Twitter launches Promoted Trend Spotlight – a new takeover ad unit in the Expore tab

Twitter announced the launch of a new takeover ad unit called the Promoted Trend Spotlight on Monday. The format, which Twitter first started testing in 2018, enables advertisers to take up “premium real estate” in the top section of Twitter’s Explore tab.

Here’s what it looks like:

How it works. Much like Twitter’s Promoted Trend ads (which appear as 24-hour takeover ads on Twitter’s Trends list), the Promoted Trend Spotlight supports 6-second videos and GIFs as well as static images. These ads appear at the top of the Explore tab for the first two visits, per user, per day. After the ad is viewed twice, the placement moves to the standard ‘Promoted Trend’ placement and organic editorial content is pushed back into the Spotlight placement. 

Advertisers can further optimize messaging by switching up the creative throughout the day. The ad is optimized for both mobile and desktop, with the ad running edge-to-edge on mobile.

Promoted Trend Spotlight ads are currently available to all advertisers in the US, UK, and Japan. Twitter said it plans roll it out to 12 additional markets in the coming months, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, and Thailand. 

Why we care. In a viewability study from market research firm EyeSee, Promoted Trend Spotlight ads generated 113% higher ad recall and 18% higher brand consideration, along with a 67% lift in stated likelihood to use a brand in the future. Users were 3x times more likely to click through an ad in the Spotlight unit than the standard Promoted Trend, Twitter reported.

About The Author

Taylor Peterson

Taylor Peterson is Third Door Media’s Deputy Editor, managing industry-leading coverage that informs and inspires marketers. Based in New York, Taylor brings marketing expertise grounded in creative production and agency advertising for global brands. Taylor's editorial focus blends digital marketing and creative strategy with topics like campaign management, emerging formats, and display advertising.