The best TikTok ad format for a New Year sale depends on what you sell and where people check out.
A single product, a bundle, a store catalog, and a TikTok Shop listing each fit a different format.
Two things changed since last January. TikTok Shop ads now run as GMV Max campaigns, and the old Search Ads Toggle is now Automatic Search Placement, switched on by default.
This page matches each New Year offer to a format, explains how each format works, and lists the specs from TikTok’s own help pages.
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For a year-round view of which formats sell products, the ranking of the most effective TikTok ad formats for ecommerce covers the same formats outside the sale season.
Which TikTok Ad Format Is Best for a New Year Sale?
For most New Year sales, In-Feed video ads are the core format, run as Spark Ads when a creator or customer post already performs. TikTok Shop sellers should use GMV Max. Website stores with many products should add Catalog Ads. Add a Countdown Sticker for a real deadline and a Gift Code Sticker for a discount code.
Quick Comparison: Your New Year Offer and the Format That Fits
Start from the offer, not the format. This table pairs common January offers with the format that carries them best.
| Your New Year offer | Format to start with | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| One hero product on your website | In-Feed video, Spark Ad if a strong post exists | Simple story, one link, works with any objective |
| A starter kit or bundle | Carousel ad | Several images show what is in the kit |
| Many products on your website | Catalog Ads | Builds ads from your product feed |
| Products sold in TikTok Shop | GMV Max | The only campaign type for TikTok Shop ads |
| A discount code for January | In-Feed video with a Gift Code Sticker | Viewers copy the code from the ad |
| A sale with a fixed end date | In-Feed video with a Countdown Sticker | Shows the time left in each viewer’s time zone |
| A national launch with a large budget | TopView | Plays when users open TikTok |
What Changed Since Last New Year
Two TikTok changes since last January affect which format you can use for a January 2027 sale. A third change, the renamed search setting, sits under format 7 below.
- TikTok Shop ads: TikTok’s GMV Max migration notice confirms that new TikTok Shop ad campaigns run only as GMV Max, a rule in place since July 2025.
- Video Shopping Ads: The same notice says they remain available only with Showcase as the sales destination. TikTok Shop is no longer a supported destination for them.
The Formats, One by One
Each format below covers what it is, the best New Year use, and the limit to plan around.
They run from the most widely usable format to the most specialized.
1. In-Feed Video Ads
In-Feed ads appear in the For You feed between organic videos. They are the base format that most of the others build on.
- New Year use: a 15 to 30 second demo of one product used as part of a January routine.
- Specs: TikTok’s In-Feed ad specifications recommend vertical 9:16 video of at least 540 by 960 pixels, up to 10 minutes long.
- Watch out: non-Spark captions cannot include clickable links, @ mentions, or hashtags.
2. Spark Ads
A Spark Ad runs an existing organic post, from your account or a creator’s, as an ad.
The caption comes from the original post.
- New Year use: a creator’s first-week-of-January routine video featuring your product.
- Why it suits January: the ad runs from a real account and keeps the look of a normal post, which fits personal goal content.
- Watch out: a creator post needs an authorization code, which the creator generates under Ad settings on the video. Collect codes before December 26.
TikTok’s Spark Ads creation guide adds that a post’s caption cannot be edited after it is authorized as an ad. Ask creators to finish the January caption first.
If you are choosing between the two, Spark Ads versus regular ads differ in setup, identity, and caption control.
3. GMV Max for TikTok Shop Sellers
GMV Max is the campaign type for selling TikTok Shop products with ads. It replaced the older Shop ad types for new campaigns in July 2025.
- New Year use: push January bundles and starter kits listed in your Shop.
- How it works: TikTok automates delivery across your Shop products, with options for product and LIVE campaigns.
- Watch out: old Video Shopping Ads guides no longer apply to TikTok Shop. Plan the sale in GMV Max from the start.
Product selection and creative move GMV Max results most, so GMV Max optimization starts with those two settings.
4. Catalog Ads for Website Stores
Catalog Ads build each ad from your product feed, so one setup covers your whole product range.
TikTok’s Catalog Ads overview describes them as personalized ads drawn from your catalog’s images, videos, and product data.
- New Year use: retarget December visitors with the products they viewed, now at January prices.
- Where it runs: Sales campaigns with website and app destinations, and Smart+ campaigns.
- Watch out: update sale prices in the product feed before January 1, or the ads show the old price.
5. Carousel Ads
A carousel ad shows several images that viewers swipe through, with music playing. It suits kits and bundles, where each image can show one item.
- New Year use: a January starter kit, one product per image, with the kit price on the last image.
- Specs: TikTok’s Carousel Ads specifications allow 2 to 35 images for a standard carousel, in JPG or PNG.
