Curology vs PROVEN — Who nailed paid ads?

This week I analyzed 2 companies that promise to improve your skin. I chose these brands because they have come up with new types of ad formats. They are also very creative in their approach.

Curology:

Curology is a skincare company that offers personalized skincare products and treatments. It operates primarily through an online platform, making it convenient for customers to access dermatologist-designed skincare solutions from the comfort of their homes.

PROVEN:

PROVEN Skincare offers a personalized cleanser, night cream, and daytime SPF moisturizer.

The positioning

Curology:

They focus on “personalized” and “getting you results” as a positioning statement.

PROVEN:

They focus on more “clinically effective,” “backed by science” and “custom skincare.”

Similar products, but framing it differently.

Important: For a better appreciation of the ads, I recommend watching the ads first. These ads are hosted on Foreplay, a great platform that allows me to save ads for inspiration even after the brands have deleted them (they also have a discovery feature where I find good ad concepts to steal).

Ads that Appeal

I only evaluated ads older than 30 days to see if they performed well. Let’s look at Curology first.

Ad # 1 - Before and after with results

This ad ran for 300 days, and it’s super simple showing customer results.

What immediately stands out:

• Before and after picture

• It looks native and not overly produced

• It’s very easy to make and costs almost nothing

What we can learn from this ad:

• You need to lean in if you show an actual before and after

• Your ad will tank if before and after is imaginary

• Before and after should feel intuitive

• It focuses on results and outcomes

I tried this before and after with one of my brands but it didn’t work for that specific brand because the transformation we bring is intangible and not visible like Skincare brands.

Apparently, Curology has mastered this. Here are some more similar ads:

All of these above ads have proven and worked really well for the brand for a very long time.

Why this works so well:

Curology relies on the psychological phenomena of contrast and comparison, as well as the desire for improvement and change. When people see a vivid contrast between the "before" and "after" states, it can create a stronger emotional impact and motivate them to take action.

The concept of the contrast effect revolves around how our perception of things can be influenced by the presence of other stimuli. It's fascinating to see how this effect plays a role in various aspects of our lives, such as how we perceive colors, sounds, and visual images.

Moreover, the contrast effect has a profound impact on human thinking and decision-making. Our brains naturally process information by comparing and contrasting it with other stimuli. This innate ability allows us to comprehend our environment better and make informed decisions based on relative information. When it comes to decision-making, we often find ourselves comparing products to similar alternatives.

In essence, the contrast effect serves as a cognitive tool that helps us navigate complex information and reach sound decisions. Without the ability to compare and contrast, we would struggle to make meaningful judgments or make decisions based on incomplete information.

The more you know…

Ad # 2 - The habit formation ad

If your brand revolves around “habits and routines,” lean into it.

What immediately stands out:

• The use of famous Apple notes, but presented well (familiarity bias — another psychological tactic)

• Focus on a list someone would be actually making inside the notes app

• It’s a direct response ad promoting the product

What can we learn from this ad:

• Never only promote your product rather a customer’s point of view list. They added meditation but it is actually a healthy habit.

• The value of time: Within 3 minutes, you are done taking care of your skin

• Use Apple Notes, but in a smart way

Note: For me, now Apple notes are recently giving diminishing returns. What about you?

Here’s the trick, they are using psychology again. It’s called habit formation.

Habit formation is the process by which behaviors become automatic and ingrained through repetition and environmental cues. Individuals tend to develop routines and engage in habitual behaviors as a means to simplify decision-making and conserve mental effort.

Successful marketing campaigns focus on positioning their products as part of consumers' daily routines or rituals. So, use habit formation for your products. At the end, I’ll show you some recent ads that focus on this psychology and how it’s successfully being used by some brands. Stay with me.

Ad # 3 - Education-led gif

This ad has been running for 136 days and does a phenomenal job at educating what prospects should care about.

What immediately stands out:

• Format: Gif, headline, left, the product and right, the ingredients that matter and how they help

• Using a hand to show the product (the psychology hands)

• Education, instead of selling

What can we learn from this:

• Steal the format

• Be more specific about what goes into your product

• Educate: The customer will arrive at the conclusion him/herself

As Ogilvy said: “Good ad: all facts, no adjectives, specific.”

Claud Hopkins talks about being specific too:

• Don’t say for a shaving soap, “it creates abundant lather” instead say, “multiplies itself in lather 250 times.” Similar examples: “Softens beard in a minute.” “Maintains its creamy fullness for ten minutes on the face.” “The final result of the testing and comparing 130 formulas.”‘

• Don’t say it’s “used the world over” — instead, say, “used by people of 52 nations”

I’ll leave you with this quote from him:

Now, let’s analyze the other brand.

PROVEN

Ad # 1 - Nothing helped until…

This ad has been running for 36 days and has bits that we can steal:

What immediately stands out:

• The hook with a skin routine

• The Shark Tank lead-in

• Nothing helped until

• Oh, it’s a UGC or customer mashup

• The brand proved to Sharks in the Shark Tank too

What we can learn from it:

• Use press and credibility: exploit your Shark Tank relevance if you can

• Show transformation of “before and after” with “from skepticism to belief”

• Steal the headline: Nothing helped (insert the problem) until I found (the brand name)

• Use the hooks that work and mash it up with your UGC content. Never waste good UGC content

• Use words your customers use what they dream of perfect skin: “It’s clear, bright, and dewy”

• The UGC videos girls have before and after within a few seconds when they recommend it (great shot)

• Priming the prospect with a quiz, so they aren’t surprised when they click

• CTA screen: Unlock the secret to your best skin ever

Proven used similar psychology as Curology. But they used credibility as a psychological phenomenon with transformation to convey their messages.

Credibility is a powerful psychological marketing tactic that aims to establish trust and believability among consumers. When a brand or product is perceived as credible, it increases the likelihood of consumer acceptance, loyalty, and purchasing behavior. And PROVEN has truly used credibility well in the ad.

Not only there, but on their landing page too. Look at this letter from their founder:

• Credibility factor # 1: Leaders

• Credibility factor # 2: Doctor

• Credibility factor # 3: Standford University

• Credibility factor # 4: 20,338 skin ingredients

• Credibility factor # 5: 20mn testimonials

• Credibility factor # 6: 40K scientific journals

• Credibility factor # 7: Surprise – the brand name: PROVEN

Credibility and authority are all over this brand.

Ad # 2 - Problem solution UGC

This ad has been running for 43 days and has bits that we can steal:

• The hook formula: This how I solved X problem in just X steps

• Calling out the problems: Redness, sensitive skin, and irritation

• Proven x Sephora collab: Sephora is a beauty retailer and their approval is a huge credibility factor

• Teaching how to use the product — to ensure you continue watching

What can we learn from this ad:

• The hook is good and simple to steal from

• Double down on your collab Sephora (at the hook and the end)

• A simple UGC that does not have a crazy hook but works

• Call out the problems & benefits in your ad to make it easy for the viewer

• The offer: 35% off at Sephora at the end makes it easier to take the next step

That’s all from PROVEN. Two banger ads are good enough for this battle I believe.

And as promised, here’s the new type of ad I saw and I am going to try a psychological tactic: habits. The brand is AG1 (do follow the entire framework of the ad) – Steal my friends:

And that’s all from my side this week.

Now it’s your time to decide

Let me know which brand’s ads you liked the most.

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Happy Growing with Paid Social,

Aazar Shad

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Recommended reading from previous newsletters:

• The Ultimate Ultimate Guide to Creative Testing

• Creative Iterations in 5 Easy Steps

• 5 Meta targeting tactics to give your campaigns unfair advantage

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