How to make founder ads
Give this a try
Hello! Welcome to your weekly dose of INSPO ✨
If you’re thinking about briefing in or filming a founder-style ad, read this email and watch the ad below first. Trust me, even if you’ve made these before, you’ll find something to take away from this example.
Ad breakdown
Founder ads have become really popular over the last few years.
And for good reason, who doesn’t want to hear about a product from the person that came up with it?
But they’ve also become quite formal and professional (not very social-first).
So it was a joy to stumble across this one…
Michael Fisher, founder of Rotten, filmed this ad at home and it’s a really good example of what founder ads used to be and still should be.
Here's why I think it works so well…
👉 A scroll-stopping visual hook.
👉 A strong copy hook that calls out the audience ‘candy lovers’ straight away.
👉 Real sounds instead of boring ad music — more authentic and engaging.
👉 Shot on a phone at an angle that feels really native (a videographer wouldn’t allow it) and with normal, at-home lighting, no studio lamps etc.
👉 Focuses on flavour before health — no matter how much we think we want to prioritise health, as humans, we still want the best flavour. I imagine they’ve figured out this is first and foremost why people buy with the health factor being what makes it guilt-free.
👉 Mentions ‘the perfect sour’ — the thing every sour sweet fanatic is looking for — builds curiosity and a need to try.
👉 Mentions a competitor directly without making it too obvious but getting the attention of true sweet connoisseurs.
👉 It’s a personal story about how he solved a problem for himself more than it is an ego-stroking founder video — referring to himself as a ‘sour candy freak’ instantly makes him someone any other sweet lover can relate to.
👉 It handles objections e.g. always felt like crap after eating other sweets, both physically and emotionally e.g. these are a guilt-free treat that align with his newer identity (getting more into health and fitness).
👉 It’s long but the authenticity and stimulating visual hooks keep you watching
How to make this format work for your brand
Don’t make it about you, make it about them. If you’re making a founder video, it’s still got to be done in a customer-first way, here’s what to think about:
🪩 Who are you speaking to and how do you relate to them?
🪩 What language do you share and when are you most relatable to them? E.g. is it in smart clothing at work or is it when you’re at home in pyjamas? These visual queues are more important than most of us realise.
🪩 Identify the single biggest reason people buy your product and tell a story it that includes you starting the business, instead of starting with ‘I’m the founder of X…’
🪩 Remind them why it’s better than other options.
🪩 Film it somewhere well lit but not professionally lit — think zoom call rather than photoshoot.
If you make or have made a founder video like this I’d love to see it, send it to me on LinkedIn or reply to this email 🔥
Happy ad making,
Katherine 🪩
Connect with me on LinkedIn
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