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Alright y'all - I have seen some people on Twitter speaking down upon high-end production for ads.

We all know you can't go deep on Twitter.

High-end production is not dead; it is ALIVE and well.

Why You Should Have Ugly Ads

1. Conversion Is Higher

Certain media buyers are saying that the ugly ads are converting better.

The acquisition cost is lower when they run ugly ads versus pretty ads.

Some have said it is a risk to put a ton of money into nicely produced ads when cheap UGC ads are working.

2. You Want Your Ads To Get Attention No Matter What

All news is good news.

Bad press is good press.

No matter if people are making fun of the ad in the comment section, at least you are getting attention on your ad versus someone scrolling away.

In the same way, do things in the first 3 seconds that get people's attention no matter what it takes.

It is all about eyes on the ad.

3. Pretty Ads Aren't Focused On The Consumer

Media buyers say that pretty ads look nice and don't focus on the customer watching the ad.

Ugly ads are focused on the consumer and help consumers understand how the product can solve their problems.

Why Pretty Ads Are Good

1. The type of camera ≠ converting ad

The reason an ad is good is not that the ad used a cinema camera versus an iPhone.

It is about the intention behind the ad and was it created to convert viewers into customers.

Look at David Ogilvy - he wrote words, but it wasn't the type of words he used but the intention behind them.

When you think about major agencies, TV commercials, and most big production houses, they are so focused on creating pretty ads that they aren't built with conversion.

So I can see growth marketers being burned when they spend a ton of money on nice ads that perform poorly.

The issue isn't the price tag.

The issue is that they didn't have a creative partner focused on conversion.

I am building Goodo Studios to mix high-end production and conversion.

I have audited many brands' content libraries, and I have seen a LOT of bad ads that are "ugly" and have not performed well at all.

Cody Plofker, CMO of Jones Road Beauty, has even said that their "pretty" ads outperform any UGC or "ugly" ad.

It comes down to intention, not camera quality.

2. Not all conversion is good conversion

In episode 2 of Down To Chat with Eli Weiss and Cody Plofker, Eli was talking about an ad crushing at Olipop, but it was attracting the wrong customers.

So the acquisition cost was lower than usual, but the customers didn't understand the product and ended up not liking it.

This was not good for Olipop because they got more complaints or poor reviews.

So if you purely make decisions based on numbers, that doesn't mean it is suitable for your overall business in the long term.

As a brand, you shouldn't make decisions just based on a lower number.

There is qualitative data that needs to be connected with the numbers.

Not all conversions are created equal so be careful who you are attracting with your ads.

3. Attribution will never be fixed

Attribution has never been 100% accurate and no tool will completely be accurate.

SO much goes into why someone buys outside of the creative.

What is the landing page like?

What is the product?

What is the price of the product?

I could name 100 other factors that go into buying a product, and there are more than that!

So many growth marketers are so focused on the data (which they should be) that sometimes they forget the people buying are humans.

The customer journey is a lot longer and more dynamic now, so just because an ad didn't have a direct click and buy return, doesn't mean it isn't valuable to the buyer journey.

Customers are buying emotionally and then later justify their purchase with logic.

Now we are getting into the brand territory.

4. Brand Is Untrackable

So you know that feeling you get when you see a product you haven't bought yet, but you get a pull every time you see an ad?

I get that with Athletic Greens.

You know that tug?

That Je Ne Sais Quoi is BRAND!

Brand is that emotion that connects us to a brand or product.

If I see Olipop, which I buy very frequently, I have an emotional reaction of happiness, and I never even question buying one.

That emotional connection to a brand like Athletic Greens, which I have never bought, is different, but that tug is BRAND.

Growth marketers don't look at that qualitative data enough because they are so focused on the data today.

There needs to be a balance.

You have to look five years from now - what do you want your brand to be known for?

Your ads should align with the answer to that question - not on whatever it takes for the quickest or cheapest acquisition.

5. Establish Your Visual Brand

You can't establish your brand using TikTok fonts or trends.

Yes, that can help in the short term, but WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE?

You cannot build a brand constantly chasing trends or following other people's playbooks.

You need to establish what will make you different.

I have never seen a successful brand that is $100 million in revenue that is just running ugly ads.

I am sorry - that is NOT happening.

Why? 

Because if you want to be successful, you need to be everywhere and memorable.

If you look like all of the other ads - people will scroll by no matter the intention you had behind the ad.

Most people don't buy right away, so the experience with your brand is essential, especially FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

Why would you want your first impressions to be "ugly" to start?

What does that say about your product and your brand overall?

There are so many factors that go into marketing outside of a specific ad.

I think you need that journey to be cohesive and establish your brand early.

People might stop investing in high-end content creation when statements about high-end content that doesn't perform are taken out of context.

In my opinion, this is dangerous for the brand.

You have been warned.

I have mentioned in past newsletters that the economics of high-end production is actually BETTER than just UGC ads.

If I am going to die on any hill in marketing, it is that ads should be cohesive with the brand throughout the whole customer journey.

Now let me hear your thoughts. Reply back with what you think about "ugly" versus "pretty" ads.

Keep creating! 

Matthew Gattozzi

In Other News (check out these other newsletters)

🗒️ 1-800-D2C's newsletter, Yellow Notes, about DTC growth

💌 Eli Weiss' newsletter about DTC CX

👀 Oddit's newsletter, The Perspective, about Brand-First CRO

Resources if you need them!

We do get a commission from these links but I wouldn't share anything that I didn't think was worth it to you.

Adbox - They do all of the hard work of finding great creative so you can get inspired. Learn from the top brands on all major platforms.

Adison - I love saving all of the amazing ads that I have found. Adison gives you the ability to save great Facebook ads with a click of one button on Chrome. It is incredible.

Triple Whale - Have an attribution problem? Triple Whale is doing some incredible things to help you get your data all in one place to make the best decisions for your brand.

Oddit - If you’d like to improve your site, you can try out Oddit yourself with GOODO10 for 10% off any Oddit report or grab a free month of Oddit Club - a private community for founders, marketers, and designers.

Our Referral Program!

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1 Referral = a private database of ad inspiration

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