Creative analysis · Ulta Beauty · 16 Oct 2026 Ad Library read

Ulta Beauty: a creative analysis of 580 live Meta ads

Every live Meta ad on the Ulta Beauty page, read card by card and tagged on the eleven axes Improvado's Creative Analytics uses. This is the analysis Improvado builds for brands and agencies running 50+ creatives. Want the same for your own ads? One email.

An Ulta Beauty storefront at golden hour, with three of Ulta's live Meta ads shown as Ad Library cards: Clarins Double Serum Eye, fall beauty picks and the salon
Meta, US
580 live ads read
Captured
16 Oct 2026
Reader
Paid media + creative, 11-axis tags
01

Headline numbers

Dated public counts

Four numbers frame the read

Every figure is a count taken from the Meta Ad Library on 16 Oct 2026 (library count ~630 results; 580 cards loaded). Library totals move between page loads, so each number is approximate. None of them is a performance figure: the library publishes no impressions, spend or click data for US ads.

580 live Meta ads read, US delivery Meta Ad Library, advertiser page view, 16 Oct 2026 (library count ~630 results); the cards stand for 2,235 ads
76% started in the last 30 days 438 of 580 dated cards; 209 in the last 7 days; oldest 53 days
115 distinct primary texts 76 distinct headlines; 77 landing pages behind the cards
Partner brand product spotlight lead archetype, 36% of tagged cards 577 cards tagged on 11 axes; 7 archetypes in use
02

Launches and refresh

Launches by month, Meta US view

209 of 580 live ads started in the last 7 days, 72 of them on 15 Oct, and the median live ad is 15 days old

Start dates are the one time signal the library gives. Ulta's live set is a fast-moving feed. 209 cards (36%) started in the last 7 days, 438 (76%) in the last 30 and all 580 in the last 60, across 35 distinct start days; the busiest, 15 Oct, carries 72 cards (12%) and 19 cards started on the capture day. 11 Oct has 49 cards, 30 Sep 47 and 5 Sep 42. The oldest live ads started on 24 Aug 2026 and have run 53 days: 33 cards start on that day. August holds 39 cards, September 236 and October 305. The 15 Oct launch is 38 videos and 34 images, led by fragrance and gifting (36 cards) and partner product spotlights (27).

Aug 2026
~39
Sep 2026
~236
Oct 2026
~305
Started in the last 7 / 30 days
209 / 438
Running over 30 / 60 / 90 days
142 / 0 / 0
Median age of a live ad
15 days
Oldest ad still live
24 Aug 2026

Busiest start days

15 Oct 2026
72 cards
11 Oct 2026
49 cards
30 Sep 2026
47 cards
5 Sep 2026
42 cards
24 Aug 2026
33 cards
1 Oct 2026
32 cards

Counts from Meta Ad Library start dates, US filter, read 16 Oct 2026. 35 distinct start days across 580 dated cards. Where a brand leaves winners on, a long-running ad says the advertiser kept it; it still does not say the ad performed.

03

The creative system

Message clusters, with the copy as evidence

Partner product spotlights (207 cards, 36%) and fragrance and gifting (145, 25%) lead; 347 of 580 cards (60%) are led by a brand Ulta sells

The 580 cards grouped by what the ad is about, the primary archetype of the taxonomy. Each group prints verbatim quotes from the library so the grouping can be checked. 115 distinct primary texts and 76 distinct headlines run across the set, and 400 cards are roll-ups of several ads. The advertiser line reads Ulta Beauty on 534 cards, because the brand ads run through Ulta's page: 347 cards are tagged Partner brand leads (Tarte 53, Jimmy Choo 30, Nutrafol 16, bareMinerals 16, Valentino 16, Cécred 16, among 28 brands), and 350 links carry a campaign name containing mediahub. Ulta's own voice is the Ulta Rewards message (62 cards tagged points and rewards, for example Find wellness faves, and earn points, only at Ulta Beauty on 16 cards standing for 136 ads), store openings and beauty services (51 cards), seasonal sets (30) and skin care and wellness (69). 46 cards, all video, carry an advertiser line of the form X with Ulta Beauty from 14 creator accounts.

