We ran forty ad creatives for the same offer over one week, with the same audience and the budget split evenly. A few patterns stood out.
The headline beat the image
Swapping the headline moved results more than swapping the photo. The best headlines named a specific outcome instead of a feature.
The first frame decided
For video ads, versions that showed the product in the first second beat the ones with a slow build-up.
The winner was almost cut
The best performer was a plain, text-heavy design we nearly didn't ship because it looked too simple.