Recognizing the growing influence of its platform on consumer purchase decisions, TikTok introduced dedicated Automotive Ads in the first quarter of 2025, offering new mobile-first advertising formats specifically designed for car manufacturers, dealerships, and related businesses. This strategic move, highlighted by TikTok Advertising and blogs like Strike Social, aims to provide the automotive industry with more effective tools to reach and engage potential car buyers directly within the TikTok environment.

The newly launched Automotive Ad formats include the "Video + Product Card" and the "Multi-link Carousel Card." These formats are crafted to blend TikTok’s signature strength in engaging video storytelling with interactive shopping features that facilitate product discovery and consideration. The Video + Product Card allows an automotive brand to showcase a new vehicle model in a captivating video, accompanied by an interactive card that can link to detailed features, specifications, build-and-price tools, or information about nearby dealerships. The Multi-link Carousel Card enables advertisers to present multiple vehicle models or different features of a single model in a swipeable format, providing a richer Browse experience. These innovative solutions are designed to keep auto shoppers engaged within the TikTok app for longer periods while streamlining their vehicle discovery and research process, making it easier for users interested in vehicles to explore car models and related products without needing to navigate away to external websites. For marketers in the automotive and related industries, these tailored ad units offer a valuable opportunity to capitalize on TikTok's massive in-app traffic and its influence on younger audiences who increasingly use the platform for research and inspiration. The interactive nature of these formats is expected to improve user engagement, enhance lead capture capabilities (such as inquiries for test drives or dealer visits), and ultimately help automotive brands tap into the significant purchase intent present among TikTok's diverse user base.