Deconstructing my 2 top performing ads that generated 12 MILLION dollars in revenue

Part 2 of a two-part series. Read part 1 before reading part 2!

Hey UGC and marketing friends!

I’m excited to pick up on part 2 of this two-part series. Before you read part 2, read part 1 if you haven’t already - direct link to part 1. In this article, I’ll be deconstructing the #1 top-performing ad that I created for this client that received over TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN AD SPEND (16% of the ad spend for 2021) with a 1.2% CTR and 3.3% ROAS. This is a must-read article that offers a tangible creative strategy to take and implement into your UGC concepts in present day. A question I got asked when I launched part 1 was, “But these are from 2021? What worked then will still work now?” In short: YES! The underlying creative strategy is something I’m still implementing into the current UGC I’m producing, whereas I’m tailoring it to the current social trends. We’ll talk more about this later on… without further ado, let’s dive in! 🎉

Before I go any further - here is a direct link to the ad I'm referencing throughout this article. As a quick backstory, I created this concept inspired by two historical top performers I had produced within a matter of months for this client, including this studio edit and UGC concept from part 1. By doing so, this concept I'll be deconstructing in this article became the #1 top-performing ad in 2021.

As a note: just because these ads are from 2021 doesn't mean they can't still work in present day. I'm seeing a trend take place across the board for all of my clients where what's worked historically in the past can still work in 2023/present day. Of course, there are social nuances to leverage, but the underlying strategy still can work today. Something I never see UGC creators leverage is the half screen, which is a solid creative strategy to A/B test. I say this because the two ads that inspired this ad were not leveraging the side-by-side format, whereas this concept became the #1 top performer on the account for 2021 and WAS a side-by-side format. You never know what creative format will work best, so test away!

Starting with the hook: “These pants have 5 secrets…” paired with the profile of the waist down, showcasing how flattering the dress pant yoga pants are on. That said, notice how I immediately go from the first visual of myself (waist down) into a plus-sized woman. This is because the comments on the original versions mostly had to do with the complaint that they wished they had seen a woman “their size in the ads.” This is a great reminder to read the comments in your ads for honest feedback from the target audience. So what did I do? I immediately contacted my connection, Jessica Vitug, and asked her to film b-roll of herself in their best-selling pants and intercut her b-roll with my b-roll to show the pants on different-sized women.

From the hook, we immediately go into the value props that are labeled 1-5:

1. Dress pant styling, yoga pant feel

   

2. Buttery soft, 4-way stretch fabric

   

3. Wide range of sizes and inseams

   

4. Both pocketed and non-pocketed styles

   

5. Machine washable and wrinkle resistant

Which if you notice, these are the top-performing value props from the two linked ads above. I based the order of value props based on the performance feedback on iterations up until this point in time. Meaning I chose the order of 1-5 based on which callouts were most attractive to our target demo to ensure the highest VTR (view-through rate) possible.

From the hook to the value props 1-5, I introduced an ADDITIONAL form of social proof and CTA (call to action): Similar to part 1, UGC is just one form of social proof. So I chose to sprinkle in a credibility line showing how many pants have been purchased to date, “over 2 million women have made the switch to dress pant yoga pants.” Followed by, “if you don’t believe us see for yourself… use code: NEW20 for 20% off your first order”

So what are the main KPI callouts for these top 2 performing ads?

#2 top performer

• 1.4 million in spend

• 11% of spend for 2021

• 2% click through rate

• 2.6% ROAS (return on ad spend)

#1 top performer

• 2 million in spend

• 16% of spend for 2021

• 1.2% click through rate

• 3.3% ROAS (return on ad spend)

Other notable KPIs from this client in 2021

• Out of the top 20 ads in 2021, 18 of them were mine, receiving 85% of the ad spend budget for that year (almost $13 MILLION dollars)

• The average CTR on these top ads was 1.1%

• The average ROAS on these top ads was 3.6%

Here’s a preview of what those top 20 assets look like broken down… so many valuable takeaways I still leverage and implement into ads I create for clients in PRESENT DAY. Comment if you’re interested in future newsletters breaking down these top performers and other top performers from my clients (past and present).

If you haven't already, grab my 80+ page UGC Blueprint for 30% off with code: subscriber30 and join the UGC Social Community for free and gain instant access to recorded trainings with the 7-day free trial here! As always, I wish you the best of luck on your UGC journey, continue to use me as a resource; I'm here to help. ❤️