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Learn this powerful visual technique to make your ads unforgettable

how to create unignorable ads like these.

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)

My favorite finds

Most of the time, we’re stuck with copying the headlines, the formats, the ideas and more. I know it works.

But let’s for once be creative. 

This week, I want you to try a new kind of creative approach.

It’s called using visual similes or visual metaphors.

Visual similes are when you combine your product or its benefit with a universally known visual symbol.

It emphasizes the benefit and value of the product a little more.

Why visual metaphors work

Visual metaphors hit hard because they tap into imagery everyone gets instantly. No need for long-winded explanations—just a quick, clear connection that sticks with your audience and makes your brand unforgettable.

Some examples:

Ad # 1 – Walnut vs Brain

Ad # 2 – Tabasco

Tabasco is one of the most popular hot sauces in the world. In this advertisement they present a very creative way of communicating how spicy their sauce is: comparing their classical bottle to a fire extinguisher.

Ad # 3 – Nivea

A half-opened can of cream resembling the moon effectively presents Nivea’s night cream—simple and brilliant.

Ad # 4 – Starbucks

Now let us make some ads using visual metaphors ourselves

Step # 1 - Pick a brand

I chose Mott & Bow denim for my first ad.

Step # 2 – Choose an insight

Here you want to find an insight that has already worked for you. These could be your winning messages. Create a list of insights and put them on a sheet.

Here are some of my insights and visual metaphors.

Insights:

  • Comfy pants

  • Reliable travel jeans

  • Butt-lifting technology

  • Great fit

  • Luxuriously soft

Insight: Butt-Lifting Jeans (which I got it from the old ad)

Step 3 – Find different symbols and images

When picking symbols, think about what naturally connects to your product's benefits. If your product is all about durability, go with something everyone sees as unbreakable—like diamonds or anvils. The trick is to break down your product’s message into visuals that just click.

You can find ideas through icons or just simply with a Google image search. I also used ChatGPT to find some ideas that are related.

Here are some images I found with Google image search:

And then I found a TikTok that clearly does the job for me i.e. a girl lifting weights in jeans.

Step #4 – Combine insight with the visual metaphor

Align your list of insights with different symbols and visuals that go with it.

I use “butt lifting” while showing the jeans. Ta-da!! 

This is what my improved ad with a visual simile would look like.

This isn’t the final image. Hands are weird, but this is an inspo for my designer

Create input: I tried to combine lifting with jeans. 

Protip: Keep your visual metaphor clean and focused. Skip the clutter—simplicity makes it hit harder. Work with a designer who knows how to mix creativity with your brand’s vibe.

Now, let us make some more ads, but this time without the process.

Ridge 

I picked an insight from their website.

Insight: The Ridge Crafts products made to last a lifetime with simple, functional designs ready for anything and everything. 

Visual metaphor: An image that shows you won’t live forever but your wallet will.

I combined the ad with a testimonial too. 

This isn’t the final image. But this is an inspo for my designer

Create input: I tried to combine the idea of a long-lasting product with it outliving the owner. I just wanted to show that even though you’ll die, your wallet will live on.  

Heights

Heights Magnesium helps me sleep.

Insight: It knocks out if you take it before the sleep.

I took it from this ad:

Visual metaphor: Showing a boxing glove to connect with the phrase “knock out.”

Caveat: My AI tool couldn’t design the ad with the heights supplement. But you’ll get the idea.

Here’s how the final ad looks like:

This isn’t the final image. But this is an inspo for my designer

Create input: I tried to combine knocked out in the boxing ring with being knocked out by sleep . 

I’m sure a good designer would be able to make it better. Plus, I couldn’t add the original product 🙈

So next time, when you find a good insight. Iterate it with visual metaphors or similes.

If you're intrigued by this approach, Shlomo's course dives into 32 other creative ad techniques that can elevate your ad creative game. I’ll be featuring some others here in the future as well.

Thanks to our partners who support this newsletter.

Tools worth checking out:

Atria: You're only as good an advertiser as your swipe file. Atria helps save good ads and analyze them in-depth. But the best part? Their AI helps me create concepts and scripts within seconds. Check it out for free. Most importantly, they now have built-in ad analytics to make more winning ads.

Atria has now become 24/7 AI creative strategist by giving you iteration ideas.

Creative OS: Don’t waste your designer’s time in copying swipe files. Get all static ad templates to increase your experiments and ad creatives’ velocity. Check it out here.

Find holiday templates in the CreativeOS library.

Happy Growing with Paid Social,

Aazar Shad

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