UGC ads are the short, phone-shot videos that look like a real person filmed them on their couch. A creator holds up a product, shows an app on their screen, and talks about it like they are texting a friend. They feel honest, and that is exactly why they convert. For apps and small products, this style now outperforms glossy, over-produced commercials.
The UGC Ad template on EmpirioLabs builds the whole thing from one uploaded photo. The model handles the creator, the room, the natural window light, and the handheld phone-camera feel, then renders a vertical clip ready to post. Generation takes about 60 to 180 seconds.
See it in action
Here is a sample generated entirely through the UGC Ad template on EmpirioLabs. No filming, no creator, no editing.
What you need
One image is enough. Upload a clean product photo, with your product on a simple background, or an app screenshot of the screen you want to show off. That image becomes the thing the creator holds up to the camera. Everything else is built for you.
How to generate UGC ads on EmpirioLabs
You need an EmpirioLabs account with active credits.
Step 1: Open the playground
Sign in to platform.empiriolabs.ai and click Playground in the top navigation. Switch the model selector to a video model. The UGC Ad template recommends Seedance 2.0 Pro automatically.
Step 2: Open the Templates picker
Click the Templates button in the upper-left corner of the playground. Every available creative effect opens in a modal. Filter by the Commerce category to find UGC Ad fast, or type the name in the search bar.
Step 3: Upload your photo and add a line
Click the UGC Ad card to apply it, then upload your product photo or app screenshot. Write one short line about what you are promoting and the vibe, for example a focus app that blocks distracting notifications. You can also tap one of the suggested hooks below the input, or leave it blank and let the template do its thing. Write it the way a creator talks, not the way an ad reads. Curiosity and honest reactions beat hard sells.
Step 4: Tune optional parameters
Open the Parameters panel under the composer if you want to adjust duration, resolution, or aspect ratio. The default is 5 seconds at 9 by 16 vertical, which drops straight into Reels, Shorts, and TikTok. You can switch to 16 by 9 or 1 by 1 for other placements.
Step 5: Generate
Hit Send. The playground polls for the result. The clip lands inline with a download button and a 7-day shareable link. Make a few with different hooks and let the best one rise; that is the fastest path to a winner.
Using the UGC Ad template via the API
The same effect runs from any OpenAI-compatible client. Pass template: "ugc-ad" on a standard POST /v1/videos/generations call with your product or app image. EmpirioLabs picks the recommended model and applies the effect:
curl https://api.empiriolabs.ai/v1/videos/generations \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $EMPIRIOLABS_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"template": "ugc-ad", "image": "https://your-photo.jpg", "prompt": "a focus app that blocks distracting notifications"}'The endpoint returns a job_id immediately and a poll_url you can hit until the video is ready. The full request and response shape lives in the Generation Templates docs.
Pricing
A 5-second Seedance 2.0 Pro generation starts around $1.50, and 15 seconds runs about $4.50. You only pay for successful generations; failed or refused jobs are not billed. UGC Ad also supports Seedance Fast, Wan 2.7, Wan 2.6, Kling O3, and Happy Horse for variety. Full pricing for every model lives on the public pricing page.
Try UGC Ad now
The UGC Ad template is live for every EmpirioLabs customer. Sign in at platform.empiriolabs.ai, open the playground, and ship your first generation in under a minute. If you want to build it into a product, the same effect runs from the API with a single field on a standard video-generation call.
Browse all templates | Open the playground | Read the Generation Templates docs
