10 scroll-stopping ads you should steal from my swipe file

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)

If you missed it, I’m running a live workshop — How to Systematically Lower Your CAC on Meta (in 3 Easy Steps). Join me; there are only a few more spots left.

Ten proven ads I found this week that you should steal.

This week, I am sharing my highly curated swipe file. 

What's more, these ads are not only effective but also practical to create and test.

Ad #1 – Smileys 

Ad principle: Use emojis to show users how they’d feel interacting with your product. Combine this with the ‘us vs. them’ format and it will make viewers click. 

Ad # 2 – The big metaphorical idea

Ad principle: Use a visual metaphor. Show the key difference before and after using your product. This ad is easy to understand and the copywriting does the rest of the job with humor.

Ad # 3 – The visual contrast 

Ad principle: The ad uses strong visual contrast by placing a white car amidst a sea of black cars. This immediately draws the viewer's eye to the white car, emphasizing the message of being different. And the copy says that, too. If you make your customers feel different, try this ad.

Ad # 4 – The Benefits Venn Diagram

Ad principle: The ad uses a Venn diagram to visually communicate the product's dual benefits: curbing hunger and burning fat fast. Combine the best benefits and show your product. Prospects will deduce the answer themselves.

Ad # 5 –  The AI Imagination

Ad principle: Use AI to make your users feel something. Most of my AI ads have tanked, but this one helped me scrollstop. If someone sweats at night, this is a solution they would want. The unusual and striking visual representation effectively conveys the product's benefit of cooling.

Thanks to our partners who support this newsletter.

Ad # 6 - The Prisoner Dog 

Ad principle: The image of a dog in a mugshot holding a sign that reads "Stop cold emailing prospects" is humorous and unexpected, immediately grabbing the viewer's attention. Simply redo this ad and show what mistakes your audience is making and why they might be in prison. 

Ad #7 – The Analogy ad

Ad principle: Use a popular app/or product similar to yours and convey your message. Users are more likely to check it out.

Ad # 8 – I’ve been waiting…

Ad principle: Show that you’ve been waiting for them to take action. Great for retargeting. 

Ad # 9 – The Illustration 

Ad principle: Steal all The Economist’s ads 😂 Use visual storytelling, humor and relatability to convey your message. These require imagination. You might as well just steal the ideas from The Economist.

Ad # 10 – Believable Ads

Ad principle: Combine user testimonial (Facebook post of transformation) + UX familiarity bias. 

I hope you found some new ideas to launch in your ad accounts this week.

If you like, I’ll share this ‘newsletter’ with Creative OS, and you can use it as a template in a few days.

They’re adding 10 new templates every day. 

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.

Three ways I can help you, whenever you are ready:

• Work with me to get you growth from paid marketing. Book a call here. I’m open to more clients now.

• Level up your paid marketing by joining my community, where we share the latest tactics and get nuanced paid marketing questions answered here (we are now 70+, but there is a waitlist to join).

• Promote yourself to 13,000+ highly qualified paid marketers by sponsoring this newsletter. Advertise here.