What Rory Sutherland Taught Me About Paid Ads (That Most Marketers Still Don’t Get)

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 (this issue)

• And I analyze & compare the best ads on the internet

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• I analyzed 15,000 ads from top 11 education brands

I’m obsessed with marketers who don’t just sell products — they sell perception.

So today's topic is Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman at Ogilvy, author of Alchemy, and one of the most original minds in marketing today.

Rory doesn’t believe in logic-led ads. He believes in psychology-led behavior change.

And once you understand how he sees the world, your ads will never look the same again.

He asks one question that flips everything: “What if the most logical thing… isn’t the most persuasive?”

So I went deep into his interviews, talks, and essays. And pulled out 10 principles that made brands like Coca-Cola, Dove, and AmEx millions.

But this is not a theory drop. It’s a list of 10 practical insights I pulled from Rory’s work. And my focus is on what you can apply to paid ads today.

Let’s get into it.

1. Signal status, not just benefits

Nobody buys sunglasses just to block the sun.
They buy what the sunglasses say about them.

It’s the same with ads. When your product is new, different, or premium, don’t sell the features. Sell the upgrade in identity.

Say things like:

• “The one thing your friends haven’t seen yet”

• “Not for everyone. Just the interesting ones.”

Early adopters aren’t looking for utility. They’re looking for admiration. Make sure your ad helps them get it.

Example: 

Oura ring gets into status when I see their ad:

2. Design for the context, not the demographic

Demographics tell you who someone is.
Context tells you how they’re feeling when they see your ad.

And that changes everything.

A 37-year-old dad at 1am is not the same person as he is at 9am in traffic. One is scrolling half-asleep. The other is fighting a deadline.

Great ads feel like they belong in that moment.
Match the emotion. Match the energy. Match the environment.

Liquid Death does well with matching the context:

3. Create desire through discovery, not matching

Most people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.

That’s your advantage.

Instead of just matching existing demand, spark new curiosity. Show a use-case they’ve never seen. Pair it with something unexpected. Say things like:

• “You probably haven’t tried this yet”

• “This changes how you think about X”

Don’t just fulfill needs.

Make them feel like they discovered something others missed.

I created this ad for those who wanted a better alternative to protein shakes that feel yuck:

4. Make the first experience feel irreversible

Your product shouldn’t just be better.
It should make the old way feel broken.

That’s the real goal of an ad: change expectations.

Say things like:

• “After this, you’ll never want to go back”
  “Try it once. Everything else feels outdated.”

Make the first try feel like a one-way door. That’s how you create a habit, not just a trial.

Huel gave me a great ad experience that changed my mind about morning breakfast, and I still think they have the best starter kit offer:

5. Sell the reversibility, not the commitment

Here’s a trick that works almost every time.

If your product has a refund, trial, or free sample, highlight it hard.
Not like this: “Buy now”

More like this: “Try it. Cancel anytime.”

Why? Because people hate feeling locked in.
But they love feeling in control.

When it feels easy to leave, they’re more likely to say yes.

I added cancel anytime upfront in this ad:

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6. Reassure with probable outcomes, not certainty

“Guaranteed results” won’t build trust anymore.
It feels like marketing speak. People scroll past it.

What works better?

• “Most people see results in 3 days”

• “Over 70% reorder within a month”

Probable outcomes sound more human. More believable.
They give people confidence without making big promises.

Rory calls it probabilistic thinking.
It’s how real people make real decisions, based on what usually works.

7. Make the viewer feel like a genius

Your product isn’t the hero.
The buyer is.

Instead of saying “This tool is smart,” let them feel smart for choosing it.

Use phrases like:

• “Most people miss this simple fix.”

• “The clever way to skip X”

• “Why nobody’s talking about this tiny upgrade”

People love ads that flatter their intelligence (without being obvious).
It’s not about ego. It’s about making them feel like an insider.

True Classic ads have made me feel like a genius:

8. Borrow fame to bypass trust-building

You don’t need to explain every detail.
Sometimes, you just need to say who already trusts you.

Rory calls this the shortcut of “fame.” Because fame implies trust.

Try lines like:

• “Used by SpaceX engineers”

• “Spotted on Shark Tank”

• “Recommended by 9 out of 10 NYC bartenders”

You don’t have to be famous.
You just have to be famous to someone.

Read > The Case for Permissionless Advertising

9. Break rules to signal confidence

Most ads look the same.
Same format. Same script. Same smiling UGC.

So when yours breaks the pattern, people notice.

Rory calls it “costly signaling.”
It means doing things only confident brands would do.

Like:

• Starting an ad with silence

• Using upside-down text

• Showing a broken screen for 2 seconds

You’re saying: “We’re not desperate. We know this works.”

People respect that kind of confidence.

10. Romanticize the mundane

Some of the best ads don’t sell a feature.
They sell a feeling.

Logging sleep becomes “an evening ritual that resets your brain.”
A simple notebook becomes “your offline sanctuary.”

Rory’s core idea: Perception is value. Logic isn’t.

So turn the ordinary into something poetic. Use language that makes the product feel richer, deeper, calmer, and cooler.

That’s all for now.

Rory Sutherland is a goldmine for anyone writing copy, running ads, or running marketing experiments.

These 10 ideas made me rethink persuasion and behavior. And if you test even 2 of them in your next campaign, I promise you’ll notice a difference.

References:

1. Rory Sutherland’s Marketing MASTERCLASS: How To Advertise Like A Billion Dollar Brand (Watch time: 2 Hours 33 Minutes)

2. The Marketing Secrets Apple & Tesla Always Use: Rory Sutherland (Watch time: 1 Hour 38 Minutes)

3. The Hidden Marketing Forces Guiding Your Every Choice - Rory Sutherland (Watch time: 2 Hours 9 Minutes)

4. Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life

Happy Growing with Paid Social,

Aazar Shad

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