Dispatch № 6 - Creative
The difference.
Hello and welcome to another free dispatch with me, Jake the Ad Nerd 🤓 (< not me)
As we’ve progressed, I’m confident that you’ve seen the antithesis behind what drives advertising success. Which will unfold into today’s theme.
Before we tap into that though, let me start with an announcement.
Recently, we were hammering on Facebook Ads.
And, I loved that. Every minute of it. It’s been fun, right?
But now, I think it’s the optimal time to evolve this newsletter into…
The Ad Nerds
It has always been my goal, from day one, to start introducing more channels and nuanced topics and, I hope that you’ll continue with me as this evolves. The majority of the focus will remain on Facebook, because, let’s face it… that’s our main squeeze!
However, from this day forward, you and I will start looking into other platforms and peeling back the layers on advertising fundamentals.
I entered this space with a love for advertising, which was funneled into a specific focus on Facebook Ads. I built my career from that and eventually my agency. But, my true love has, and always will be, the fundamentals + the psychology behind the ads.
So, I’m really excited to welcome you to The Ad Nerds!
With that out of the way, let’s get back to the theme…
We should all revel in the fact that creative importance is becoming a more championed mindset behind running paid media. While we can morph our algorithmic decision-making and use that effectively (at scale), as well as, build-upon advanced tactics, our success will always be dependant on the principles of advertising and creative thinking.
At the same time, if everyone is thinking alike or running the same tactics, are we really thinking that much?
Que my goal with this dispatch. As I remain frantic and passionate about maintaining quality within paid media, I’ll continue to distance myself and this newsletter, from the body snatchers that solely focus on data or a quick fix.
If you’re here for the counter-culture… high-five, fist-bump, whatever.
We’re doing this!
The new challenge that I’ll tackle moving forward, is how to relate that conversation to you as a buyer, agency owner, brand, etc.
Because it’s not enough to just say that creative matters.
This is why I’ll attempt to take control of the conversation and give you a more in-depth look as to why your ad that’s “crushing it”, is actually fucking crushing it.
Luckily for me, I don’t need you to hire me. Therefore, I get to talk about ALL of the “fun stuff” rather than trying to ‘sound smart’, impress you with screenshots, or sell something.
Before we hop into all of that, you know the drill…
If you're new, I always provide two disclaimers:
1. There is no one unicorn source (including this one) that will teach you everything you need. If that’s why you’ve decided to be in this community, you’ll soon be disappointed.
2. What works for one advertiser, might not work for you. These are merely observations on what myself and others see is working across platforms and verticals. And, our interpretation of fundamentals and ideas. You need to consume and test responsibly. At your own discretion.
⁉️ What Are We Nerding Out On?
In the last dispatch, I presented the idea of Tactic Decay in hopes of unlocking a door that led to more creative thinking. For your entire process.
Today is essentially the 1st course, building on a series of creative dispatches. Each addressing various areas in the advertising ecosystem (as they relate to creative).
At the end of the day, if people want to engage with a brand or product, they’ll ultimately develop that rationale themselves.
What’s the secret then, Jake?
Creative advertising comes first ;)
This is why it’s rather upsetting to come across the new wave of paid media “bro’s” who look down upon the triumphs that were the traditional advertising storytellers in search of that next short-term tactic.
If you’re not creating with long-term considerations, and everything is ad-hoc, then all of your work lacks personality.
With that, I’d like to introduce you to Emma from Adbox. Emma will be the co-writer for this dispatch! I thought that I’d change it up a bit and introduce ideas from others in this space, outside of contributors, as the newsletter evolves.
Emma is consistently tweeting about Ads and marketing for eCommerce brands. I personally connected with Emma because she's on a team that reviews over 3,000 ads. Every. Single. Month. 🤯
Just as with media buyers that have $100M in spend under their belt, I wanted to have someone with that authority and expertise, when it comes to creative.
Who better than someone that spends every waking day reviewing ads?!
