The Weekly Sharpener #118 - Creative Cuts

Hey Fam 👋,

Welcome to Creative Cuts ⚔️! Your weekly dose of Ad Creative thoughts + breakdown(s).

What's on the agenda:

We're going to break down an ad from ButcherBox and discuss why it does or doesn't work with the goal that you'll have some actionable takeaways on how to improve your creatives and grow your business. 🚀

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This week we are tackling one ad from ButcherBox, with a video breakdown featuring Marin Istvanic 👇. Let us know your thoughts!

(Note: Marin is a master of his craft so you will leave the video having seen into the mind of a master...just saying.)

Butcher Box 🥩

Our structure is as follows:

• Hook

• Trust

• Benefits

• CTA

• Possible Changes

Let's dive into this short + effective ad!

Watch the entire ad with sound and better video quality on Foreplay (which is where I go to look/save ads for inspiration.)

Hook

There will be divergent opinions here - but a piece of packaged meat as the hook didn't inspire me.

It's not a strong emotional driver to keep going. The ad quickly moves into a scene with a cooked meal - still not compelling.

The final part of the hook: (technically it starts within the first 3 seconds)

This is where I would have started - if we're going to retool the existing components.

Why this part of the hook:

• Branded - you can see ButcherBox logos

• I get what you're selling very quickly

• I can add copy onto the image like: "Me = eating restaurant quality meats daily"

• It involves a person or arms in this part in motion - we see ourselves.

Trust 

This ad doesn't use trust badges in the traditional sense.

Humans filmed in a "UGC Style" is supposed to feel as if there is the unmanufactured trust of badges + logos in an ad.

We don't hear any of the people talking just under the voiceover so I'm not sold on how they are using their trusted advisors with their prospective consumers.

There is also clearly an expectation of brand recognition that they rely to garner immediate trust with the cold audiences they are targeting here.

I would love to see a version of this that has some badges or five-star comments overlayed on one of the creator's eating.

Benefits

• Healthier New Year

• Lean quality meats -> go into variety

• Recurring Delivery -> stay stocked up on the good stuff

• Helps with meal prepping and healthy dinners

• Better than anything you can buy in a grocery store

These are what you would expect from a ButcherBox ad - what I like most was the last one.

That is evocative. The question is did they focus on too many? Instead, they could have chosen 3 and focused more heavily on those!

• Lean Quality Meats

• For Healthier Dinners

• Better than anything you can buy in a grocery story

CTA

• BUILD YOUR OWN BOX + Website on the final frame.

This is strong and I like that is custom to the product they are selling - the subscription box.

I think they COULD do something cheeky here: Build your meat box or Get Your Meats.

Possible Changes

• More Custom CTA

• Focus on Fewer Benefits

• Add a little more direct social proof

• Get to the point in the hook faster

• Lean into the grocery meats being the enemy to anchor against so the benefits are incredibly easy to understand.

🤝

That's it for this week's Creative Cuts⚔️.

Let us know if there are brands you think we should be looking at. Until next time keep on creating friends!

All my best,

Chase

PS - Check out our YouTube Library for amazing content from the best in DTC marketing.

Creative Stack Platforms 🥞

What you should be using to take your creative process to the next level 👇

• Pencil - AI ads

• Foreplay - creative inspiration

• Motion - creative insights

• Otis - Ad Buying Automation

• Triple Whale - Ad Attribution