Why Ad Creatives Are the Key Ingredient to Successful Ads

Eric Siu

The philosophy on how you should build out your ad campaigns is always changing. Some may experience greater success with very rigid ad account structuring, while others may believe ad success relies on external factors like landing pages.

From our perspective at Single Grain, a successful digital marketing agency, there’s one vital ingredient that separates the best from the rest: Ad creatives.

In this article, we’ll explore the importance of creativity in crafting captivating ads that leave a lasting impression. From innovative concepts to compelling visuals and language, we’ll dig into the secret sauce that makes the best ads work.

Kim Cooper

Director of Marketing, Amazon Alexa

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The Key Ingredient to Successful Ads – It’s Ad Creatives

It’s really easy to overlook the true driving force behind successful ads. It’s the creative element — the spark of originality and ingenuity — that makes an ad truly remarkable and effective.

While many discussions focus on ad campaign structures, optimizing landing pages, and copywriting techniques, it’s the creative aspect that truly sets your ads apart. Sure, you can study what others are doing and replicate their strategies, but creativity is what makes your ads unique, amazing, and attention-grabbing.

Think about some notable examples of creative ads that have made a lasting impact.

Have you seen the Squatty Potty ads? They feature a unicorn pooping out rainbow ice cream — a concept that hooks the viewers and grabs their attention:

Another example is the ad that Billy Gene created, mimicking The Wolf of Wall Street:

These are just a few instances of truly creative ads that stand out from the crowd.

Related Content: How to Create Winning Snapchat Clothing Ads

Ad Creatives Are Your Best Chance at Standing Out

Your ad’s creativity plays a significant role in several crucial aspects of advertising. It directly affects your click-through rates, the number of people who see your ads, and even the cost of your campaigns.

But it’s not enough to just have good account structures and CRO-optimized landing pages. Your ads have to stand out from the competition and endear people to take action.

For a lot of marketers, this can be the hardest part about their jobs because it requires them to come up with something that is thought-provoking while also witty, charming, and helpful to people.

It can require a bit of brainstorming and experimentation to settle on the right graphics, language, and overall presentation of your ad creatives, which is why it is often the most time-consuming and mentally involved process of the entire digital advertising process.

What’s even more challenging is that, after your ads run for some time, they may become stale and outdated. This necessitates the need for continuous creativity and the ability to come up with new and impressive ad concepts — whether they are image-based, text-based, or video-based.

The Structure of Successful Creative Ads

While creativity is paramount, the structure of your creative ads is equally important. Let’s dive into the framework for successful creative ads.

It starts with the hook, which serves as the initial attention-grabber. In today’s fast-scrolling social media platforms, you need something that stands out and immediately captures the viewer’s attention. Whether it’s an eye-catching headline, an intriguing banner, or a captivating video, the hook is crucial.

Once you’ve hooked your audience, you can then engage them with a story. People are naturally drawn to stories and remember how those stories make them feel. By incorporating storytelling elements into your ads, you can create a deeper connection with your audience. Remember, a good story resonates and sticks with people.

Finally, after capturing attention and delivering a compelling story, it’s time to present your offer. This is the part where you provide value and encourage your audience to take action.

The AIDA funnel is a well-known framework used in advertising to guide the structure and flow of your ads. It stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action:

By following this model, you can effectively capture your audience’s attention, generate interest in your product or service, create a desire for what you’re offering, and ultimately, prompt them to take action.

Let’s explore each a little further all within the context of designing killer ad creatives:

Attention: The first step in the AIDA model is to grab the attention of your target audience. This can be achieved through compelling headlines, eye-catching visuals, or intriguing hooks that immediately capture their interest and entice them to continue engaging with your ad.
Interest: Once you have their attention, it’s important to sustain their interest. Provide information, benefits, or features that resonate with your audience and highlight how your product or service can solve their problems or fulfill their needs. Engage them with captivating content that keeps them hooked and eager to learn more.
Desire: Building on the interest you’ve generated, it’s time to create a strong desire for what you’re offering. Showcase the unique value proposition of your product or service, emphasizing its benefits and demonstrating how it can improve their lives or address their pain points. Use persuasive language, testimonials, or examples to evoke emotions and make your audience envision the positive outcomes of choosing your offering.
Action: The final stage of the AIDA model is to provide a clear call to action (CTA). Guide your audience towards the desired action you want them to take, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting your business. Use concise and direct language to communicate the next steps and make it easy for them to take action. Whether it’s clicking a button, filling out a form, or contacting your sales team, ensure that your CTA is visible, compelling, and easy to follow.

Another way to think of the AIDA model is: What is it?/I like it./I want it./I’m getting it.

Where to Go for Inspiration

When it comes to finding inspiration for your advertising creations, there are plenty of avenues you can explore.

One helpful resource is Swiped.co, a website that houses a vast collection of past ad creatives and text-based advertisements. In browsing through this repository, you can gather ideas and gain insights into effective advertising techniques.

Another valuable platform to explore is Meta’s Ad Library. This tool allows you to view advertisements from a wide range of advertisers, giving you the opportunity to analyze their approaches and strategies.

When you study successful ad examples and thoroughly understand their creative elements, you can glean valuable insights.

These insights can then be applied to your own advertising campaigns, enabling you to incorporate similar strategies and increase your chances of success.

Final Thoughts on Ad Creatives

Innovative and out-of-the-box ad creative is the X factor that truly sets you apart from the competition. Sure, you can spring for benign-looking ads that are clean and simple, but those kinds of ads are usually the most forgettable ones.

If you’re not wondering if you’re pushing the envelope too far with your ad creative, then the odds are it’s not going to make the splash like a viral ad would.

Remember to all good ads tell a thoughtful story and are paired with a compelling offer. Keep your creatives fresh, and always strive to innovate and captivate your audience.