We jammed on some ideas and ultimately landed on going forward with an idea that she had been stewing on regarding, The 5 Dimensions of Ad Creativity.
I personally thought it was super cool and it's a great way to organize the ideas, and present them in a simple, impactful, and... creative manner. Plus, it blends perfectly with the evolution of this newsletter from just Facebook Ads, to Ads.
Also, I think her idea will ease us into the upcoming dispatches as I look to move away from things that can be measured suddenly and begin reassembling the fragments and cohere this space of paid media to long-term, creative thinking.
Lastly, we have a few contributors who provided individually unique answers to a series of questions that should result in value for you as a reader.
Exactly what you’ve come to expect. Right?
🍯 The Good Stuff
^ Have you ever noticed that little emoji and wondered WTF is that there for? A while back, my team and I started compiling all of our best stuff into a doc called…
The Honey Pot
It’s just a little way of saying, here’s the “sweet stuff.”
Anyway… carrying on!
(Emma takes the keyboard from Jake…)
47% of sales contribution comes from your Ad Creatives! (Source: Nielsen)
But what does creativity in ads mean exactly?
Well, creativity can be divided into separate dimensions. This is not a new concept, traditional advertising has been using this for a long time.
And now, we can take the same concept and apply it to the digital world.
The 5 Dimensions of Creativity:
1) Flexibility
This is the idea/ideas behind your ad. Flexibility allows you to incorporate your product into an idea that you want to convey. It allows you to transform a simple stock image into a creative expression of your brand and your offer.
This ad incorporates flexibility because it shows the product being used in a specific context. Instead of a stock photo of the product, what we see is someone using it. The ad is telling you: “Our product is great for people living in the city”.
2) Originality
This happens when an ad look, sounds, or has a very particular idea. This type of creativity aims to distinguish the ad from others and surprise the customer.
Have you seen a jewelry ad that incorporates a very well known piece of art in such a direct fashion? This ad is very effective because it looks different in the feed of the users (In comparison to the regular stock imagery ads)
(Jake) I’ll add, that with originality comes authenticity. Digital consumers crave proof of authenticity. Are you who you claim to be?
3) Elaboration
Ads can contain intricate ideas or messages, unexpected details, or complicated imagery. This dimension of creativity is very useful to create interest around the product.
How would you define this image? Is it easy for you to understand the concept of the visuals? Most likely, you will need to read the copy to understand what this ad is all about. That is the goal! Elaboration is a creative strategy that triggers the curiosity of the viewer.
4) Synthesis
This happens when ads try to blend objects and ideas that are completely unrelated. The main goal of synthesis is to surprise the viewer and make the ad experience memorable.
Look how they incorporate the cereal bowl to a very different and unexpected element. This type of ad aims to surprise the viewer with a very fun and interesting visual.
5) Artistic Value
Ads with artistic value are ads with aesthetical appeal. This can be verbal, visual, or sound. Usually, this type of ad is professionally produced, and the main objective is to leave a memorable message in the mind of the customer.
Like this ad from Rawkanvas.
(gif clip)
So, how and when can you use each dimension?
Flexibility: You can use it to trigger the impulse of becoming something new (middle of the funnel) You are encouraging the customer to become what he/she sees.
Originality: Very useful when you try to establish contact with the user for the first time (Beginning of the marketing funnel)
Elaboration: Elaboration is often used during the second stage of the funnel. Its goal is to create interest and curiosity.
Synthesis: This is another great dimension to create the initial interest (HOOK). It is a great way to make your product visible to your audience.
Artistic Value: Great for the finals stages of the funnel. This type of dimension can trigger feelings of loyalty to your brand.
Pretty stinking cool, right?
Thinking in the same realm as Emma’s idea on the 5 Dimensions, I asked contributors, 5 Questions.
(back to Jake btw)
Because you know I’m a sucker for “tying it all together.” Creative… I know!
On the surface, pretty “softball-ish” questions. Deeper down, I believe that they can provide you with ideas on how to turn creative into consumption.