  1. 01

    Partner brand product spotlight

    207 cards · 36% · 565 ads

    115 video, 92 image, 0 carousel; median age 14 days; message: Product benefit claim (100), New or launch (82); lead hook Person to camera (76); partner brands: Tarte (53), Nutrafol (16), bareMinerals (16)

    Limited time only! Buy tarte shape tape concealer & get a FREE tubing mascara ($70 value)💜

    This is your sign to try tarte shape tape concealer✨. Shop now & get a FREE tubing mascara & pearl keychain at Ulta Beauty.

  2. 02

    Fragrance and gifting

    145 cards · 25% · 431 ads

    77 video, 68 image, 0 carousel; median age 5 days; message: New or launch (65), Seasonal moment (48); lead hook Product close-up (66); partner brands: Jimmy Choo (30), Rabanne (15), Carolina Herrera (15)

    Shop cozy scents, body care & fall rituals at Ulta Beauty. Earn points on all of your fall faves!

    Discover Libre Santal Couture, the new sandalwood limited edition by YSL.

  3. 03

    Skin care and wellness

    69 cards · 12% · 470 ads

    60 video, 9 image, 0 carousel; median age 41 days; message: Points and rewards (30), Variety and assortment (22); lead hook Person to camera (15); partner brands: HigherDOSE (4), HIGHERDOSE (1), HigherDose (1)

    Whatever wellness you’re searching for

    Find skin care faves, and earn points, only at Ulta Beauty.

  4. 04

    Store openings and beauty services

    51 cards · 9% · 141 ads

    23 video, 23 image, 5 carousel; median age 7 days; message: Store or service (44), Percent or dollar off (7); lead hook Bold headline text (27)

    From first step in to final look, we’ve got you at The Salon at Ulta Beauty. See you in the chair.

    Cuts, color and treatments that leave you feeling like you. See you in the chair.

  5. 05

    Creator and partner posts

    45 cards · 8% · 143 ads

    45 video, 0 image, 0 carousel; median age 18 days; message: Variety and assortment (10), Seasonal moment (8); lead hook Person to camera (25); partner brands: Hourglass (12), Bumble and bumble (4), Valentino (4)

    #UltaBeautyPartner @ultabeauty has all of my beauty essentials and thanks to Wellness by Ulta Beauty, they also carry the wellness brands I reach for every single day 🧡#UltaBeauty #UBCollective #welln

    #UltaBeautyPartner | Just a couple little things that help me pour back into myself intentionally. Wellness by @ultabeauty’s been getting me together ✨ #UltaBeauty #UBCollective #WellnessbyUltaBeauty

  6. 06

    Hair care

    30 cards · 5% · 213 ads

    29 video, 1 image, 0 carousel; median age 36 days; message: Points and rewards (13), Product benefit claim (10); lead hook Person to camera (15); partner brands: Briogeo (5), Redken (3), Cécred (2)

    Whatever hair care you’re searching for

    Find hair faves, and earn points, only at Ulta Beauty.

  7. 07

    Seasonal moments

    30 cards · 5% · 263 ads

    30 video, 0 image, 0 carousel; median age 18 days; message: Seasonal moment (20), Points and rewards (8); lead hook Person to camera (24)

    Homecoming is almost here! Ulta Beauty has everything you need to stay dance-floor ready. The best part? More looks=more points.

    Ready for spooky season? Shop Halloween looks for less with Ulta Beauty! Get points for every beauty trick, treat, and transformation.

Partner-led cards on this page

347 of 580 cards (60%) lead with a partner brand, 28 brands in all. The largest: Tarte (53), Jimmy Choo (30), Nutrafol (16), bareMinerals (16), Valentino (16), Cécred (16), Redken (15), Charlotte Tilbury (15) . Rule: tags.brand_prominence = Partner brand leads.

Most repeated primary texts

  1. 16 cards Find wellness faves, and earn points, only at Ulta Beauty.
  2. 16 cards Loose & legendary. Unlock better skin instantly & over time with bareMinerals ORIGINAL Loose Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15
  3. 15 cards Save our smooch! Day & Night 12HR Hydrating Lip Mask, in 8 soothing scents & glossy shades.
  4. 14 cards Find skin care faves, and earn points, only at Ulta Beauty.
  5. 14 cards Discover Libre Santal Couture, the new sandalwood limited edition by YSL.
  6. 13 cards Find hair faves, and earn points, only at Ulta Beauty.

