Five ads work because they admit flaws, sell identity and status, compare visually, and challenge beliefs.
Admit a flaw to buy believabilityVolkswagen owned the Beetle's size instead of claiming to be the fastest or sexiest car.
Sell the identity, then show the proofGet a Mac and The Economist let viewers picture the person they want to be perceived as.
Compare visually without naming the competitorHuel set its noodles beside the generic instant noodle: same five minutes, more protein and vegan.
Executive SummaryAI
Alex tells the Copy Posse she is breaking down five ads and the psychological principles behind them, and floats a three-part series adding landing pages and emails.
Volkswagen's Think Small, launched in 1959, made the Beetle the number one best-selling imported car in the USA by the mid-1960s by naming its own flaw, which Robert Cialdini's Persuasion describes as a way to build trust.
Apple's Get a Mac ads with Justin Long and John Hodgman, and The Economist's one-line print ads such as "I never read The Economist. Management trainee aged 42", both sell identity, status and ego rather than features.
Huel's Facebook ad uses visual comparison against an unnamed status quo instant noodle: both take five minutes to prepare, but Huel's have more protein, vitamins and minerals and are vegan.
Her own personal brand bootcamp ads used the challenge common belief hook, with the static banner taking nearly 40% of total ad sales and a native Instagram ad converting at nearly 9% against a 1-2% average.
Key Quote
“Ever read an ad and think, oh my god, I have to buy this? Yes, that is not an accident.”
— Alex
Key Quote
“In Robert Cialdini's book, Persuasion, he describes the act of admitting a flaw or something that isn't perfect about you or your products as a great way to increase trust and believability.”
— Alex
Key Quote
“Everyone wants people to think that they're more like the Mac guy.”