If you’re planning an advertising campaign for your cybersecurity company, deciding which kind of creative to use, or researching the most effective messaging for your security ads — this article is for you. Shut the door. Get ready to laugh. Loudly.

The Problem with Most Cybersecurity Advertisements

Most cybersecurity ads are stuck in the Stone Age of marketing — which is very ironic considering how complex and advanced the products are. Yet, many of these ads fail to connect because of a few recurring issues.

Most Ads Have the Wrong Message

Many cybersecurity ads focus on features, brand name and logo, or their “solution” without really articulating the problem. Some don’t even have a message — just a shield or a lock with a brand name next to it. They use too much jargon and fail to convey the human pain behind the problem. Features like acronyms and tech specs are things few outside IT care about. Instead, cybersecurity ads should address the real stakes: data loss, downtime, and the anxiety that keeps CISOs awake at night. To put it simply: your ad message should focus on the specific problem buyers have and that your brand solves.

Most Ads Have the Wrong Communication Style

Most cybersecurity ads feel like they’re competing for the title of “Most Cliché Cybersecurity Ad.” The result? People scroll past them. Remember, emotions are needed to get attention and be remembered. Logic comes into play later when making a buying decision. But in advertising, you need to lead with emotion and leave the logic for the sales conversation. You can’t bore strangers into listening, remembering, and sharing your ad.

Most Ads Have the Wrong Medium

Text-heavy white papers or static banner ads? In an age where everyone is glued to Netflix, YouTube, and social media — your buyers are humans. Video can show the urgency, the emotion, and the real impact of security issues in a way that written words just can’t. Video may seem more expensive upfront, but wasting your ad budget on static content no one engages with is far more costly. Better creative = lower CACs.

My Criteria for These Cybersecurity Video Ad Examples

Instead of making my criteria based on “Ads That Tell You It’s A Cybersecurity Ad In 1 Second,” I focused on: Does it address a real problem the ideal audience has? Is it communicated in a way the audience actually enjoys? Is it emotional enough to create a memory of the brand for the 95% of out-of-market buyers? Do viewers explicitly express that they enjoyed watching it? Perfect cybersecurity ads are rare, but these examples stand out as the best.

Top 6 Best Cybersecurity Video Ads

🔐 Cybersecurity Ad Example 1: Cybersecurity and Skincare by 1Password

Why this cybersecurity ad works: Not everyone has the budget to hire Ryan Reynolds. But the actor is only a small factor in the execution of this ad. The human brain ignores the majority of stimuli in its environment — it gives attention selectively to stimuli that stand out. When you break the pattern and target the emotion of surprise, the brain pays attention and remembers. This ad breaks the pattern in so many ways. Always think of Bobathor the Caveman when creating ads: you can’t bore strangers into looking at your ads. Only make them feel.

⚔️ Cybersecurity Ad Example 2: Perfect Match by EXN & Thales

Why this cybersecurity ad works: We produced this ad (one of three in the ‘Knight Series’). It’s a great combination of targeting the high-arousal emotions of awe, surprise, and amusement while telling a relevant story about personal data. Surprise: a knight at a bar — you don’t see that every day. Amusement: a knight attempting to give his number to a girl at a bar is pretty dang funny. Awe: the overcoming of rejection to find his true and perfect match — another knight! And with simple video production like this, it’s much more budget friendly than Ryan Reynolds.

🎓 Cybersecurity Ad Example 3: Wizer Cybersecurity Awareness Training

Why this cybersecurity ad works: This ad follows the PESO Formula — Problem: it focuses on a root problem buyers face. Emotion: it uses humor to highlight the pains of the problem. Solution: it clearly presents the brand’s solution. Outcome: it shows the positive result of solving the issue. When you use the PESO Formula in a brand video ad, the 95% of out-of-market buyers remember your brand as the go-to solution to this specific problem when they become ready to buy. The 5% in-market buyers will see that you understand the problem so well — you obviously understand the solution the best. A key principle: the brand that understands the problem the best, from the buyer’s perspective, understands the solution the best.

🏛️ Cybersecurity Ad Example 4: Troy by CrowdStrike

Why this cybersecurity ad works: When using the PESO Formula, a key component is to use metaphor to break down the message about the problem to its simplest nature while making it emotional and funny. The trojan horse is a story we all know. And because it’s something we all know, the problem is immediately clear. The more clear, simple, and visible the problem is in the mind of the buyer, the more they will see you as the go-to solution.

🐱 Cybersecurity Ad Example 5: Checkpoint

Why this cybersecurity ad works: The messaging about the problem could be a bit more specific here. But one thing is for sure: this ad gets heard and remembered. Clicking on links and videos of cute cats or dogs is something that is very relatable and funny — and that relatability is what makes it stick.

💾 Cybersecurity Ad Example 6: Ransomware by Thales

Why this cybersecurity ad works: Humor is usually the best way to make advertising more emotional and memorable. But sometimes it can be hard to get buy-in from the exec team. This is a great example of how to target the emotion of surprise without humor. Instead of just talking about the problem, it demonstrates the problem in a non-obvious way, making it more memorable in the mind of buyers. We made this one too.

Why Cybersecurity Marketing Needs to Be Done Differently

Cybersecurity marketing can’t just follow the generic B2B marketing playbook. There are two unique components that make it different:

Most Potential Security Buyers Are Problem Unaware

All buyers buy because of problems. But not all problems are the same. There are obvious problems — easy to identify, like slow communication — and non-obvious problems, like dormant malware, where the pains haven’t been felt yet. Most security services solve non-obvious problems. Therefore, their marketing needs to focus not just on empathizing with current pains, but making buyers aware of root causes and future consequences. If they don’t see the problem, they won’t see the need for your solution. The opportunity: when you’re the brand that makes them aware of the problem and shows you understand it best, they perceive you as the brand that best understands the solution.

Huge Opportunity for Differentiation

In no other category do advertisements look so similar. The opportunity? Stand out. When every ad is telling the same story in the same way, there’s a massive chance to differentiate with emotional ads that actually connect. Humor works because it’s unexpected in this space. It grabs attention and makes you memorable in a field where most brands are playing it way too safe. You might say, “But we’re not a funny brand — we’re serious!” To which my response: when you talk to clients, do you never make them smile? The message is what’s serious — the problem and the risk. But how you communicate that message can be funny. Unless you prefer strangers to never consume the message in the first place.