I spend a lot of time in Meta’s Ad Library; sourcing ad creatives for clients.

I’m onboarding a new skincare client this week. We’re going to be helping them with their video and static ad creative production.

I’m getting ready for the project by digging into the ad libraries of the brands they look to for inspiration.

In this weekend’s newsletter, I’m highlighting three paid ad creatives I recently bookmarked, why I bookmarked them, and how you can leverage them for your own brand and clients.

Let’s jump in …

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The “Wait, is this an ad?” Strategy

WHY I BOOKMARKED: This ad does a good job of … not looking like an ad.

We're all really good at spotting ads. The second we sense a sales pitch, we're already three TikToks deep into someone's sourdough journey.

But this Salt & Stone ad? It completely disarmed me.

No product shots. Just a girl with her phone looking like she's about to spill tea to her group chat.

I kept thinking, "Is this an ad? Is she about to say something completely unhinged?"

That's the genius—I had no idea where this was going. In a world where we can predict every "Here's why you NEED this deodorant" hook, unpredictability is marketing gold.

When she mentions the product at the end, I'm not even mad.

Salt & Stone's ad library is full of these "stealth mode" creatives. Some are better than others. But they keep doubling down on the concept. Which tells me it’s working.

HOW YOU CAN LEVERAGE THIS: What would your audience film just talking to their phone? Script that scenario, then sneak your product mention in like a casual plot twist.

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Does Your Creator Look Like Your Customer?

WHY I BOOKMARKED: Rule #1 of casting creators: Your audience should look at them and think "That's literally me."

Sounds simple, yet I've watched brands cast creators who look nothing like their customers.

Crown Affair gets it. If their brand was a person, it would be this Cheese Gal—effortlessly chic, slightly frazzled, owns coffee table books she's never read.

The genius is in the hook: "I have to get ready to host friends and I only have 15 minutes."

Every Crown Affair customer just felt personally attacked.

Brand mention at 14 seconds? Whatever. I'm emotionally invested. Can she pull this off?

I need answers, and I'm willing to sit through a product pitch to get them.

Perfect casting + universal panic = well executed ad.

HOW YOU CAN LEVERAGE THIS: What "oh shit" moment does your audience face? Find creators who ARE your customers and recreate that scenario with your product as sidekick.

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The Guilty Pleasure Ad Format That Actually Works

WHY I BOOKMARKED: We're all voyeurs pretending to be above it. And smart brands like Jolie are playing into our collective nosiness.

"Day in the Life" content is marketing's guilty pleasure—we all secretly consume it, though we'd never admit it at parties.

You know the drill: "7 AM, making my matcha." "Off to Pilates!" It's objectively pointless. Mildly embarrassing. And yet... I can't look away.

Jolie clearly knows this dirty secret, because they're running “Day In My Life” content as paid ads. Without knowing performance, I’m sure it works.

The whole ad follows this guy's day off—will he make that run? Is the sauna working? Who cares about the shower filter when I need to know if he's meal prepping?

HOW YOU CAN LEVERAGE THIS: What does a day in the life of your target audience look like? Launch a UGC campaign and have 5-10 creators create content around this general concept.

One pattern is crystal clear: the best ads don't feel like ads at all.

• Salt & Stone masters the "friend texting you" vibe.

• Crown Affair turns product placement into must-watch reality TV.

• Jolie monetizes our collective nosiness with cringe-but-effective "day in my life" content.

In other words: in all three creatives, the product plays second fiddle to the storyline and/or problem.

Shoot me an email ([email protected]) if you want to chat through in more detail.

Oh, and I’m serious: let’s do a free social strategy call for your brand. I promise you’ll get something out of it.

See you next time ✌️