What We’re Learning From Creative Testing on Meta
Creative testing is a strategy that allows marketers to refine their approach and discover what truly resonates with their audience. In a digital world where attention spans are shorter and competition is fierce, understanding what makes an audience member click is essential.
By experimenting with different formats, visuals, and messaging, we’ve made some discoveries about what performs well on Meta.
In this post, we’ll dive into the key takeaways from recent creative testing — exploring what’s working, what’s not, and how you can incorporate these strategies into your own Meta ad campaigns.
Carousels are coming for video’s crown.
While video ads have long reigned supreme on Meta platforms, we’re noticing that carousels are making a serious play for the throne.
Why? They combine storytelling, interactivity, and visual appeal in a format that keeps users swiping. With the ability to showcase multiple products, highlight steps in a process, or unfold a narrative across slides, carousels offer versatility that rivals video.
What’s trending in carousel ads:
Sequential Storytelling: Each slide builds on the last, creating a cohesive narrative that draws users in.
Before-and-After Reveals: A favourite for home improvement, beauty, and fitness brands, these ads visually demonstrate transformations.
Swipe to Discover: Brands use carousels to tease curiosity, encouraging users to swipe to "uncover" the full picture or message.
Product Showcases: Highlighting different angles, features, or uses of a single product across slides keeps the focus clear and engaging.
Sharing Reviews: Showing a few different customer testimonials to build trust with real-world experiences, reinforcing credibility and encouraging conversions.
The biggest advantage? Carousels are highly engaging but don’t demand the same production effort as videos. If you’re looking for a format that delivers performance and creativity, or if you don’t have the time/budget/capacity to film videos, creating graphic carousels (or letting Meta do it for you with a catalog) is worthwhile.
Videos need captions.
On videos, text captions are essential. While a significant portion of users are now listening to audio according to a recent Meta summit, captions ensure your message is delivered loud and clear (even if the sound isn’t). But it’s not just about accessibility; captions enhance engagement and comprehension, making your ad stand out in a busy feed.
Why captions are non-negotiable:
Silent Browsing: Many users scroll in environments where sound is off, like public places or during downtime. Without captions, your video risks being skipped.
Improved Accessibility: Captions make your content inclusive for viewers with hearing impairments or those who prefer to read along.
Reinforced Messaging: Bold, well-timed captions emphasise key points, ensuring your message sticks even if viewers aren’t fully focused.
Boosted Watch Times: Captions can hook users into the story, encouraging them to stick around longer and engage with your content.
To make the most of captions, keep them concise, on-brand, and synced with the visuals. You don’t need to translate word for word, but hit all the key talking points you’d want an audience to receive. Consider using a bold font and contrasting colours to ensure readability across all devices. Remember, in the world of Meta ads, captions aren’t optional — they’re a game-changer for driving results.
Low-fi resonates.
Lazy ads, ugly ads, or whatever you want to call them — content with a distinctly low-fi feel is outperforming polished, professional alternatives on Meta platforms. Because these ads mimic the look/feel of organic posts, they blend seamlessly into users’ feeds. In an age where people are seeking more authenticity from brands, this is important.
Key features:
Direct Messaging: It’s all about practicality over perfection. Cut straight to the point, addressing pain points or offering solutions in a glance. No fluff, just what the audience needs. However, stick to personality-laden and approachable copywriting.
DIY Aesthetic: Imperfect design elements — shaky camera work, natural lighting, unpolished graphics, unedited photos — makes ads feel more relatable, and less like they’re “selling.” We’ve noticed that brands are using handwritten text overlays now, for example, instead of typed captions.
Simple Visuals: Bold, straightforward imagery paired with concise messaging. Think: “I made this in five minutes” energy. Some examples include using the Notes app, text messages, or even just screenshotting comments/messages/reviews.
These ads succeed because they break the mould, cutting through the noise of overly-produced content. In a sea of perfection, imperfections stand out and sell. But if that’s the cycle, then is it only a matter of time before we move back to the polished stuff? If not, what next?
It’s all about the narrative.
In a world where attention spans are shrinking, narrative-driven ads are keeping viewers hooked. A good story draws people in and encourages them to engage longer. You don’t have to be Steven Spielberg, but the point is to tell a story.
Storytelling formats don’t necessarily centre the product. Instead, they bring in additional elements to spark interest and keep viewers engaged longer.
How to nail ad storytelling:
Get Emotional: Stories tap into emotions, whether it's joy, nostalgia, empathy, or inspiration, making the message more memorable and impactful.
Build Suspense: While direct messaging is effective, sometimes it pays to build up to a big reveal instead of delivering a quick punchline. A video with a beginning, middle, and end might have an increased watch time and recall.
Characterise Your Brand: Give your brand a part in the story. This Duolingo ad is a great example — personifying its mascot as an overbearing language teacher who gets disappointed (and vaguely threatening) when users don’t complete their lessons.
The longer viewers stay engaged, the stronger the chance for conversion, making narrative-driven ads an incredibly powerful tool in any marketer’s arsenal.
User-Generated Content (UGC) is a great converter.
When we run user-generated content (UGC), it sees higher interaction rates compared to other ads. When an endorsement comes from a customer or peer rather than a brand, the trust factor goes up. People are drawn to things that feel familiar and authentic, rather than sales pitches.
The kind of UGC that does well:
Happy Customers: Real customers sharing honest reviews has more weight than any polished ad. Best if the clips are shot on smartphones and minimally edited for a more spontaneous vibe.
Behind-the-Scenes Content: Show the brand or product in a real-world context, for example your cleanser featured in a customer’s daily skincare routine.
Unboxings & First Impressions: Ask customers to share videos of them unboxing your product and their initial reactions. Here’s a great article about why unboxings work.
UGC ads are a powerful way to engage audiences by tapping into the desire for authenticity. These ads make the brand feel like a friend, not a marketer—encouraging deeper connections and stronger engagement.
Honourable mention: 3D modelling.
While we haven’t actually tested any of these ads, this is something we’re seeing a lot more of, so it would be cheeky to gatekeep.
Brands need to keep experimenting with new tools if they want to stand out in saturated feeds. Using 3D modelling, designers are creating unique and surreal ads that get people to stop scrolling and pay attention. These cutting-edge technologies allow brands to push creative boundaries, generating visuals that would be nearly impossible to create manually — which naturally piques curiosity.
Why this is taking off:
Endless Creativity: Blending animation with reality means you have an infinite variety of creatives to work with. If you can dream it, they can animate it.
Fresh & Unexpected: Ads like this aren’t super common, as they can be difficult and expensive to create; this means they still feel fresh and exciting when encountered. Soon, they might be overdone — so get on it now!
Surreal and Unconventional: Brands can tap into surreal, abstract, or highly stylised visuals that break away from typical design conventions, capturing attention through their bold uniqueness.
By constantly experimenting with the next big design trends, brands are not only enhancing their creative output but also engaging consumers with visuals that are innovative, thought-provoking, and impossible to ignore.