Quotes are reproduced as the Meta Ad Library showed them on 16 Oct 2026, for research and commentary. Creative work belongs to its owner.

04

Format and platform

What carries the message

66% video, 33% static image, 1% carousel; the median video runs 15 seconds and 74 videos are under 10 seconds

Format is read from the card as the library renders it. 382 cards are videos, 193 are images and 5 are carousels. Of the 382 videos with a visible length, 74 run under 10 seconds, 156 run 10 to 15, 106 run 16 to 30 and 46 run longer than 30. Video is the older half of the set: its median live age is 16 days against 7 for images, and 111 of the 382 videos are older than 30 days against 26 of 193 images. Own-brand cards lean to video harder than partner-led ones (171 of 222 cards against 202 of 347). 482 cards (83%) carry a Shop now button, 18 carry Book now, 15 Learn more and 65 have no button.

Format, 580 cards

Video
66% · 382
Image
33% · 193
Carousel
1% · 5

Video length, 382 videos with a visible length

Under 10 s
19% · 74
10 to 15 s
41% · 156
16 to 30 s
28% · 106
Over 30 s
12% · 46

Platform icons per card

4 platform icons
100% · 580

Call to action

Shop now
83% · 482
No button
11% · 65
Book now
3% · 18
Learn more
3% · 15

Google, Ads Transparency Center, US, 2 Oct 2026: 6000 to 7000 creatives shown in the 30 days to 2 Oct 2026; of the newest 40: 29 text, 6 image, 5 video.

05

Where the click goes

Landing destinations

97% of clicks go to ulta.com and 44% of cards land on a single product page; every card with a link carries paid-social tracking

Each card carries one first outbound link. The 580 cards point to 77 distinct landing pages. 256 cards (44%) go to a single product page, 101 to a featured campaign page, 94 to a category or brand shop page, 37 to the discover section, 30 to store pages and 25 to the beauty services booking page. 18 cards (3%) open an Instant Experience on Meta and 1 goes to Instagram. All 561 ulta.com links carry utm_medium=paid_social and a cmpid; 142 also carry a product sku. The utm_campaign values start with an objective (traffic 219 cards, conversion 169, awareness 134, engagement 29), and 350 contain mediahub. Partner-led cards go to product pages (252 of 347); own-brand cards go to shop pages (88), featured pages (40), the discover section (37), store pages (30) and services (25).

Single product page ulta.com/p
44% · 256
Featured campaign page ulta.com/featured
17% · 101
Category or brand shop page ulta.com/shop
16% · 94
ulta.com page (/discover) ulta.com/discover
6% · 37
Store pages ulta.com/stores
5% · 30
Beauty services booking ulta.com/beautyservices
4% · 25
Instant Experience (on Meta) fb.com/canvas_doc
3% · 18
Brand page ulta.com/brand
3% · 18
06

Across channels

Meta, LinkedIn, Google

On Meta the retailer and its brands; on Google brand text ads; no LinkedIn ads under the Ulta Beauty name

The three libraries expose different fields, so they cannot be compared on one axis. The LinkedIn Ad Library showed no ads for Ulta Beauty on 16 Oct 2026: a search by advertiser name returned UltaHost and Ultatel, which are unrelated companies. Google Ads Transparency showed 6,000 to 7,000 creatives for ulta.com in the 30 days to 2 Oct 2026 (the 16 Oct re-read was throttled, so the page uses that reading); of the newest 40, 29 are text, 6 image and 5 video, and the advertisers shown are ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. and Conair Corporation, a supplier brand that advertises toward ulta.com under its own name.

  • Meta ~630 live ads, US delivery (library count) 580 cards read, 2,235 ads represented
  • Google ~6,000 creatives shown in the US over a 30-day window (library floor) 6000 to 7000, Ads Transparency Center, read 2 Oct 2026; formats and dates only

Google: newest 40 creatives by format

Image
15% · 6
Text
73% · 29
Video
13% · 5
07

Taxonomy view

Eleven creative axes, closed value lists

Person to camera opens 30% of cards and product close-ups 27%; photo with text overlay is the visual on 36%