- Watch out: a standard carousel has one caption, one call to action, and one URL. Only catalog-powered carousels link each image to its own product.
Music is required for carousel ads. TikTok notes that Commercial Music Library tracks play only on TikTok, so ads on the TikTok Ad Network need uploaded music.
6. Interactive Add-Ons: Countdown, Gift Code, and Voting Stickers
Interactive add-ons are stickers placed on a video ad. They are added during ad creation, under Interactive Add-ons, on a single-video ad.
- Countdown Sticker: shows a timer counting down to your deadline, in each viewer’s own time zone. The ad must include a URL.
- Gift Code Sticker: viewers tap Get Code to copy your discount code, then use it on your site or in your app.
- Voting Sticker: viewers pick one of two options and see the live results. Each person can vote once.
TikTok’s Gift Code Sticker guide lists Reach and Frequency, Reach, Video Views, Traffic, Conversions, and App Promotion as supported objectives.
The Voting Sticker guide lists Conversion, Traffic, Video Views, and Community Interaction among its supported objectives.
Set the Countdown Sticker to the real end of the sale, and end the offer when the timer reaches zero.
7. Automatic Search Placement
Automatic Search Placement is a placement, not a separate format. It lets your In-Feed ads appear on TikTok’s search results page.
- New Year use: catch people searching for January goals, such as budget planners or home workouts.
- How it works: TikTok’s Automatic Search Placement page says it is on by default for new campaigns and matches ads to searches automatically.
- Watch out: there is no keyword control. You can only add negative keywords and review the search terms report.
8. TopView
TopView is the video ad shown when a user opens TikTok. It is bought by reservation, not in the regular auction.
- New Year use: a large brand launching a January campaign nationally on January 1.
- Specs: TikTok’s TopView specifications allow 5 to 60 seconds for non-Spark ads, with 9 to 15 seconds recommended.
- Watch out: creatives need pre-approval through a TikTok sales representative and are reviewed within two days of submission.
The same TopView creative also cannot run in other placements, such as In-Feed ads, on the same day.
For most small and mid-size stores, the auction formats above are the practical choice.
Run the Formats in Sequence Through the Sale
You do not need every format at once. Each part of the New Year window favors a different one.
| Dates | Format focus | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| December 26 to 31, 2026 | Spark Ads, Voting Sticker | Warm up audiences with creator posts and a simple poll |
| January 1 to 15, 2027 | Catalog Ads or GMV Max, Gift Code Sticker | Drive sales with product ads and a code |
| January 16 to 18 | Countdown Sticker on your best video | Final push before the real end date |
| After the sale | Your best In-Feed ad, New Year wording removed | Keep a proven ad running |
Each stage also needs a budget and buyer exclusions, and a TikTok ads strategy for a New Year sale assigns both to the same dates.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Short answers on choosing and setting up TikTok ad formats for a January sale.
Is TopView worth it for a New Year sale?
For most businesses, no. TopView is a reservation buy that needs pre-approval through a TikTok sales representative.
TopView suits large brands with a national launch. Smaller stores get more control from auction formats such as In-Feed, Spark, and Catalog Ads.
Can I still run Video Shopping Ads for my TikTok Shop?
Not for new TikTok Shop campaigns. Since July 2025, TikTok Shop ads are created as GMV Max campaigns.
Video Shopping Ads are still available with Showcase as the sales destination. Existing campaigns in older formats remain active.
If you sell only through TikTok Shop, plan every January campaign in GMV Max.
How many images should a New Year carousel ad have?
TikTok allows 2 to 35 images in a standard carousel ad. For a starter kit, use one image per item plus a final image with the kit price.
Keep the first image strong, because it decides whether people swipe at all.
Do I need a TikTok Shop to run New Year sale ads?
No. Website stores can run Sales campaigns with In-Feed video, carousels, or Catalog Ads that send shoppers to their own checkout.
A TikTok Shop changes only the campaign type. Shop products are advertised through GMV Max, while website products use the regular Sales objective.
Spark Ads or regular In-Feed ads for a New Year sale?
Use Spark Ads when you have a creator or customer post that already performs. It runs from a real account and keeps the original caption.
Use regular In-Feed ads for product demos made by your team, where you control the caption and the landing page.
Pick the Format After the Offer
Decide the offer first: one product, a kit, a catalog, or a Shop listing. The format follows from that, and a sticker adds the deadline or the code.
The words inside each format matter as much as the format itself. New Year TikTok ad scripts cover hooks, text limits, and the body-image rules for fitness offers.
Running TikTok ads for the first time? A TikTok ad credit for new advertisers can fund the first January test.