Distinction
How to make ads that actually stand out
Hello! Welcome to your weekly dose of INSPO ✨
One of the biggest mistakes I see brands making is creating ads that could be from any brand. Copying competitors, only using ad library as inspiration and churning out a high volume of ads that look just like everything else in their category.
But here's the thing, diversity doesn’t come from copying and the most successful ads are often the ones only you could have made.
Uniqueness cuts through the noise. When an ad feels distinctly "you," it doesn't just grab attention, it builds recognition, trust and memorability for your product and brand, not just the category.
The algorithm rewards this too. Meta values distinct creative because it’s easier for their algorithm to decipher who is going to engage with it most.
The smartest brands aren't chasing trends or copying competitors. They're doubling down on their distinction.
Ad breakdown
This is an ad from phone case brand Mous and it’s wonderfully distinct.
Instead of telling you how strong their cases are through a comparison static or dropping the phone onto a road in London, they’ve gone to the extreme.
So, here’s why I think it works…
👉 Mous rave about ‘extreme protection and performance for Apple’s latest devices’, so going ‘extreme’ to showcase what their cases can do makes complete sense. It’s not a dramatic hook for the sake of it, it’s rooted in product design and insight.
👉 The first part of the ad is shot in a highly native style that makes you feel like you’re there. It’s like you’re watching the footage back for the first time with them which immediately builds relatability.
👉 It’s dramatic but real, when they find the phone and discover it’s still working it feels genuine, like even they were half expecting it not to work. This builds trust because they’re not just saying it will work when they know it might not.
👉 The ad then goes into a full story about why they build their cases, the problem they’re solving and how the rest of the industry isn’t helping you. Again, building trust and positioning themselves as the experts.
It’s great because it’s rooted in insight and storytelling. No copying, just creativity .
P.S. I’d have stopped this ad on phone cases and not drifted into backpacks to avoid dilution of the core message, but that’s just my opinion.
How to make this format work for your brand
The secret isn't having a massive budget or Hollywood production values. It's about identifying and amplifying what's uniquely yours.
🪩 Leverage unique assets: your founder’s story, a unique product feature, a funny way customers use your product, the things that are distinctly you.
🪩 Own your category position: are you the premium option? The scrappy underdog? The technical expert? Lean into it.
🪩 Use your actual customers: real testimonials, real use cases, real problems you solve that competitors can't. Dig deep into customer interviews and reviews to find those golden nuggets.
🪩 Showcase your process: behind-the-scenes content that only you can create because it's literally your business.
🪩 Be platform-native, but brand-consistent: adapt to where you're advertising, but keep your voice and way of telling stories that make them unique.
When you create ads that could only come from you, you're not just advertising a product. You're building a brand that people remember, trust and choose.
Give this a go for your brand and let me know how you get on 💪🏼
Thanks for reading,
Katherine 🪩
If you found this useful, don’t forget to pass it onto your team…
P.S. If you’re looking for creative strategy support for your brand and don’t know where to start, drop me an email and let’s chat.