Social Rocket
A new Omnicom Media study shows how widespread ad avoidance has become. 65 percent of the surveyed US consumers avoid ads at least partially, for example by skipping, scrolling, using ad blockers, subscribing to ad-free plans, or simply looking away.
According to Digiday, the study "From Tuned Out to Leaned In" is based on a survey of 1.136 adults in the US in August 2026. In addition, four video creatives in different formats were tested, and both conscious and unconscious reactions to ads were examined.
Ad avoidance is a behaviour, not a fixed target group
Omnicom distinguishes between active and passive avoidance. A quarter of respondents describe themselves as very or extremely active in avoiding ads. A further 40 percent are at least partially active.
Active avoidance ranges from ad blockers and skipping spots to ad-free subscriptions. 41 percent of respondents say they pay for subscriptions to avoid ads.
Passive avoidance is more subtle. Users switch to a second screen, give their attention to another task, or mentally filter out recurring and irrelevant ads.
Four implications for campaign planning
Omnicom derives four practical approaches from the study:
1. Plan frequency, context and creative together. Repetition alone does not automatically increase impact. 2. Shape the ad experience. What matters is when, where and with what attention demand a brand intervenes in media consumption. 3. Use formats beyond classic spots. Product placements, brand integrations, sponsored content and immersive formats can feel less intrusive when they deliver genuine value. 4. Think about channels in connection. Users do not separate creators, commerce, sponsorship, media and classic advertising as neatly as internal marketing teams do.
This is consistent with Omnicom's earlier research on so-called "negative reach". There, the company warned against excessive repetition frequency, especially in streaming and social environments. In that research, more than 60 percent of consumers reported seeing the same ad several times within a single session.
What this means for social ads
For social media marketing, the core message is clear: reach without creative variation can quickly lead to wear-out. Especially with always-on campaigns, teams should monitor frequency, hook, format and context together.
This also explains why brands are investing more in UGC studios for social ads and why platforms are expanding new native ad formats such as Discord Ads Manager and Video Quests. At the same time, brand suitability is gaining importance, for example in YouTube environments with AI-generated content.
The study is limited to the US market and therefore cannot be transferred one-to-one to Germany. As a signal for campaign planning, however, it is still relevant: users rarely avoid brands altogether. Above all, they avoid advertising that feels repetitive, intrusive or irrelevant.