UGC ads are short, creator-style product videos. Publishers and brand teams often start here when they need on-camera talent plus a clear product story.
There are two entry points:

Toggle:
| Mode | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Approved characters | You want a pre-approved likeness from the catalog. Search Search by look, country, age, or occupation…, filter, Load more |
| Describe character | Text-only casting (min length enforced). No creator image — the AI writes the video prompt… |
Description for approved mode: Pick a pre-approved likeness for generation.
n/maxSet Ad template, Shooting style, and Tone. Common templates include 3 Reasons Why, Problem & Solution, Before & After, TikTok Made Me Buy It, Product Addiction, Testimonial, and Day in the Life. Playground shooting styles include Narrative, Talking Head, Green Screen, Mic Trend, Split React, and Car FaceTime.
Choose Video model, aspect ratio, duration (including Auto when the model supports it), and optional reference media.
Choose Generate UGC Ad. If the button is disabled, the form usually needs a brand, a creator (approved or description), and a product shot.
On success, the video editor opens at /home/brands/{brandId}/video-ai/{videoId} — the same editor as brand Video Ads. Review and deploy there — Create video ads.

This path does not jump into the video editor, and the result does not appear in brand Video Ads. Watch progress under View UGC videos / the UGC Videos dialog on Personas. If a persona is deleted, orphaned UGC may appear under Orphaned UGC videos.
| Concept | Role |
|---|---|
| Personas | Brand-owned identities; UGC from a persona reference image |
| Approved characters | Pre-approved catalog likenesses in the UGC playground |
| Describe character | Text-only casting with no likeness image |
Launchpad copy still says personas “appear as UGC talent.” The playground’s default casting surface today is Approved characters / Describe character.
| Path | Landing |
|---|---|
| UGC playground | Brand video editor + Video Ads library; also team / brand Recent video feeds |
| Personas Create UGC video | Personas UGC Videos dialog (and related UGC rows) — not the brand Video Ads list, and not the team Recent creations video filter |
| Format | Best for |
|---|---|
| UGC Ad | Creator / talking-head product storytelling |
| Product Ad | High-energy product videos (Hypermotion, Catalyst, Metaphor) from photos |
| Video Ad | Broader brand-website spots with agent modes and deploy |