Hey - It's Carson.

What I’m about to share with you is both true and speaks to the power of great advertising… kinda.

Fun fact: The song "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes is a story of a couple who are bored in their relationship together and seek new partners through personal (anonymous) ads in the newspaper, only to discover they've each inadvertently responded to each other's ads.

Insane, right? Now that’s A1 advertising.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, they rekindled their relationship because of this.

Anyway, on to this week’s best ads.

Ads of the Week

Best Golf Cars, Promix, SGS, Thesis, Nuuds

Best Golf Cars

🧠 Principle: Incongruity Theory of Humor

🖋️ Definition: Humor arises when it is both unexpected and harmless.

💡 Why it works: If you want people to remember you, make them laugh.

Setting up a traditional expectation (a family vehicle) and turning it into something unexpected (grown adults acting like kids). That mismatch = humor, and humor = memorability and likability.

It makes you feel like a fun, carefree, “young-at-heart” adult. Especially to males, this isn’t just a golf cart, but a way to act like a child and do stupid shit.

It doesn’t feel like an ad because it entertains while selling. Instead, it feels like an inside joke with your fun uncle who still hammers Miller Lite on the golf course.

Most people are either the immature friend or have one. What I love is that this ad hits on the feeling and the moment you drive around in a Golf Cart, THAT it what you're selling.

Promix

🧠 Principle: Ben Franklin Effect

🖋️ Definition: A psychological phenomenon in which people like someone more after doing a favor for them.

💡 Why it works: Seeing Devon’s face plastered on balloons was unexpected (I saw this ad on my feed), and I thought it was not only a great visual hook, but hilarious.

“Only Sale of the Year” activates our FOMO and reciprocity. When something is limited, it’s perceived as more valuable, and when you do something nice for someone, they feel the need to reciprocate.

By making this sale about Devon’s Birthday, you’re not buying because you need supplements… you’re celebrating a guy you now lowkey feel connected to (if you follow Devon, you get it). The personalization makes it a friendship-esque dynamic and builds trust.

Even if you don’t know Devon, you kinda want to. And that’s how you build brand affinity and loyal customers.

SGS

🧠 Principle: Von Restorff Effect (Isolation Effect)

🖋️ Definition: We remember things that stand out, are isolated or are unusual.

💡 Why it works: We remember things that stand out. And I’d venture to say this indeed stands out…

This billboard literally breaks our visual norms by turning the entire structure into a 3D drill. It's impossible to ignore. And because it's so unexpected, you’re more likely to remember the brand.

The double entendre in the headline, "Get Hammered!!" plays on the idea of using a hammer drill and the colloquial “get hammered” (aka, get drunk). It’s playful, slightly edgy, and funny; hopefully, it gave you a smile or laugh.

The main part I want you to take away isn’t the headline, or the absurdity of the actual billboard, but the subconscious effect it has on the brain. It visually simulates the product in use, drilling into the ground, which primes your brain to understand the tool's power, so you don’t just see the drill, you understand what it’s capable of.

Thesis

🧠 Principle: Problem-Solution Framing

🖋️ Definition: Presenting a challenge or pain point and positioning a product or service as the ideal solution.

💡 Why it works: If you don’t want people to buy, write confusing headlines. If you do want people to buy, make it clear as day.

“5 Signs You Need Clarity” literally gives you… clarity. By naming the pain, they create the itch you suddenly need to scratch.

Every symptom listed is common, relatable, and top-of-mind (brain fog, social media addiction, etc.). It uses the Availability Heuristic (we believe something is a problem if it feels familiar or recent) to make you feel the pain they want to evoke.

Once you read the list, there’s a mini “uh-oh” moment. If you experience 3+ of these, you now feel discomfort between how you're operating and how you want to feel (cognitive dissonance).

Tension drives action, remember that.

Nuuds

🧠 Principle: Bandwagon Effect

🖋️ Definition: People tend to adopt a specific behavior, belief, or trend simply because others are doing it.

💡 Why it works: Since we’re social animals, we love to ‘keep up with the Joneses’.

And "Over 50,000 happy customers" is not just a number, it’s an anchor point for trust that tells you, "If 50,000 people already love this, it must be fire."

Pair that with a 5-star review and a selfie-style photo that isolates the product, and it’s an absolute lethal weapon.

The quote/review, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to throw out every other shirt in my closet to make room for more of these,” creates a sense of desire because the product becomes the hero.

But it turns a normal praise into an obsessive frame of mind. It signals that this shirt isn’t just good, it’s so good, it makes everything else obsolete.

Here's an ad I made for Duolingo

Alright, that’s enough yappin’ from me for this week.

If you want more content from me, be sure to check me out on other socials below. And if you enjoy this newsletter, feel free to forward it to your friends. It only takes 10 seconds. Writing this takes me about 10 hours every week. I’d greatly appreciate it!

Til next week.

Stay Mad,

-Carson 🧪

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