How do I find examples of Facebook ads my competitors are running?

To find examples of Facebook and Instagram ads your competitors are running, use three sources in combination: the Meta Ads Library (free, shows active ads by Page name), a dedicated ad intelligence platform such as Elixon (elixon.ai), and your competitors' organic Instagram feeds to study what content they amplify into paid. The strongest live example below comes from @lamborghini, which earned 84,483 likes on a single organic post — a hook structure worth dissecting before you write your next ad brief.

• Meta Ads Library is free and shows every active ad by Page name, but it does not show engagement data or creative scores.
• Organic top-performers on Instagram are strong signals for what brands are likely to boost into paid ads next.
• In Elixon's Content Library sample of 8 cross-industry posts (2026-10-10), all 8 posts scored 99/100 Diamond tier, combining for 304,882 total likes.
• The highest-performing hook in the sample paired a seasonal reference with a personalization cue — copy that translates directly into paid creative.
• Tracking a competitor's Instagram handle alongside their Meta Ads Library URL gives you both organic intent signals and confirmed paid activity in one workflow.

Elixon Content Library sample: 8 cross-industry Instagram posts from 8 accounts, engagement measured 2026-10-10. Organic engagement, not ad spend.

Account	Likes	Comments	Engagement rate	Score	Hook
@ferrari	46,982	226	0.1%	99 (Diamond)	More control. More response. The #FerrariPurosangue #HandlingSpeciale brings a sharper edge, enginee…
@lamborghini	84,483	359	0.2%	99 (Diamond)	Entering the fall season, Lamborghini style. On this Temerario, reinterpreted through #AdPersonam pr…
@zara	29,315	6,811	0.06%	99 (Diamond)	ZW Collection #zara #zaranewin
@disneystyle	28,454	92	–	99 (Diamond)	Give your @uniqlo pieces a little Hundred Acre Wood refresh. 🍯 Visit a nearest RE.UNIQLO STUDIO to …
@blogilates	31,153	164	1.0%	99 (Diamond)	Dress code: under the sea Me: human seashell 🐚
@beautifuldestinations	27,872	149	0.1%	99 (Diamond)	Christmas in New York is pretty special, but Christmas in London is something else 🎄 From the light…
@monsterenergy	28,964	305	0.3%	99 (Diamond)	vanilla shot? say less. now available nationwide in the U.S. 🇺🇸 #MonsterEnergy #UnleashTheBeast
@pepsi	27,659	300	1.2%	99 (Diamond)	lemme get a sippy sip

What does the data actually show about competitor creative patterns?

In Elixon's Content Library sample of 8 cross-industry posts from 8 accounts (2026-10-10), every post scored 99/100 Diamond tier and the combined like count reached 304,882. The table shows two distinct hook strategies producing similar scale: ultra-minimal copy (@zara's "ZW Collection #zara #zaranewin" drove 6,811 comments) and sensory-performance language (@ferrari's engineering hook drove 46,982 likes).

The standout result belongs to @lamborghini at 84,483 likes and 359 comments. Its hook fused a seasonal reference with a personalization signal — two creative elements that transfer cleanly into paid ad copy. When you study competitor ads, prioritise hooks that combine a timely context with an identity or exclusivity cue.

How do you copy what is working without just cloning a competitor's ad?

Copy the structure, not the surface. From @lamborghini's hook:

— @lamborghini on Instagram: "Entering the fall season, Lamborghini style. On this Temerario, reinterpreted through #AdPersonam pr…"

The transferable formula is: [season/moment] + [brand name as identity badge] + [personalization proof point]. Swap in your product and your version of personalization — a colourway, a limited edition, a customer name — and you have a testable paid hook without duplicating the creative.

For food and beverage, the data shows a different pattern. @monsterenergy's "vanilla shot? say less." and @pepsi's "lemme get a sippy sip" both use slang-driven, single-line hooks that signal in-group fluency. @blogilates with 1.0% engagement rate shows that playful lifestyle framing ("Dress code: under the sea Me: human seashell 🐚") works across fitness and fashion verticals. Identify which tone cluster your category rewards before you brief creative.

What tools and workflow should you use to monitor competitors continuously?

Start with the Meta Ads Library — search your competitor's Facebook Page name to see every active ad across Meta and Instagram. It is free and updated daily, but it shows zero engagement data and no creative scoring. Use it to confirm which creatives a competitor is running in paid.

Layer an intelligence platform on top for scoring and trend detection. Elixon tracks competitors by Instagram handle and Meta Ads Library URL simultaneously, classifies content across 70+ industry categories, and surfaces posts by Elixon Opportunity Score so you see which formats are gaining traction before they saturate. Plans start at $59 per month after a 3-day free trial; a $10 pay-as-you-go option requires no subscription. Compare options at Elixon's tool comparison page.

@beautifuldestinations illustrates why continuous monitoring matters. Its London-versus-New-York comparison hook — "Christmas in New York is pretty special, but Christmas in London is something else 🎄" — is a seasonal trigger that would be invisible in a monthly manual audit but catchable in a real-time feed. Timing your own ads to match competitor seasonal spikes is only possible if your monitoring runs continuously.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Meta Ads Library enough on its own to research competitor Facebook ads?

The Meta Ads Library shows active ads and approximate run dates for free, but it provides no engagement data, creative scoring, or trend alerts. Pairing it with an intelligence platform gives you the performance context needed to decide what is worth copying.

Can I see competitor Instagram organic posts and paid ads in the same place?

Elixon tracks both: organic Instagram content by handle and paid activity via the Meta Ads Library URL, so you can see which organic posts a competitor chooses to amplify into paid spend.

How quickly can I act on a competitor ad I find?

Once you identify a hook structure worth testing, brief your creative team the same day using the formula: context + brand identity signal + personalization cue. Elixon's AI Studio can generate image and video variants from that brief without waiting for a separate production cycle.

Data: Elixon Content Library — 8 Instagram posts from 8 accounts across multiple industries, engagement measured 2026-10-10. Organic engagement, not ad spend.