TikTok launches branded first-screen ads

TikTok is expanding the way advertisers can appear the moment users open the app, turning the platform’s launch page into a dedicated branded placement that advertisers can buy programmatically. The move, announced in recent industry briefings and visible in pilot campaigns this month, adds to existing ad formats such as TopView and Brand Takeover and aims to make the opening screen a predictable space for high-impact mobile ads. For marketers, the update promises greater brand visibility at scale; for users, it raises fresh questions about feed experience and early-session user engagement. The change arrives as platforms rework monetization levers across short-form video, and it immediately reshapes options for major advertisers — from global apparel groups to DTC brands — seeking guaranteed impressions in the first seconds of app use.