BeReal brings ads to US after a successful launch in Europe and Japan

The news: BeReal is launching its US ad business following last summer’s launch in Europe and Japan.

• The app initially tested ads in the US with brands in the fashion, gaming, and beauty industries in Q3 2024, and is now expanding its ad efforts with a commercial team to support brands and partners.
• After its expansion in Europe and Japan, over 200 brands have run ads on BeReal, including Levi’s, Nike, and Amazon. BeReal has also tested US ads from some of these brands over the previous six months.
• BeReal hired Ben Moore as its US managing director to support ad growth. Moore previously led global media buying partnerships for TikTok.
• The app claims to have 40 million monthly users worldwide, with 5 million located in the US.

What ads will be like: BeReal has two ad formats—in-feed ads that look like organic content, and homepage takeover ads when users open the app. The former are similar to users’ posts, featuring a front-facing picture that takes up the majority of the ad and a back-facing picture overlaid in the upper-left corner.

Per Moore, BeReal is also working to roll out performance-focused ad formats in 2025, including location and interest-based targeting capabilities. The app is also developing a self-serve platform for advertisers to easily purchase and manage campaigns.

Why now? The introduction of US ads is part of BeReal’s ongoing efforts to monetize. While the company has been moving in this direction, it stands to benefit by introducing ads now due to TikTok’s uncertain future in the US.

• “Brands are actively seeking platforms where people feel safe and present,” and “everyone is very eager to diversify their media mix,” Moore told Adweek. “The main feedback we get is that there’s a lot of uncertainty about the future of TikTok in the US,” he added.
• Despite a second 75-day extension to keep TikTok in the US for now, the possibility of a deal is increasingly murky amid the ongoing trade war between the US and China. BeReal, which is comparatively smaller to the social media giant, is capitalizing on this volatility—essential as the platform is facing diminishing financial prospects.

Our take: While ad success on BeReal is unclear—Moore declined to mention how much the platform makes from ads—brands should pay attention to the shifting social media landscape and explore BeReal’s potential to reach a smaller, but engaged, audience.

• BeReal highlights authenticity in its content—so advertising on the platform could help meet consumers’ growing demand for authentic brand experiences.
• As a newer ad platform, BeReal presents an opportunity for brands to engage in a less competitive ad space compared to heavily saturated platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Early adopters of the platform can establish a distinct presence before advertising becomes commonplace.