For PadSquad, 2025 was the year we doubled down on a belief that has guided us from the start: creative only matters if it performs.
This year was not about vanity metrics. It was about creative that performed, brand experiences that connected, and proof that some of the most remarkable work and even music lives within PadSquad.
From full funnel impact to new interactive video formats, 2025 showed what becomes possible when expressive creative meets performance accountability.
Relevance drives results
In 2025, PadSquad delivered 68B impressions while upholding our promise of launching in days, not weeks.
Across 3,732 creative builds, our work did more than fill space. It delivered enhanced interactive storytelling across every screen where attention truly lives.
That commitment fueled the evolution of our video offering. We did more than expand video. We transformed it with VidStream and VidStream Plus, unlocking richer storytelling across connected environments.
Full Funnel Impact, Proven
Creative only matters if it moves the business. In 2025, it did.
- 14 point lift in brand consideration (Retail Awareness)
- 85 percent increase in vehicle registrations (Automotive Sales Activation)
- 1.54 percent engagement rate (Consumer Goods)
Formats That Powered Performance
Our strongest campaigns leaned into high impact formats designed for modern attention:
- Scroller
- Superscape
- Duo
- Tile
- VidStream Plus
Throughout 2025, we focused on the KPIs that matter most: engagement, click through rate, video completion rate, viewability, and brand lift. The result was creative that looked good and delivered measurable outcomes.
Talent That Shows Up in Unexpected Ways
Not every highlight fits in a dashboard.
Our most loved song of 2025 was created by a PadSquad employee, reminding us that creativity here is everywhere.
That energy also carried us through more than 30 industry events and speaking engagements where our team helped shape conversations about the future of creative, video, and performance.
What 2025 Taught Us About What's Coming
This year, as the industry leaned into automation and efficiency, we noticed something: the opportunity to truly connect with audiences is still massive.
The open web reaches huge audiences. We've seen how brands using rich media, interactive formats, and thoughtful creative consistently outperform standard display. The reach is there. The question is what you do with it.
Personalization is ready for its next chapter. Demographics got us far, but the real wins come from intent and context. When you reach someone in the moment they're open to your message, when they're researching or in the right mindset, that's when creative lands.
In 2026, the brands that win will match creative to moments, not just audiences to demographics. The opportunity hasn't shrunk. It's evolved. And we're here to help you make the most of it.
The Future of Video, Creators, and Commerce
Video Becomes the Center of the Funnel, Not the Top
Video growth will accelerate across every surface. CTV, mobile, and desktop will no longer play separate roles. Brands will expect unified stories that adapt across screens, and they will demand creative that evolves in real time. VidStream and VidStream Plus will play a larger role as advertisers shift from static placements to dynamic experiences that reward attention.
Shorter build times and real time optimization will become the new standard. Brands will expect creative that responds to behavior, context, and motivation. Interactive video will move from a differentiator to a requirement for standing out.
Creators Take a Seat Inside the Media Plan
Creators will not be confined to social feeds. Their storytelling will move into paid environments where authenticity can scale. Brands will bring creator-driven narratives into CTV, premium video, and the open web. This shift will create new opportunities for expressive creative that feels human, not polished or pre-programmed.
Creator content in paid channels will reshape how brands build trust, especially as audiences grow fatigued by traditional ads.
Commerce Media Evolves from Placements to Experiences
Commerce media will continue to grow, but the real leap forward will come from creative, not inventory. Shoppable video, tap-to-learn formats, and retail data used to power expressive storytelling will create a more motivating journey from discovery to action.
The brands that win will design commerce experiences people enjoy engaging with, not ones they tolerate.
CTV’s Next Chapter Is Storytelling, Not Spots
The future of CTV will not be a static thirty-second placement. It will be sequenced narratives, evolving creative, and interactive layers that pull people in. Brands will use connected screens to tell richer stories with more depth and more motion.
This will open new space for creativity, especially for categories that have relied on traditional linear formats for years.
AI’s Role: Accelerate Humans, Do Not Replace Them
AI proved its value in 2025 by removing friction and speeding up workflows. But audiences recognize the difference between human insight and machine output. The most impactful creative will still come from people who understand motivations, behaviors, and emotion.
The smartest brands will use AI behind the scenes to power craftsmanship, not replace it.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As 2025 comes to a close, one truth is clear: performance does not come from playing it safe.
It comes from expressive creative, delivered with speed, grounded in insight, and measured against outcomes that matter.
To our clients, partners, and Squad members, thank you for making 2025 remarkable.
Here is to building what comes next.
Let’s make it remarkable.
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