Every card was tagged on the eleven axes Improvado's Creative Analytics uses, with a closed value list per axis. 577 of 580 cards carry tags; 3 returned no tags and are shown as untagged. A person to camera opens 173 cards (30%), a product close-up 153 (27%), a bold headline 71 (12%) and a lifestyle scene 63 (11%). The visual is a photo with text overlay on 207 cards (36%), creator video on 169 (29%), a studio product shot on 79 (14%) and cinematic macro or glam photography on 45 (8%). The tone is friendly and casual on 171 cards (30%), glamorous and luxurious on 155 (27%), informative on 79 (14%) and cozy and warm on 78 (14%). 244 cards (42%) show no person, 158 a woman and 62 a creator. 332 cards (58%) sit on a studio or plain backdrop and 147 (25%) in a home interior. 500 cards (87%) carry a direct call to action. The strongest pairings are structural: demo or tutorial hooks with demo videos (21 cards, 11.1 times the expected overlap) and graphic text card visuals with the text or promo card format (27 cards, 9.5 times). Creator video on a studio backdrop appears 25 times where 84.6 are expected.

Primary archetype 7 values

  1. Partner brand product spotlight 36% · 207 median 14 d
  2. Fragrance and gifting 25% · 145 median 5 d
  3. Skin care and wellness 12% · 69 median 41 d
  4. Store openings and beauty services 9% · 51 median 7 d
  5. Creator and partner posts 8% · 45 median 18 d
  6. Hair care 5% · 30 median 36 d
  7. Seasonal moments 5% · 30 median 18 d

Hook type 7 values

  1. Person to camera 30% · 173 median 15 d
  2. Product close-up 27% · 153 median 14 d
  3. Bold headline text 12% · 71 median 7 d
  4. Lifestyle scene 11% · 63 median 37 d
  5. Demo or tutorial 7% · 39 median 18 d
  6. Seasonal cue 6% · 36 median 5 d
  7. Question 2% · 12 median 26 d

Message or offer 9 values

  1. New or launch 27% · 155 median 15 d
  2. Product benefit claim 24% · 136 median 15 d
  3. Seasonal moment 14% · 80 median 5 d
  4. Points and rewards 11% · 62 median 26 d
  5. Variety and assortment 10% · 56 median 24 d
  6. Store or service 8% · 49 median 18 d
  7. Gift with purchase 4% · 22 median 1 d

Visual style 7 values

  1. Photo with text overlay 36% · 207 median 9 d
  2. UGC or creator video 29% · 169 median 16 d
  3. Studio product shot 14% · 79 median 14 d
  4. Cinematic macro or glam 8% · 45 median 16 d
  5. Lifestyle photography 6% · 33 median 37 d
  6. Graphic text card 5% · 31 median 5 d
  7. Collage or montage 1% · 3 median 25 d

Emotional tone 8 values

  1. Friendly and casual 30% · 171 median 18 d
  2. Glamorous and luxurious 27% · 155 median 8 d
  3. Informative 14% · 79 median 8 d
  4. Cozy and warm 14% · 78 median 19 d
  5. Playful 8% · 45 median 8 d
  6. Clinical and premium 4% · 23 median 14 d
  7. Energetic 3% · 16 median 7 d

Format 7 values

  1. Product shot 35% · 201 median 14 d
  2. Creator video 25% · 147 median 16 d
  3. Lifestyle scene 17% · 100 median 16 d
  4. Text or promo card 9% · 53 median 7 d
  5. Demo or tutorial video 5% · 28 median 33 d
  6. Carousel or multi-product 1% · 5 median 43 d
  7. Animated graphic 1% · 4 median 13 d

CTA type 2 values

  1. Direct 87% · 500 median 15 d
  2. Soft 3% · 15 median 7 d

Text density 3 values

  1. Light 56% · 321 median 16 d
  2. Medium 22% · 129 median 8 d
  3. Heavy 1% · 4 median 10 d

Brand prominence 3 values

  1. Partner brand leads 60% · 347 median 9 d
  2. Own brand leads 38% · 222 median 22 d
  3. Own and partner equal 1% · 8 median 41 d

Characters 7 values

  1. Woman 27% · 158 median 15 d
  2. Creator or influencer 11% · 62 median 16 d
  3. Group 6% · 32 median 22 d
  4. Hands only 5% · 28 median 6 d
  5. Model 4% · 24 median 15 d
  6. Couple 2% · 14 median 1 d
  7. Man 1% · 5 median 1 d

