Why Most Ads Fail. Hint: It’s Not the Creative. [AI Creative Strategy, Edition #004]

👋 Hey friends,

I’m making a small change to the newsletter schedule:

• Monday will focus on tactical and strategic advice you can apply directly to your creative strategy.

• Wednesday will feature creative styles you can test in your next campaigns, along with deep dives into brand case studies.

• Friday will stay the same – focused on AI prompting for creative strategy.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

Today's drop is pure gold if you’ve ever built an ad and thought: "This looks great… but why isn’t anyone buying?"

Spoiler: It’s probably not your hook. It’s your offer structure.

Here’s a prompt you can use to turn basic product features into irresistible, conversion-focused offers — with AI doing the heavy lifting.

🔍 Core Prompting Principle:

A strong offer lowers customer risk and increases emotional reward. Train your AI prompts to frame offers with urgency, value stacking, and risk-reversal — not just surface discounts.

🧱 Prompt Formula

“Offer Builder and Risk Reversal Prompt”

✍️ Example Output:

Product: Plant-Based Protein Powder
Basic Offer: 1 tub for $49

Offer 1:
Get 2 tubs + a free shaker bottle for $79 (limited-time).
Risk Reversal: 30-day full refund if you don’t love the taste.
CTA: Fuel your workouts — no risk, all reward.

Offer 2:
Subscribe and save 20% — plus get free shipping every month.
Risk Reversal: Cancel anytime, no fees.
CTA: Your clean energy boost, delivered your way.

Offer 3:
First-time buyers get a free mini-pack sampler with any order.
Risk Reversal: Love it or get a full refund.
CTA: Taste it before you commit.

🛠 Tactical Tip:

Before you launch an ad, run your offer through this question:
“Would I buy this if I were 50% skeptical?” If the answer is no, sweeten the offer or increase risk removal.

💣 Value Bomb:

You don’t just want customers to say “that’s cool.” You want them to say: “I can’t say no to this.”

🎤 My take on it

When you create ads, it’s easy to focus on the creative first — the video, the script, the editing. But if you don’t have a strong offer or clear brand promise behind it, even the best-looking ad will struggle. Offers are not just about discounts; they’re about giving people a reason to act right now. A good offer makes people feel like they are getting more value than what they are paying for. Things like free gifts, limited-time bonuses, or easy returns can all make an offer feel stronger without changing the product. Your brand matters too. It’s the story people believe about who you are and what you stand for. If your brand feels trustworthy, real, and connected to a bigger mission or value, customers are more willing to buy — even if your price is higher than someone else’s. When you combine a strong offer with a strong brand, your creative doesn’t have to work as hard, because the customer already feels like they’re making a smart, safe decision. Before you make your next ad, always ask yourself two things:

• Am I giving the customer a real reason to act now?

• And am I making it clear what my brand promises them long-term?

If you can answer both, your ad will have a stronger foundation — and you won’t be relying on “luck” or “virality” to make sales happen.

👋 Wrapping Up

Understanding your offer and brand story before you build creative is the hidden lever for better performance. It’s not just what you say — it’s what you're selling emotionally that drives conversions.

Next Tuesday, we’ll dive into Platform-Specific Creative Research — you’ll learn how to research formats, hooks, and creative trends specific to Meta Ads, so you can build ads that fit the platform and outperform the competition.

Got a favorite brand you want me to break down next week? Hit reply and send it over.

To the next one, Tomasz.