9 Dumb Ads That Worked (And Why Should You Steal Them)

What's New With Advertising

For better visual experience, we recommend check out our ad on Youtube: https://go.aazarshad.com/dumb-ads

In this episode, we discussed dumb ads that really worked for us. Especially when we didn't think they'd win. Guess what? We might have thought they were dumb, but they worked.

The pattern?

These ads weren't actually dumb. They were:

• Memorable

• Authentic

• Simple

• Emotionally resonant

Takeaway:

Sometimes the ads that seem ridiculous in the boardroom are exactly what will cut through the noise.

The best marketing doesn't always look like marketing.

What matters isn't how clever your ad seems internally.

What matters is whether it stops the scroll, creates an emotion, and drives action

Timestamps:

00:01:21 – First ad example: “Living with low T is tough” – why this simple, ‘dumb’ ad keeps working and insights from its success.

00:02:37 – Discussion on why the ad works: simplicity, imagery, and relatable headline.

00:03:36 – Iterations and headline successes from the ad.

00:04:14 – Second ad example: cartoon-style ad for kids’ emotional regulation—format, copywriting, and why clients don’t like but audiences do.

00:06:01 – Third ad example in the same theme: “Say goodbye to boring summer” and the effectiveness of cartoon hands.

00:08:02 – Next ad analysis: “golden milk with spice”—lack of benefits in the copy and how it still lands with the right audience.

00:09:26 – Another example: Betacamp ad about building a business in summer; hands holding signs as a recurring theme.

00:10:46 – Observations about the “sign” creative theme in successful ads.

00:11:42 – Branded SaaS ad example that unexpectedly outperforms others due to clear value proposition and branding.

00:12:22 – Story about Fermat and how a landing page graphic became a winning ad.

00:14:08 – More surprising ad success stories: poorly designed or ‘mistake’ ads that excel in performance.

00:16:41 – Listening to an Ozprint ad: humor, Aussie culture, entertaining elements.

00:18:02 – Why humor and cultural cues help the Ozprint ad work so well.

00:19:50 – Another Ozprint ad: breakdown of elements, storytelling, and video structure.

00:21:25 – Discussion on editing, relatability, and final thoughts on ad creativity.

00:21:57 – Wrap-up and key takeaways: try sign ads, make mistakes, and embrace funky concepts.

If you need timestamps for any specific ad, story, or segment in more detail, just let me know!

Connect with Marco and me here:

The Performers Newsletter: https://www.blog.theperformers.io/subscribe

The Performers Agency: https://theperformers.io/

The Performers Mastermind:https://theperformers.io/mastermind-community

Creative Ad Strategy Bootcamp: https://theperformers.io/creative-ad-strategy-bootcamp

Marco's Agencies:

https://www.ctrfactory.com/

https://www.shepherdagency.co/

#marketing #growthmarketing #ads #advertising #creativity #psychology #entrepreneur