Setting 6 values

  1. Studio or plain backdrop 58% · 332 median 9 d
  2. Home interior 25% · 147 median 16 d
  3. Store 7% · 39 median 18 d
  4. Bathroom or vanity 3% · 19 median 22 d
  5. Outdoors 3% · 18 median 16 d
  6. Event or party <1% · 1 median 0 d

Primary archetype × Hook type, cards

Primary archetype Person to cameraProduct close-upBold headline textLifestyle sceneDemo or tutorialSeasonal cueQuestion
Partner brand product spotlight 76 70 34 5 21
Fragrance and gifting 13 66 9 16 17 12
Skin care and wellness 15 8 1 8 13 13
Store openings and beauty services 5 27 13
Creator and partner posts 25 8 7 5
Hair care 15 1 14
Seasonal moments 24 6

Primary archetype × Emotional tone, cards

Primary archetype Friendly and casualGlamorous and luxuriousInformativeCozy and warmPlayfulClinical and premiumEnergeticNeutral
Partner brand product spotlight 56 33 54 9 25 22 2 6
Fragrance and gifting 110 20 14 1
Skin care and wellness 26 10 26 3 4
Store openings and beauty services 25 14 12
Creator and partner posts 28 12 3 1 1
Hair care 13 1 15 1
Seasonal moments 23 5 2

Primary archetype × Format, cards

Primary archetype Product shotCreator videoLifestyle sceneText or promo card
Partner brand product spotlight 104 60 8 19
Fragrance and gifting 80 3 47 2
Skin care and wellness 9 3 19 5
Store openings and beauty services 2 12 27
Creator and partner posts 4 40 1
Hair care 1 15 13
Seasonal moments 3 24

What pairs with what

Pairs of values across two axes that appear together more often than their shares would predict (lift above 1), on at least 8 cards. Expected = cards the two shares would give if independent.

Value A Value B Cards Expected Lift Share of A
Hook type: Demo or tutorial Format: Demo or tutorial video 21 1.9 11.1 54%
Visual style: Graphic text card Format: Text or promo card 27 2.8 9.48 87%
Hook type: Lifestyle scene Visual style: Lifestyle photography 25 3.6 6.94 40%
Hook type: Bold headline text Format: Text or promo card 42 6.5 6.44 59%
Primary archetype: Store openings and beauty services Setting: Store 21 3.4 6.09 41%
Hook type: Bold headline text Visual style: Graphic text card 23 3.8 6.03 32%
Primary archetype: Store openings and beauty services Format: Text or promo card 27 4.7 5.76 53%
Visual style: Lifestyle photography Format: Lifestyle scene 31 5.7 5.42 94%
Primary archetype: Creator and partner posts Characters: Creator or influencer 25 4.8 5.17 56%
Hook type: Lifestyle scene Format: Lifestyle scene 50 10.9 4.58 79%
Primary archetype: Store openings and beauty services Hook type: Bold headline text 27 6.3 4.3 53%
Format: Creator video Characters: Creator or influencer 58 15.8 3.67 39%

Pairs that appear together less than expected (lift under 0.6): Friendly and casual with Studio or plain backdrop (29 cards, expected 98.4); UGC or creator video with Studio or plain backdrop (29 cards, expected 97.2); Creator video with Studio or plain backdrop (25 cards, expected 84.6); Photo with text overlay with Friendly and casual (20 cards, expected 61.3); Person to camera with Product shot (22 cards, expected 60.3); Product shot with Woman (23 cards, expected 55) .

Thin cells (fewer than 5 cards) are shaded. 4 axis values sit under that line. Tagged by a vision model (google/gemini-3.6-flash) ; 30 cards checked by hand, 27 agreed on the lead axes .

08

Longest-running ads

Still live at capture

The longest-running ads started on 24 Aug and have run 53 days: salon services, a Clarins launch and supplier product ads

An ad that has run longest is the one its owner has not replaced. The library does not say why, and it shows no results for US ads. The reading under each ad is what the card itself shows. Ulta's longest run is 53 days and 33 cards share the 24 Aug start, and the oldest group is wide.

