What's up, Marketers! This is Aazar.

This newsletter is about leveling up your paid growth marketing skills by analyzing the best brands' paid strategy, tactics, positioning, and value props.

This newsletter is divided into:

• Sharing what I've learned

• Sometimes sharing some other performance marketers’ lessons with you

• And I analyze & compare the best ads on the internet (this issue)

How to Make WINNING Founder Ads That Convert

Stop making founder ads because they "work".

It's probably the hardest ad format to master.

Here's why most founder ads fail:

> They feel forced and inauthentic.

> The messaging doesn't connect with the audience.

> The founder isn't comfortable on camera.

I've failed 20-30 times before figuring this out.

I asked Marco Lange to share his founder ads, frameworks and lessons.

We put together our lessons in this video.

Check out the video here.

Sales stuck at ~1,000 units/mo? See how one brand jumped to 11,000+

Most Amazon sellers know the feeling:

• Ad spend climbs, but sales plateau.

• Rankings hover on page 2.

• Reviews trickle in too slowly to impact conversion.

That was the exact reality for Lenny & Larry’s when they launched Protein Pretzels. Despite a loyal offline following, their Amazon growth stalled.

Instead of doubling down on PPC, they tried a different route: influencer product seeding.

Through Stack Influence, they activated 1,560 influencers in a 12-month campaign. Each influencer was required to:

1. Buy the product on Amazon (a verified purchase)

2. Try it and share honestly on social media

3. Leave organic UGC that Lenny & Larry’s could repurpose

This single flow created a flywheel effect:

• More sales → higher ranking signals

• More UGC → better PDP conversion

• More visibility → organic review growth

And the outcome was nothing short of dramatic.

📊 The numbers (and the chart) tell the story:
🚀 Sales grew from 1,024 → 11,316/month (11× increase).
📈 BSR rank leapt from #9,536 → #864 in Grocery.
⭐ 525 organic reviews (4.2 to 4.3 rating).
👀 2.3M impressions and 82K engagements.

👉 Claim My Rank Growth Plan 

P.S. Just 15 free blueprints are open this week. Reserve your slot now - by Friday, we shift into Q4 pricing.

Everyone talks about MrBeast when they talk about retention.

But here’s the thing, most people can’t copy him because his videos are basically challenges but your ads aren’t.

Most marketers obsess over hooks and rehooks, hoping that the hook does most of the job.

That’s where I was also struggling. Yeah, your boi too.

But then I found Meagan Nunez.

She’s a genius. A magician. 

She’s cracked the code on how to hold people when everyone else loses them.

She doesn’t just start strong, she keeps you hooked with tension. Every pause, every reveal, every transition pulls you deeper. Just when you think it’s over, she surprises you with more.

That’s the problem she’s solving: not just attention, but retention through tension.

You can watch her video about retention through tension to learn more.

And once I saw how she did it, I couldn’t stop watching.

So today, we’re breaking down 3 of her ads.

And because I like to make this useful, I’ll also show you how I’d steal her exact playbook for something totally different, a chai brand.

Ad 1 – The Absurd Story

What immediately stands out

• The hook: “I just shipped my saliva to a stranger online.” (Instantly weird and scroll-stopping)

• The pause: “It’s not what you think.” (Builds curiosity and tension)

• Multiple A-roll to B-roll transitions that keep the visuals fresh (she moves smoothly between setups so you never get bored)

• She takes her time to answer the curiosity. But keeps you hooked as you wait for the answer.

• Payoff stacking. Just when you think it’s over, another result drops (diet → workouts → lactose intolerance)

Why it works

• Retention through tension – Pauses, reveals, and curiosity loops make you stay.

• Visual dynamism – Switching between A-roll and B-roll adds energy, makes it feel like a story unfolding instead of a static monologue.

• Payoff stacking – Every reveal feels like a new reward for watching longer.

• Personality-driven storytelling – Her tone feels authentic, more like a friend sharing a discovery than an ad.

So here’s a twist, some of you might know that I have a DTC brand that’s selling a tea that helps people sleep better (not sharing the brand name for a purpose).

I’ll use the Chai that helps with sleep as an example brand how I’d apply Meagan’s framework.

How I’d apply it for my Chai

I’d open with the same tension:

“I was so high the whole night after drinking this…”

Pause.

“It’s not what you think.”

