Back to basics
An idea for January...
Hello! Welcome to your weekly dose of INSPO âš
A colleague shared an ad from a magazine recently and it really stuck in my head â Iâm a sucker for old-school, editorial creative.
Itâs nearly time to down tools, switch on the out of office email and watch the final pre-Christmas sales roll in, but before we do thereâs January creative to be made.
Thing is, January presents a big opportunity for growth on paid social, especially if youâre in the health and wellness space, but itâs also highly competitive as every brand turns its attention to our desire to start new habits and reinvent ourselves.
So my theory is⊠in amongst all the âhow to cure January bluesâ UGC videos and ânew year, new youâ offers, something refreshingly simple could really cut through.
P.S. Iâve just launched a private community for creative strategists, if thatâs you and youâd like an invite reply to this email or drop me a message on LinkedIn.
Ad breakdown
At first glance, this ad doesnât feel like anything special.
Lots of text.
A single visual.
No big logo.
But the longer you look, the smarter it gets.
Hereâs why I think it works đđŒ
đ It rewards attention instead of demanding it: it doesnât scream for your focus, it earns it. You start reading because it sounds familiar, almost comforting. Before you know it, youâre emotionally inside the scene. In a feed full of âwatch this nowâ energy, that calm confidence is powerful.
đ The copy paints a painfully relatable moment: this isnât about cleaning. Itâs about being left with the unglamorous job while everyone else relaxes and wanting to join them as fast as possible. That emotional specificity â tired, slightly resentful, post-Christmas chaos â is what makes the product feel genuinely useful, not just nice to have.
đ The visual is symbolic, not literal: the broken wishbone does a lot of heavy lifting.
It quietly reinforces the message: this is not what you wished for. It also paints a picture of just how greasy post-dinner mess is. Thereâs no need to show grease, mess, or scrubbing hands. The metaphor does the work, and it does it elegantly.
đ The product enters late â and thatâs intentional: the Fairy spray sits quietly at the bottom of the page. It doesnât interrupt the story, it resolves it.By the time you notice it, you already agree with the problem. The product simply becomes the obvious answer.
đ It reframes the category as emotional relief: this isnât about removing grease faster. Itâs about removing friction from real life. Thatâs a powerful positioning shift, especially relevant for wellness brands who often focus too heavily on outcomes instead of moments.
đ It trusts the readerâs intelligence
No emojis.
No urgency.
No exaggerated claims.
Just good writing, a clear insight and confidence that the audience will meet it halfway.
Why this style is worth trying
January ads tend to be loud.
Everyone is shouting about discipline, change, optimisation, transformation. But this ad takes the opposite route, and thatâs exactly why it would stand out.
Especially in health and wellness, thereâs an opportunity to slow the pace, speak to real moments and acknowledge fatigue, not just ambition
Sometimes the most effective January message isnât âbe betterâ, itâs âlet life be easier.â
How to make this strategy work for your brand
Whether you print it out and take a photo to make your ad OR simply create a copy-led graphic, hereâs how to borrow the thinking behind this ad and apply it to your own paid social creative.
đȘ© Start with a specific, unglamorous moment your customer recognises instantly
đȘ© Write like youâre telling a story, not selling a product, be strict with yourself and donât let the sales-y words creep in
đȘ© Let the product appear as the solution, not the star, subtle and cleverly positioned
đȘ© Use metaphor and symbolism instead of literal demonstrations
đȘ© Trust that clarity and honesty will outperform hype
Copy-heavy doesnât mean old-fashioned. It means youâre confident enough to let words do the work. And in a sea of fast cuts and loud promises, that confidence can be the thing that truly cuts through.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes, Iâd love to see more of these ads out in the world đȘđŒ
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Iâm Katherine, a freelance paid social creative strategist. Iâve worked with brands such as ZOE, ChÄmpo, Rise & Fall, SURI and many more. I currently lead Creative Strategy at Ballpoint and work with brands directly.
Having worked in startup marketing for 10 years, my category experience is broad (everything from bio-fuels to homeware) but the common thread that ties it all together is social-first creative, rooted in strategy.
đȘ© Work with me: katherineheath.com
đȘ© Connect with me on LinkedIn
đȘ© Read past INSPO posts
Great find with that ad.