Case studies

How brands are advertising, read from their own ads

Each post takes one brand, looks at the ads it is running right now, and works out who they are for and why. Everything comes from public ad libraries and public posts.

  1. XYXX ad for five cotton undies at ₹999XYXX ad for five cotton undies at ₹999XYXX ad for five cotton undies at ₹999XYXX ad for five cotton undies at ₹999

    Content strategy · Innerwear, India

    How XYXX uses a ₹999 five-pack to sell a whole wardrobe

    XYXX points most of its ads at one cheap five-pack, lets creators make a third of them, and sells the rest of the wardrobe afterwards. FREECULTR and Bummer answer the same category in two other ways.

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  2. DaMENSCH shapewear vest ad: Drop 2 inches in 5 secondsDaMENSCH shapewear vest ad: Drop 2 inches in 5 secondsDaMENSCH shapewear vest ad: Drop 2 inches in 5 secondsDaMENSCH shapewear vest ad: Drop 2 inches in 5 seconds

    Content strategy · Innerwear, India

    How DaMENSCH leads with a body-shaping fix instead of a price

    DaMENSCH sends 101 of the 250 ads we read to shapewear, padded vests and compression pages. It sells a fix for how a man looks, where XYXX sells a price and Bummer sells a joke.

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  3. Penn Station ads for the $7.99 Penn Pairs deal and for franchise ownersPenn Station ads for the $7.99 Penn Pairs deal and for franchise ownersPenn Station ads for the $7.99 Penn Pairs deal and for franchise ownersPenn Station ads for the $7.99 Penn Pairs deal and for franchise owners

    Content strategy · Sandwich QSR, United States

    How Penn Station turns 37 creatives into 300 ads

    Penn Station keeps 300 ads live, but they come from 37 creatives: one $7.99 deal, a set of craving lines on one photo, and a franchise offer. Jersey Mike's and Jimmy John's play the same game with more people and more seasons in it.

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  4. Sofy ad: Pov, your girl is on her periodSofy ad: Pov, your girl is on her periodSofy ad: Pov, your girl is on her periodSofy ad: Pov, your girl is on her period

    Content strategy · Feminine care, India

    How Sofy uses 24 ads to point at the quick-commerce shelf and lets creators do the reaching

    Sofy runs 24 paid ads, most of them sending shoppers to Blinkit or Zepto. Its reach comes from 178 organic posts and creator reels. Stayfree and Nua run far bigger ad libraries and argue about different things.

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  5. Novomins gummy ads: a doctor on kids' moods, a bedtime bundle and a creator reelNovomins gummy ads: a doctor on kids' moods, a bedtime bundle and a creator reelNovomins gummy ads: a doctor on kids' moods, a bedtime bundle and a creator reelNovomins gummy ads: a doctor on kids' moods, a bedtime bundle and a creator reel

    Content strategy · Vitamins, United Kingdom

    How Novomins sells one problem per ad against a rival four times its size

    Novomins cannot match Vitabiotics on volume, so it writes each ad around one problem, from a child's bedtime to trying to conceive, and sends it to a matching page. Vitabiotics leans on a 3-for-2 offer and the Myvitamins brand on lifestyle.

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  6. MamyPoko ad: upgrade to All Night Absorb PremiumMamyPoko ad: upgrade to All Night Absorb PremiumMamyPoko ad: upgrade to All Night Absorb PremiumMamyPoko ad: upgrade to All Night Absorb Premium

    Content strategy · Baby care, India

    How MamyPoko spends 18 ads on one product and the rest of its effort on a mascot and a podcast

    MamyPoko Pants keeps 18 paid ads on two product claims, and sends most of them to Blinkit. The brand-building happens in 192 organic posts, a mascot and a podcast. Pampers runs 314 ads and leans on mothers' testimonials.

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  7. Bibado ads: 62 percent off bundles, a messy baby in a coverall bib and a parent's pasta mealtimeBibado ads: 62 percent off bundles, a messy baby in a coverall bib and a parent's pasta mealtimeBibado ads: 62 percent off bundles, a messy baby in a coverall bib and a parent's pasta mealtimeBibado ads: 62 percent off bundles, a messy baby in a coverall bib and a parent's pasta mealtime

    Content strategy · Baby care, United Kingdom

    How Bibado pairs messy-baby creators with a bundle it has run for over 18 months

    Bibado shows babies covered in food, lets parents make some of the ads, and keeps bundle and free-product offers running for more than 18 months. Tommee Tippee, the category leader, mostly runs a product feed and discounts.

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  8. Victoria's Secret ad for its best-selling balconette braVictoria's Secret ad for its best-selling balconette braVictoria's Secret ad for its best-selling balconette braVictoria's Secret ad for its best-selling balconette bra

    Content strategy · Intimates, United States

    How Victoria's Secret lets its Fashion Show build the audience and keeps its ads for sales and scent

    Victoria's Secret runs 104 live ads, mostly seasonal sales, scent and body care, while 200 organic posts and a Fashion Show on 18 October carry the glamour. Savage X Fenty discounts and Aerie shows ordinary days.

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  9. Piramal Finance ads and reels: the Neeyat film, a scam alert and a presenterPiramal Finance ads and reels: the Neeyat film, a scam alert and a presenterPiramal Finance ads and reels: the Neeyat film, a scam alert and a presenterPiramal Finance ads and reels: the Neeyat film, a scam alert and a presenter

    Content strategy · Lending, India

    How Piramal Finance runs 3 ads and lets its Instagram do the selling

    Piramal Finance keeps just 3 ads live and uses them to send people to its Instagram. There, 366 posts in two years teach customers to spot scams, explain loans and carry a campaign film. Bajaj Finserv and Tata Capital run far more ads.

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  10. Free Soul ad: puffy fingers, swollen feet, Free Soul Hydrate is no joke in this heatFree Soul ad: puffy fingers, swollen feet, Free Soul Hydrate is no joke in this heatFree Soul ad: puffy fingers, swollen feet, Free Soul Hydrate is no joke in this heatFree Soul ad: puffy fingers, swollen feet, Free Soul Hydrate is no joke in this heat

    Content strategy · Women's nutrition, UK

    How Free Soul launched CreaGlow with 536 ads and women who say it worked

    Free Soul put 265 of the 478 ads we read behind one new product, CreaGlow, and started almost all of them in September. Creators' stories carry the proof. Wild Nutrition and Form Nutrition run smaller libraries and lean on experts and data.

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  11. Fazlani Nature's Nest ads: an Abhyanga massage, a Thalapozhichil treatment, a stressed man and a sunset teaserFazlani Nature's Nest ads: an Abhyanga massage, a Thalapozhichil treatment, a stressed man and a sunset teaserFazlani Nature's Nest ads: an Abhyanga massage, a Thalapozhichil treatment, a stressed man and a sunset teaserFazlani Nature's Nest ads: an Abhyanga massage, a Thalapozhichil treatment, a stressed man and a sunset teaser

    Content strategy · Wellness resort, India

    How Fazlani Nature's Nest uses a health calendar to reposition a resort as a wellness stay

    Fazlani Nature's Nest says it is moving from a leisure resort to a wellness stay. Its 12 live ads tie each treatment to a health date, such as PCOS Awareness Month, and all 12 send people to Instagram. Atmantan runs 145 ads with booking buttons.

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