas | A click-through lift on a product that sold |
The risk is that vendor-reported numbers are the strongest marketing claim an adtech company can make and also the hardest to check. Two of the three results come from Taboola's own materials, and The Trade Desk's come from its Effie entry, so a buyer should ask for the underlying measurement before relying on any of them.
How can adtech brands copy these campaigns?
Adtech brands can copy these campaigns by tying one claim to one number a buyer already tracks.
- Name the problem your buyers share in a line they can finish themselves. The Trade Desk used "Because ______ Matters."
- Show results under a wider measure than last click. Taboola and QueryClick reported ROAS up more than 50% for OTTY on that basis.
- Pair the tool with a brand buyers know. Taboola's Adidas case ties a click-through uplift to a named sneaker.
- Say who measured the result. Name the agency or research firm behind each figure.
- Publish the number, or leave the case out. Case studies with no results are easy for readers and AI search tools to skip.
Where can you find more campaign roundups?
AdTech sits between software, media and marketing, so several 5W lists overlap with this one. See the best technology PR campaigns, the best SaaS PR campaigns and the best B2B marketing campaigns for neighboring categories.
For the media side, read the CTV advertising budget guide. Brands planning their own program can start with 5W's adtech and big data PR practice and its technology PR practice.
Frequently asked questions
Which adtech campaign reported the biggest lift?
The Trade Desk reported the largest set of results, including a 68% increase in brand awareness and a 70% reduction in cost per acquisition, according to WARC's Effie Awards case summary. Taboola reported a 50% click-through uplift for Adidas and ROAS up more than 50% for OTTY.
Which adtech campaign is best for a measurement story?
Taboola's work with OTTY, which reported ROAS up more than 50% when measured beyond last click, according to Taboola's investor release. The figure is vendor reported and not independently audited.
Why does this list have only three campaigns?
Only three adtech campaigns met the rule that a company or partner must have published a result. Many adtech case studies describe a campaign without giving numbers, and those were left out.
Are the adtech results independently verified?
No. The Trade Desk figures come from its Effie Awards entry, and the OTTY and Adidas figures come from Taboola's own materials and its partners. Treat all three as reported.
What did the Taboola and Adidas campaign measure?
Taboola's case study measured click-through rate on Adidas Boost videos, reporting a 50% uplift and a rate 25% higher than other video platforms. It also reports that a featured sneaker became a best-seller during the run.
Can small adtech brands copy these campaigns?
Small adtech brands can copy the mechanism, which is naming a shared problem and backing it with one measured result. A big budget is not required, but a customer willing to publish its numbers is.
