A digital ad is seen in the worst possible conditions: on a small screen, during fast scrolling, among content the viewer cares about more, and usually without sound. A design that looks excellent on the designer’s large monitor can turn into an unreadable blur of colour on a phone. That’s why certain mistakes keep recurring in Arabic campaigns. They aren’t mistakes of taste but of function: the design fails to do its job in the two seconds it gets.
These are the most common mistakes, with a practical way to avoid each one.
1. Trying to say everything in one ad
The product, the offer, five features, free shipping, the phone number, the social accounts, the logo and the website — all in one square. The result is that the viewer reads nothing.
The fix: one idea per ad. If you have five features, you have five potential ads, or a carousel. Ask: if the viewer only reads two words, which two? Make them the clearest thing in the design.
2. Text too small to read on mobile
Text that looks fine on a computer becomes tiny on a phone, especially in the feed, where the ad doesn’t fill the screen. Arabic suffers more, because letter details and dots disappear at small sizes.
The fix: test every design on a real phone before approving it, at its normal display size, not zoomed in. If you have to zoom to read the text, it’s too small. Cut words rather than shrinking the font.
3. An unsuitable Arabic typeface
Decorative or very thin typefaces are beautiful in logos and large headlines, but fail in small ad text. Other mistakes include an Arabic typeface without enough weights, forcing the designer to fake bold text, or one that doesn’t harmonise with the Latin typeface used alongside it.
The fix: two typefaces at most — one with character for headlines and one clear typeface for text. Choose Arabic typefaces designed for screens with multiple weights. It also helps when the typeface is part of the brand’s visual identity rather than a choice that changes with every campaign.
4. Ignoring the safe zone in Stories and Reels
In full-screen vertical ads, the app interface covers parts of the frame: the account name at the top, captions and buttons at the bottom, and interaction buttons on the side. A headline, price or logo in these areas can disappear completely.
The fix: use a template that marks each platform’s safe zones, and place important elements in the middle. Sizes and safe zones for each platform are in our image and video size guide. In Arabic design, note that interaction buttons sit on the right of the screen on TikTok and Instagram — the side where Arabic text begins.
5. One square design for every placement
Uploading one square design and letting the platform crop it or add a frame means a weak ad in most placements: small in the feed, surrounded by empty space in Stories.
The fix: a 4:5 version for the feed, a 9:16 version for Stories and Reels, and a square version for other placements when needed. Design each version by rearranging the elements, not just by stretching the background.
6. A logo bigger than the message
The wish to showcase the brand is understandable, but a large logo in the middle of an ad doesn’t tell the viewer why they should care. People stop for what concerns them, not for logos.
The fix: keep the logo present at a reasonable size in a fixed corner, and let the identity show through colour, type and style. Viewers recognise a brand from its recurring visual system more than from the size of its logo.
7. A generic message that says nothing
“High quality and competitive prices”, “The best in the market”, “Excellence without limits”. Lines everyone uses, so nobody remembers them.
The fix: be specific. Instead of “fast delivery”, say “Delivered within 24 hours inside Riyadh”. Instead of “high quality”, say “100% Egyptian cotton that won’t shrink in the wash”. Specific details persuade more because they’re believable.
8. No clear call to action
A beautiful ad grabs attention, and then the viewer doesn’t know what to do. Or a vague call such as “Learn more” on every ad regardless of the goal.
The fix: a call that suits the stage and goal: “Order now” for a clear offer, “Book your appointment” for a service, “See the collection” for a new launch. And make the call to action in the design match the ad button you choose on the platform.
9. Weak or recycled product images
The same supplier photos used by dozens of stores, or images with poor lighting and cluttered backgrounds. The viewer may have seen the same image in a competitor’s ad yesterday.
The fix: invest in your own product photography in a consistent style. If that isn’t possible, photograph the product in a real usage context with a good phone and natural light — it beats a recycled image.
10. An ad that doesn’t match its landing page
The ad shows a product with a specific offer in specific colours, and the click lands on the store’s home page with a different design and no mention of the offer. The viewer feels they’re in the wrong place and leaves.
The fix: link to the page for exactly what’s in the ad: that product, or the offer collection — and have the page repeat the message and offer in the same visual style. This consistency has one of the biggest effects on conversion; the details are in our article on increasing store sales.
11. Translating an English design into Arabic
A design built for left-to-right, with Arabic text dropped in. The result: a confused reading order, arrows pointing the wrong way, a broken visual balance, and Arabic text squeezed into space designed for shorter or longer English words.
The fix: design the Arabic version as an independent design that starts from the right. In Arabic the eye starts at the top right, and the most important elements should follow that path. And if the campaign runs in two languages, they’re two designs — not one translated design — each in a single language without mixing.
12. A single version, never tested
Launching a campaign with one ad means you’ll never know whether results could have been better. And running it for months means the audience will tire of it.
The fix: several angles from the start, then analyse performance after enough time, develop the winner, and refresh content regularly. The full method for building testable content is in our article on visual content for ad campaigns.
A quick checklist before approval
| Question | If the answer is “no” |
|---|---|
| Is the idea understood in two seconds on mobile? | Remove elements and enlarge the most important one. |
| Is the text readable without zooming? | Cut words, enlarge the type and strengthen contrast. |
| Are the important elements inside the safe zone? | Rearrange for each size. |
| Is the message specific and believable? | Replace generic lines with details. |
| Is the call to action clear and matched to the goal? | Add a specific call to action. |
| Does the landing page continue the ad? | Change the link or prepare a suitable page. |
| Does the design follow the language’s direction? | Rebuild it rather than translate it. |
Frequently asked questions
Does Meta still penalise ads with a lot of text?
Meta dropped its official 20% text rule years ago, but still recommends keeping text on images to a minimum. More importantly, lots of text weakens a viewer’s ability to understand the ad quickly, regardless of platform rules.
Should every ad follow the visual identity exactly?
Every ad should be recognisable as part of the brand, but a good identity is flexible. You can vary the style between polished and natural content while keeping the colours, typefaces and tone.
What’s the most important element in ad design?
Clarity. If the viewer doesn’t understand what the ad is and why it matters to them within moments, no amount of visual polish will help.
Should I design ads myself with ready-made templates?
Templates help with speed, but they make your ad look like everyone else’s if used as they are. It’s better to build your own brand templates once, then use them to produce versions.
Conclusion
Most digital ad design mistakes aren’t about beauty but about clarity and context: an ad that tries to say everything, can’t be read on a phone, gets cropped in Stories, says nothing specific, or leads to a page that doesn’t continue it. In Arabic ads especially, a design built from the right with a suitable typeface always beats a translated one. Review your current ads against the checklist above — better results may be closer than you think.
If you’d like your ad creative reviewed or an ad system built for your brand, explore the content and ad design service, or get in touch.