  1. Ulta Beauty ad 1000674026331612, video, as shown in the Meta Ad Library

    01 · Started 24 Aug 2026 · 53 days · video · 5 ads

    Great hair days incoming

    Cuts, color and treatments that leave you feeling like you. See you in the chair.

    • Archetype Store openings and beauty services
    • Hook Lifestyle scene
    • Offer Store or service
    • Visual Lifestyle photography

    A salon services video started 24 Aug 2026, a roll-up card standing for 5 ads, linked to the beauty services booking page: a service message with no product or date to expire.

    Library id 1000674026331612
  2. Ulta Beauty ad 1036187085847821, video, as shown in the Meta Ad Library

    02 · Started 24 Aug 2026 · 53 days · video · 5 ads

    Great hair days incoming

    Cuts, color and treatments that leave you feeling like you. See you in the chair.

    • Archetype Store openings and beauty services
    • Hook Lifestyle scene
    • Offer Store or service
    • Visual Lifestyle photography

    The same salon text, a second roll-up of 5 ads started the same day: two sets of one creative, kept live together.

    Library id 1036187085847821
  3. Ulta Beauty ad 1040046545667328, image, as shown in the Meta Ad Library

    03 · Started 24 Aug 2026 · 53 days · image · 3 ads

    Clarins new Double Serum Eye

    New Clarins Double Serum Eye® visibly smooths, depuffs & reduces dark circles in 7 days with a tightening gel-cream texture.

    • Archetype Partner brand product spotlight
    • Hook Product close-up
    • Offer Product benefit claim
    • Visual Photo with text overlay

    A Clarins Double Serum Eye launch image (advertiser line Ulta Beauty, destination a single product page): a supplier placement that has run 53 days.

    Library id 1040046545667328
  4. Ulta Beauty ad 1067485972689316, video, as shown in the Meta Ad Library

    04 · Started 24 Aug 2026 · 53 days · video · 4 ads

    Save our smooch! Day & Night 12HR Hydrating Lip Mask, in 8 soothing scents & glossy shades.

    • Archetype Partner brand product spotlight
    • Hook Bold headline text
    • Offer Product benefit claim
    • Visual Photo with text overlay

    An NYX Professional Makeup lip mask video, a roll-up of 4 ads, linked to the product page: brand-funded copy on Ulta's page.

    Library id 1067485972689316
  5. Ulta Beauty ad 1068262522381913, image, as shown in the Meta Ad Library

    05 · Started 24 Aug 2026 · 53 days · image

    peak fall energy

    Beauty picks you'll keep close all season long. Discover sweater weather essentials from Ulta Beauty!

    • Archetype Partner brand product spotlight
    • Hook Product close-up
    • Offer Seasonal moment
    • Visual Studio product shot

    A CoverGirl eye pencil image tied to a sweater weather season line, linked to the product page.

    Library id 1068262522381913
  6. Ulta Beauty ad 1076561545334439, video, as shown in the Meta Ad Library

    06 · Started 24 Aug 2026 · 53 days · video · 5 ads

    Book your next hair appointment

    Go ahead, make the appointment. The Salon at Ulta Beauty is ready when you are. See you in the chair.

    • Archetype Store openings and beauty services
    • Hook Lifestyle scene
    • Offer Store or service
    • Visual Lifestyle photography

    The Salon at Ulta Beauty video, a roll-up of 5 ads, linked to the booking page: the same service theme as the first card in a different script.

    Library id 1076561545334439
  7. Ulta Beauty ad 1081472200946366, video, as shown in the Meta Ad Library

    07 · Started 24 Aug 2026 · 53 days · video · 5 ads · _dashlopez with Ulta Beauty

    #UltaBeautyPartner | Just a couple little things that help me pour back into myself intentionally. Wellness by @ultabeauty’s been getting me together ✨ #UltaBeauty #UBCollective #WellnessbyUltaBeauty #DailyWellness

    • Archetype Creator and partner posts
    • Hook Lifestyle scene
    • Offer No explicit offer
    • Visual UGC or creator video

    A creator video (advertiser line X with Ulta Beauty, tag UltaBeautyPartner) linked to the wellness shop page, a roll-up of 5 ads started 24 Aug.