Lexie is one of the more creative advertisers that I’ve connected with. She designs everything in Canva Pro and her work is a testament to the fact that you do not need fancy tools and extravagant budgets. A creative soul and a strategic mind, are best.
She can also be found posting screen recordings of her work on IG @thelexiebennett
What's your process for creating on-brand creative for business objectives?
“I start with a mood board that I make on Pinterest, so that I have lots of ideas to start with. Then I usually work on designing something larger (like a big welcome email) which I use as a reference for smaller content (like IG stories). I save our brand colors/fonts/elements in Canva's brand templates.”
What's absolutely, positively "crushing" it for you right now when it comes to creative?
“Making subtle GIFS on canva, and running them as feed ads. A little line moving back and forth, or the text fading in softly from the bottom, or an animated circle, makes people stop scrolling. Since it's technically a "video," I can run a retargeting ad based on ad video views.”
Example:
What are your biggest challenges when ideating on creative?
“If I didn't have an amazing product photographer, (https://www.megosburnphoto.com/) I would be totally screwed. My biggest challenge right now is creating content that is truly unique. I'm pretty good at staying on-brand and following trends, but I'd love to start creating stuff that is genuinely new.”
Can you recall (or link to) your favorite creative ever used in an ad?
“Our best performing ad right now is this one (or different color variations of this).”
https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=731852494022575
What's your advice to help others execute creative ideas based on data?
“Test LOTS. I love running carousel ads and seeing which image performs best within it. See which type of posts get the most saves and shares on organic channels, and use those for inspiration. Often, we take the best performing organic posts and then just edit them a bit to make them into ads.”
Undervalued Idea
I love that Lexie touched on testing organically before spending $$$. It’s something that doesn’t get much air time but it’s a play that many have been using for a very long time. Our final contributor will touch on this and David Herrmann even had a recent thread about it.
Blake is the Co-Founder at Advisory, one of the most down-to-earth guys that I’ve met, and the creative genius behind the Truff Hot Sauce ads that we all drool over. Living proof that followers don’t prove a damn thing about how ridiculously talented someone is.
What's your process for creating on-brand creative for business objectives?
“The most important factor when creating on-brand creative for a business is ensuring that you stick to the brand guidelines above everything else. A brand has put these guidelines in place for consistency, and it’s essential that you adhere to them when creating new content.
The second most crucial step for creating on-brand content is to match the personality of each brand. Whether the brand plays the jester, hero, or the explorer archetype, you’ll want that to shine through somewhere in the ad.”
What's absolutely, positively, "crushing" it for you right now when it comes to creative?
“Creating ads that have quick cut scenes with motion graphics that quickly display a certain angle or unique selling proposition is performing well across the board for our clients. This current style of ad is typically one of the first pieces of creative that we create for a client.”
What are your biggest challenges when ideating on creative?
“Creating ad concepts isn’t difficult, but coming up with multiple concepts that will fit within a client’s budget can be challenging. We are all about efficiency at Advisory and are very responsible for each dollar our clients give to us. We spend a considerable amount of time strategizing about how many different ads we can make without sacrificing content quality within a given budget because we want to maximize our investments.”
Can you recall (or link to) your favorite creative ever used in an ad?
“The first TRUFF Hot Sauce taste testing video that we shot will always be one of my favorite ads.”
“We had an idea to shoot a taste testing reaction video and were able to get this video done in 24 hours. It performed extremely well for us for a very long period of time. It’s a great example of how an ad doesn't have to be overcomplicated to perform well.”
What's your advice to help others execute creative ideas based on data?
“To execute creative ideas based upon data, you must first have that data in hand. It’s really important to be tracking the success of each creative piece and record the data along with notes about why it did or didn’t work. At Advisory, we are continuously working on improving our data collection method to ensure we can answer any questions that might arise about creative performance.”
