Which Meta Ad Creative Types Perform Best?

TL;DR

Founder content ranks highest because an authentic origin story can connect the brand with people who share the founder’s problem, while press ads and generic text-only ads are poor priorities. Strong creative planning should combine scalable formats, such as founder, amateur investigation, and David and Goliath ads, with supporting formats designed for top-of-funnel discovery or mid-funnel conversion.

Transcript

In today's video, I'm going to be ranking every single meta ads creative format from the godlike S tier ads that almost always turn into unicorn scaling ads down to the F tier ones that you probably even [music] shouldn't be wasting your budget on. I've spent the last 10 years growing brands using meta ads and I've been a part of making 20,000 ad c... Read More

Key Insights

• Founder content is an S-tier format because explaining why the founder created the brand can build an immediate connection with people who share the same problem. It can work with either high-production footage or simple phone-recorded content and is often a brand’s first leading performer.
• Amateur investigation ads are A-tier creatives in which a creator investigates a product, market, or niche from an accessible, nonexpert perspective. The featured example involved visiting different car dealerships, and the format has scaled effectively for brands developed by the speaker’s team.
• Yapper ads are A-tier formats that depend heavily on finding the right creator, script, and setting. Although the structure appears simple, with someone speaking directly to the camera and telling a personal story, identifying a creator who can deliver it effectively is difficult.
• David and Goliath ads are A-tier storytelling formats that position the brand as a smaller challenger confronting a large industry or obstacle. The narrative can encourage audiences to support the brand, while stock footage can help visualize the larger opposing force alongside creator or founder content.
• Grid-style static ads are A-tier creatives that are easy to produce and particularly relevant for brands offering multiple products, SKUs, or bundles. They can become leading scaling ads, although their simple visual structure may provide less storytelling than creator-led or founder-led formats.
• TikTok love letters and reel shorts are B-tier, top-of-funnel formats that can test established messaging, personas, or creative concepts quickly. They may appear among stronger-performing creatives, but they are described as supporting components rather than formats that typically transform overall brand performance by themselves.
• Before-and-after and progression ads are B-tier formats that primarily support mid-funnel conversion. Before-and-after creatives contrast two states, while progression ads show changes across a defined period and communicate the results customers may anticipate, but neither format usually excels at reaching entirely new audiences.
• Press ads are F-tier because using publication assets can require permissions or additional usage rights. Even when a brand receives coverage from a publication such as Vogue, turning that coverage into a Meta ad may create operational problems unless the advertiser has secured the necessary rights.

Questions & Answers

Q: What Meta ad creative format received the highest ranking?

Founder content received an S-tier ranking, the highest level assigned in the supplied transcript. Its strength comes from letting founders explain why they created the brand and why its purpose matters personally. That story can connect with audience members who face the same problem. The format can use polished production or simple phone footage, and it is often a brand’s first major performer.

Q: How do founder ads build a connection with customers?

Founder ads build connection by presenting the personal reason a founder created the brand and explaining why the underlying problem matters. When prospective customers recognize that they share the same issue, the founder’s experience gives the brand a relatable human story. According to the ranking, this approach works across both high-production and low-production executions, including straightforward footage recorded on a phone.

Q: What is an amateur investigation ad?

An amateur investigation ad hires a creator to explore or investigate a product, industry, or niche from an accessible perspective. The example discussed involved a creator visiting different car dealerships. The format received an A-tier ranking because it has scaled well for brands developed by the speaker’s team, making it a strong candidate for creative testing when the subject supports an investigation-style narrative.

Q: Why are yapper ads difficult to execute effectively?

Yapper ads appear easy because they feature a creator speaking directly to the camera about a product, a problem, or a personal experience. Their difficulty lies in finding a creator who can make that extended storytelling compelling. Strong performance requires the right combination of creator, script, and setting. When those elements align, the format can scale well and earn its A-tier position.

Q: How does a David and Goliath Meta ad work?

A David and Goliath ad positions the brand as the smaller challenger overcoming a large industry, established opponent, or meaningful obstacle. This story can motivate viewers to root for the brand. The production may combine creator or founder footage with stock media that visually represents the larger opposing force, helping the audience understand the conflict and the brand’s role within it.

Q: When should brands test grid-style static ads?

Brands should consider grid-style static ads when they sell multiple products, carry multiple SKUs, or want to promote bundles. The format is relatively easy to create and has become a leading scaling creative for several brands discussed in the transcript. Its main limitation is reduced storytelling, but its production simplicity and ability to display several offerings make it useful low-hanging creative territory.

Q: Are before-and-after ads useful for finding new audiences?

Before-and-after ads are described as better supporting creatives for mid-funnel conversion than tools for discovering entirely new audiences. They make a change or outcome visually understandable, which can help persuade people who already know something about the brand. Progression ads serve a similar purpose by showing results across a specified period, but neither format is presented as a consistent source of broad new-audience scale.

Q: Why should brands avoid press ads and generic text-only ads?

Press ads received an F-tier ranking because publication coverage can involve permissions and extra usage rights when incorporated into paid Meta advertising. Generic text-only ads received an E-tier ranking because social media is highly visual and advertisers often execute the copy poorly, especially when relying on AI-generated writing. Text-based creative may still help during sales periods, including founder-letter executions, but it is not a general priority.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Founder content receives the highest ranking because it can communicate why a brand exists and connect directly with audiences experiencing the founder’s problem. Amateur investigation, yapper, David and Goliath, and grid-style static ads also rank strongly, although their effectiveness depends on suitable creators, storytelling, products, messaging, or execution quality in practice.

• Several B-tier formats function best as supporting creatives rather than primary scaling engines. TikTok love letters and reel shorts can expand a creative ecosystem at the top of the funnel, while before-and-after and progression ads can help convert warmer audiences by making outcomes and changes easier for prospective customers to understand clearly.

• Operational difficulty and weak execution lower the value of several formats. AI animation can attract a new audience initially but may not perform over the long term. Employee-generated content can conflict with employees’ regular responsibilities, generic text-only ads often suffer from poor AI-written copy, and press ads create permission and rights complications.