đź‘‹
Let me tell you about a recent campaign that made us rethink everything about how we test creatives.
We were running ads for a direct-to-consumer brand. Solid product, strong landing page, but our ROAS had been hovering around 1.8–2.2. Decent, but not scaling-level.
So we decided to run a creative-only test.
No new targeting, no budget increase, no offer change. Just creative.
Here’s what we did:
Step 1: We isolated variables
We built 3 ad sets with identical targeting and budgets. The only difference was the ad itself:
Polished studio video – 30 seconds, high production value.
UGC testimonial – shot on iPhone, shaky but authentic.
Before/after image carousel – product results in side-by-side format.
Step 2: We let the market decide
We gave each variation $10,000 in spend and ran them simultaneously for 7 days.
đź“Š Results after Week 1:
Studio Video → CTR: 0.8%, ROAS: 1.9
Before/After Carousel → CTR: 1.5%, ROAS: 2.4
UGC Testimonial → CTR: 2.8%, ROAS: 5.6
Step 3: We doubled down
When we saw the UGC testimonial crushing, we scaled it across every ad set. Within 30 days, that single creative format:
Tripled ROAS from 1.9 → 5.6
Dropped CAC by 42%
Generated 3.5x more conversions vs. our “polished” control
Graph of ROAS growth (line going from ~2 to ~5.5)
CTR comparison bar chart across creatives
Why it worked
Here’s what we learned:
Authenticity > Perfection → The UGC didn’t look like an ad. It looked like a friend’s recommendation.
Storytelling > Features → Instead of polished shots of the product, the UGC showed the problem and solution.
Relatability scales trust → Real people, real settings = instant credibility.
How you can apply this
Next time you’re testing creative:
Keep everything else constant → Same targeting, same budget, same timing.
Test radically different creative styles, not tiny variations.
Watch the data → The market will tell you faster than any brainstorming session.
⚡ Future Proof takeaway:
If your ads aren’t scaling, it’s not always your offer. Sometimes, you’re just one creative away from tripling your ROAS.