From there, I’d frame it around sleep. “I actually tested my sleep with a gadget to see if this chai worked. And the results? Crazy. Deeper sleep, longer rest, and I woke up feeling like I slept like a baby.”

Same framework: weird hook → pause → build curiosity → reveal results → stack benefits.

But instead of a young, fast-talking vibe, I’d slow it down to match an older audience who prefers calm storytelling.

Ad 2 – The “Tangible” Analogy

What immediately stands out

• The analogy: “Think of your gut lining like this bowl right here…” (a visual metaphor that makes the science click instantly)

• The live demo of water leaking from the bowl. Simple but powerful (turns an abstract idea into something you can see)

• The relatable pain points: stress, poor sleep, training too hard (makes you nod along because you’ve felt it)

• The clean product introduction. She doesn’t start with the supplement, she earns it after the problem is crystal clear
  

Why it works

• Retention through tension – You want to see where the analogy goes, so you keep watching.

• Problem-first storytelling – By showing the “leaks,” she agitates the pain before ever talking about a solution.

• Visual teaching – The simple bowl demo transforms a boring supplement pitch into something memorable.

• Smooth product entry – Because the analogy hooks you, the supplement feels like a natural answer, not a forced sales pitch.

How I’d apply it for my Chai brand

Instead of gut lining, I’d use an analogy for sleep.

Picture this: “Think of your mind like this cup of water. When stress builds up, it leaks everywhere. That’s why you wake up tired, even after a full night’s sleep.”

Then bring in the chai as the “seal”, turmeric, spices, and calming ingredients that help you wind down.

Visually, it’s the same framework: show the “leak,” agitate the pain, then reveal the chai as the fix.

I won’t be selling tea. I’ll be selling better sleep and peace of mind.

Thanks to our partners who support this newsletter.

Ad 3 – The Recipe With Personality

What immediately stands out

• The hook: “Can you get me some cream pie?” Playful, cheeky, and unexpected. Along with some sex appeal vibes.

• The personality: she’s not just listing ingredients, she’s performing (jokes, sarcasm, little asides).

• The pacing: she keeps moving, mix, plate, joke, tease, so you’re never stuck in one boring shot.

• The transformation: from plain ingredients to a finished, presentable dish (satisfying payoff at the end).

Why it works

• Retention through tension – The humor + recipe steps make you wonder what’s coming next.

• Entertainment over instruction – You’re not just learning a recipe; you’re being entertained while it happens.

• Personality-driven content – The jokes and sass make it feel human, not like a sterile cooking tutorial.

• Scroll-stopping contrast – Food content is everywhere, but her personality makes the recipe feel fresh.

How I’d apply it for my Chai brand

There’s this chai recipe video, it’s very basic, very flat, and has zero personality. Just a step-by-step with no soul.

I’d redo that recipe in this style. Start with a playful hook like: “I’d love some sleep like a baby tonight…” Then roll into the recipe, but with personality like small jokes, warm commentary, and relatable asides.

Show the outcome (steaming chai in a cozy setting), but make the process fun to watch. Instead of just “here’s how you make,” it becomes: “here’s how chai becomes your bedtime ritual.”

Same structure: recipe + personality + outcome. But now it’s entertaining, not flat.

Key Takeaways from Meagan Nunez’s Ads

Meagan isn’t just making “viral” videos. She’s building retention machines. Here’s what you can steal:

• Tension creates retention. Don’t just hook. Keep people curious with pauses, reveals, and unexpected transitions.

• Stack your payoffs. One reveal isn’t enough. Layer multiple “aha” moments so viewers stay longer than they planned.

• Switch it up visually. A-roll, B-roll, quick cuts. Keep the screen moving. Static talking heads kill watch time.

• Teach with analogies. Make abstract benefits visual. A bowl for gut lining, a cup for stress, anything simple that makes people see the problem.

• Add personality to the boring stuff. A recipe without personality is forgettable. With humor, sass, or warmth, the same recipe becomes magnetic.

• Sell outcomes, not steps. Whether it’s better gut health, deeper sleep, or a calm bedtime ritual. The outcome is what makes people care.

Happy Growing with Paid Social,

Aazar Shad

Since this newsletter is free, I do it to follow my curiosity. But I’d love it if you could leave some feedback so I know if I am helping you or not.

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