Shane is an ad buyer/strategist, digital agency owner in the DTC Ecomm space, Ecommerce Influence Podcast Producer & Foxwell Digital ace, and has worked with well over 100 different brands since becoming a FB ad buyer over 5 years ago.
“So very excited to be a part of this cool, new and trendy newsletter for our ad buying community. I tease that I’ve always wanted to be a part of the cool kid’s crew and well, here’s to finally making it.
When it comes to a process for creating on-brand creative for business objectives, I must confess that we’re not much of content creators for clients. That said when it comes to a “process” in its simplest form its something like this:
Starting with an idea (usually taking what’s already working on organic), testing it, discussing results, and ideating new concepts based on performance (data) and things we’ve seen work successfully across accounts or on organic social in general.”
(There’s that organic testing idea. Again…)
“I know, it sounds simple, but this is probably one of the biggest frustrations when it comes to the overall success of an account. With CBO allowing us to test audiences a bit faster, creative has really become one of the biggest if not THE biggest lever to pull as an ad buyer.
So, what’s absolutely, positively "crushing" when it comes to creative?
UGC: User-generated content or content created to look like user-generated content just does it. In short, people love the opinions of other people and trust people just like them. Consider these reviews/ video testimonials, product shots on actual customers, actual customers demoing how to use the product, etc.
Creative that drives FOMO: I would maybe even call this WWRTN (When We Return To Normal). We’re still in the midst of a pandemic and people are looking for hope, a sense of normalcy in this new normal. I’ve found that creative that can build on fonder times has worked well for a handful of clients.”
Bonus Content
Chris Mikulin is stepping in to feed the Facebook element of what was this newsletter’s main focus (because I know that we’ll still need that) by relating us back to the previous post regarding decay and creative in our advertising.
Frequent Reporting Overviews
“In Google Data Studio, my favorite dashboard is a complete review of all conversion rates across the following metrics: Landing Page View to Add to Cart ratio (ATC / LPV), Add to Cart to Purchase Ratio (Purchase / Unique ATC) and Landing Page View to Purchase Ratio (Purchase / LPV).
If I see a dip in these day to day or week over week when a CPM change hasn't occurred then it's definitely a sign of some creative fatigue.
I also have charts that map out CTR and CPM day to day. If CPM drops and CTR stays the same I'm happy. If CTR drops when CPM drops, then sometimes it can be a sign of creative fatigue.”
Account Structure
“Initial account structure is key with managing creative fatigue. A tip I learned from Justin Marshall was to have 2-3 proven ads running TOF. Since this audience will see them less.”
“For MOFU (30 day+) this audience will see ads the most. So, I'll usually have 5-10 ads running at once.”
“For BOFU (3-5 day), this audience will see ads less. 3-5 ads here are okay.”
🏁 In Closing
I hope you enjoyed this dispatch and the 1st entry to a series all about creative. I’m thankful for the time from all of our contributors today.
Including, our co-writer, Emma!
At the end of the day, I’m not here to offer revolutionary ideas to you, however, I do believe that this newsletter continues to present ideas in a new way and offer a level of transparency that doesn’t stuff your face with salesmanship.
Which for me, has been refreshing to work on.
Information in advertising is everywhere. Tactics are literally fucking plastered all across the web. Take a look.
But, there are very few resources that aim to challenge you.
Hopefully… that theme continues to carry through.
As for creative, I’d challenge you to think about two things before we chat again:
How can a brand occupy different need states of a consumer’s journey and have variant positioning along the way?
How can consumers gather and grow around the creative you’ve made to fuel competition among other brands which leads to a better category as a whole?
With gratitude.
Your next dispatch will be delivered on 8/18. We’ll be covering creative for specific stages of the funnel and the psychology behind advertising to each buyer.
As always, I’ll sprinkle in some goodies along the way!
Until next time.
Cheers,
Jake the Ad Nerd 🤙
PS. If you enjoyed this dispatch please consider sharing it and let me know on Twitter if this was of any value and if you’re looking for more creative inspiration, check out Social Savannah’s Facebook Group.