    Library id 1081472200946366
  8. Ulta Beauty ad 1095791142968417, video, as shown in the Meta Ad Library

    08 · Started 24 Aug 2026 · 53 days · video · 5 ads

    Great hair days incoming

    Cuts, color and treatments that leave you feeling like you. See you in the chair.

    • Archetype Store openings and beauty services
    • Hook Lifestyle scene
    • Offer Store or service
    • Visual Lifestyle photography

    A third copy of the salon services text, a roll-up of 5 ads: the services message appears on three cards that started on the same day.

    Library id 1095791142968417
image: over 30 days / median
26 of 193 / 7 d
video: over 30 days / median
111 of 382 / 16 d
carousel: over 30 days / median
5 of 5 / 43 d
09

Takeaways

For a performance team

What a performance team can take from it

Ulta Beauty is the evidence, not the audience. Each read below is a pattern a team running its own paid-social account can hold against its own library view.

Read 01

Split the page by who leads before reading cadence: 60% of cards lead with a brand Ulta sells

347 of 580 cards are partner-led and 350 links carry a mediahub campaign name. Partner-led cards have a median age of 9 days, own-brand cards 22. When two budgets share one page, cadence and longevity are two different stories.

Read 02

209 cards started in the last 7 days; one day, 15 Oct, holds 72

438 of 580 cards started in the last 30 days and all 580 in the last 60. The 15 Oct wave is fragrance and gifting (36) and partner product spotlights (27). Against your own library view: a recent spike followed by a young median means the account refreshes continuously.

Read 03

115 distinct primary texts on 580 cards, 400 of them roll-ups

The top text runs on 16 cards standing for 136 ads. 489 of 580 cards are multi-version cards. Count ads by visual, text and audience together, because a roll-up card hides how many versions a library page really holds.

Read 04

Video is two thirds of the set and the older half: median 16 days against 7 for images

382 videos and 193 images; 111 videos are older than 30 days. Own-brand cards are 77% video, partner-led cards 58%. Compare formats inside one message before comparing them across the account.

Read 05

The rewards message is a recurring template

Find wellness faves, Find skin care faves and Find hair faves, and earn points, only at Ulta Beauty run as three category versions of one sentence (16, 14 and 13 cards). 62 cards are tagged points and rewards. A template with a swappable category word is cheaper to produce than separate scripts.

Read 06

Creators run inside the page as labelled partnerships: 46 cards from 14 accounts, all video

The advertiser line reads X with Ulta Beauty, the median age is 1 day at the low end and 53 at the high end. A page that mixes own ads, brand ads and creator ads needs a three-way split before cadence is read.

Read 07

Every ulta.com link is tagged paid_social with a campaign objective prefix

219 cards start utm_campaign with traffic, 169 with conversion, 134 with awareness and 29 with engagement; 142 carry a product sku. The library shows which objective each ad was set up for, which makes it a free view of an account's objective mix.

10

Method

Public libraries, explicit limits

How the read was built, and what it cannot say

Evidence window 16 Oct 2026

Meta Ad Library advertiser page view, US filter, active ads, read card by card on 16 Oct 2026; Google Ads Transparency Center read 2026-10-02.

Unit counted 580 cards

A card is the unit read. 400 cards are roll-ups that stand for several ads, so the cards represent 2,235 ads. Start date, format, video length, platform icons, call to action and first outbound link are read from the card.

Tagging 577 tagged

Each card (image or video first frame plus its copy) was classified by a vision model (google/gemini-3.6-flash) into closed value lists on eleven axes, the axes Improvado's Creative Analytics product uses. 30 cards were checked by hand.

Counts Approximate

Library totals change between page loads and the US filter depends on delivery flags the advertiser set. Every count on this page describes this one read.

Partner split 347 cards

brand_prominence = Partner brand leads, tagged from the visual and the copy; the partner_brand field names the brand. Cross-check: 350 links carry a campaign name containing mediahub, 256 go to a single product page and 46 cards have an advertiser line of the form X with Ulta Beauty. The counts are different readings of the same layer and are printed separately.

11

Sources

Where every number comes from

Sources

Independent analysis by Improvado based on public ad library views captured on 16 Oct 2026. Company names, product names, marks and ad creative belong to their respective owners and are reproduced for research and commentary. Counts are approximate library totals, not audited figures; no performance data for US advertising is available from these sources and none is claimed.

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