What's up, Marketers! This is Aazar.
This newsletter is all about giving you ad ideas to find winning ad ideas and help you scale.
This newsletter includes: Analysis of top internet ads (this issue), insights from other performance marketers, and my learnings.
Two brands sell the same exact thing. Testosterone pills for men.
But they use two opposite ways to get you to buy.
One makes you feel understood. The other slaps you awake with shock, humor, a bit of chaos.
Today, here's what you walk away with. Two full playbooks you can steal this week:
The hooks that stop the scroll
The angles that make men feel seen
The psychology that turns a boring supplement into a must-buy
I’m breaking down three ads from each. What they're really doing to your brain.
And which brand actually wins.
This will help you even if you are creating ads in any niche.
Mars Men Ad 1: Remove the Shame Before You Sell
This ad opens with a kid asking his dad to play catch. Dad fakes sleep. The kid walks away, disappointed. Only after that gut punch does the product show up.
What stands out immediately:
The story feels real, not scripted. Small, specific moments. I run TRT ads, and this is a very relatable hook for this audience.
Most dads have faked being busy to dodge their kid (when the real reason was low energy). This names that guilt.
Product shows up only after he feels caught. So it feels like rescue, not a sale.
Psychology behind this ad
His tiredness stops being a personal failure and becomes a diagnosis, which kills the shame
Mars Men Ad 2: Make the Alternative the Villain
This ad opens with a warning about TRT clinics (I hate to show it to you 😂), then piles on the fear: needle dependency, your body forgetting how to make testosterone, and yes, your balls shrinking forever.
What stands out immediately:
Not "our product is great." Instead, "here's the trap you almost fell into."
Speaks to a fear men already have: what if I start TRT and can't stop?
Scary claims first, product second. So the pill feels like an escape.
Psychology behind this ad
Scare people off the alternative, and yours becomes the safe choice
Mars Men Ad 3: Sell the Man He Used to Be
This one is about a guy who loved woodworking, then let his tools collect dust for five years. Then his energy comes back, he builds a bookshelf, and his daughter says, "I didn't know you could make stuff like this."
What stands out immediately:
The pain isn't low energy. It's losing a piece of who you are.
Hits any man who quietly gave up a hobby he once loved.
The daughter's line stings, because it's pride and regret at once.
Psychology behind this ad
Sell the old version of him back, and the pill becomes the way home
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Now let us move to Primal Viking…
Primal Viking Ad 1: Let Someone Else Brag For You
A wife "thanks" the stranger who told her husband to take these organ meat supplements, with a wink about what changed in the bedroom. Then the visual: a small shriveled vegetable turning into a big healthy one.
What stands out immediately:
The pitch comes from the wife, not the brand. Feels like gossip, not an ad.
Speaks to a fear men rarely say out loud: am I still good in bed?
Humor and the innuendo let it make a bold claim without sounding sleazy.
Psychology behind this ad
Praise from a partner hits harder than any promise the brand could make itself
Primal Viking Ad 2: Poke the Insecurity, Then Fix It Fast
The ad targets man boobs. A guy stands at the mirror, grabbing the fat on his chest. They'll be gone in two weeks.
What stands out immediately:
Opens on a mirror moment every self-conscious man knows.
Names a problem men are too embarrassed to search for.
"Two pills a day, no gym, no diet" makes the fix feel easy.
Psychology behind this ad
Press on a hidden insecurity, then promise a fast escape, and buying feels like relief
Primal Viking Ad 3: Build a Story Worth Believing
This one asks why reindeer organs beat beef organs. Cows stand around eating garbage, safe and lazy. Reindeer travel 5,000km, survive minus 40, and fight wolves. Vikings even ate reindeer organs before battle.
What stands out immediately:
Turns an ingredient into a myth. Wild reindeer versus lazy cows.
Taps a man's want to feel strong, primal, built for more.
The Viking angle gives the pill a backstory, not just a benefit.
Psychology behind this ad
Give an ingredient a legend, and people stop questioning whether it works
So who actually won?
Both brands are elite. They just win different ways.
Mars Men earns trust. It sits in your pain, makes you feel understood, then sells.
Primal Viking grabs attention. It shocks, jokes, and dares you to look away.
One is a slow, warm handshake. The other is a cold splash of water. Both work. Both sell.
Now it's your call.
Which one do you think is doing better?
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.
One way I can help you whenever you are ready:
If you’re looking to create winning ads for your brand or app, book a call here. I’m open to more clients now. We’ll make some viral ads like above if you like them. We’ve been crushing ads for multiple health, app, and DTC clients.
