🏆 The Ad Creatives That Outperform Everything

Top High-Converting Ads For Unexpected Success

May 06, 2025

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Welcome back to another edition of Bootstrapped Growth. 👋

Today, we're diving into creative principles backed by examples that consistently outperform regardless of platform or budget.

Table of Contents

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🚀 3 Ad Creative Principles That Simply Work

1) The Power Of Emotional Storytelling

Nike's new commercial featuring A'ja Wilson, goes beyond traditional ways to promote Wilsons’ debut signature shoe, the A’One. It reinforces Nike’s focus on athlete-driven narratives.

Its clever version of the childhood rhyme ‘Miss Mary Mack’ intertwines music and sport, connecting with viewers on a deeper emotional level. The visuals and audio highlight A’ja’s journey with elements of Black girlhood (fashion, slang, music, even braided hairstyles) showcasing empowerment and representation.

Takeaway ➡️ Create emotional narratives that showcase authenticity over algorithm-driven marketing. Nike highlights its commitment to supporting real athletes and their stories versus merely selling shoes.

2) Lead with Specific Outcomes Versus Generic Benefits

Coda (collaborative doc platform) avoids generic SaaS messaging like ‘boost productivity’. Instead its ads feature featuring quantifiable benefits like ‘save $100k per year’. Their conversion rate was boosted by 31% compared to benefit-focused messaging.

Takeaway ➡️ Replace generic benefits with measurable claims backed by real-life success stories.

3) Use Social Proof Stacking

Leapsome (HR Software) uses awards as a way to build credibility in its brand. Their one sentence headline establishes it as a trusted brand. Displaying multiple awards in different categories highlights their competitive advantages in ‘best support’ and ‘easiest setup’.

Takeaway ➡️ Use social proof like awards in simple but powerful ways to demonstrate credibility and competitive advantage.

⭐️  Unconventional Tips For Ads

  • Start With Common Frustrations. Highlight a relatable imperfection that grabs users’ attention. This can make your brand seem honest and human.

  • Tap Into Trending Memes. Borrow from their instant recognition and emotional engagement especially on social media platforms.

  • Purposefully Use Ugly Design. Ads that look intentionally ‘off’ stand out through all the polished ads.

🛠 Useful Resources

Simply paste a link to a post or newsletter, or use some text prompts to create short-form videos fast! Try Hypernatural.

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