Hey - It's Carson.

I’m back to bother you in your inbox.

Fun fact: If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. And if you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.

I hate sneezing. Apparently, that’s a hot take. But I’m full of those.

Anyway, I’m lucky enough that this newsletter has been growing week over week, and I’m trying to help as many people as I can advertise better using psychology (or apply it to their other field of work).

So, if you know anyone who could benefit from this, I’d super appreciate you sending this to them!

Now, on to this week’s 5 best ads.

Ads of the Week

Loop Earplugs, Ned Bank, Clove, Kit-Kat, Volvo

Loop Earplugs

🧠 Principle: Loss Aversion

🖋️ Definition: We value potential losses more than potential gains.

💡 Why it works: By defining a negative emotional state, “the feeling when not using Loop,” your natural bias to avoid pain more than seek pleasure kicks in. You don’t want to feel noiseful. That’s the whole pitch.

The word “Noiseful” is made up, yes. But it’s instantly understood. Our brains get a dopamine hit for decoding the new and unknown, making whatever that may be, more memorable.

The whole premise of the ad is reframing a universal pain (loud environments) into a branded term. Think “hangry” or “doomscrolling”, except now it’s “noiseful.”

If you can name the enemy, you can sell the solution.

It reframes hearing protection not as boring or clinical, but as lifestyle-enhancing.

Manny, if you’re reading this, great job to you and the team on this one.

Ned Bank

🧠 Principle: Expectation Reversal

🖋️ Definition: The act of a situation or outcome happening contrary to what was initially expected.

💡 Why it works: You start reading: "To have enough saved for retirement..." and naturally expect the usual investment spiel. But then: "start smoking today."

BOOM.

Wait, what?

Your mental model comes burning down like a pirate ship. It forces you into an instant reevaluation of what you’re reading. whic

The shock makes you pause, re-read, and engage. Mission accomplished.

This technique disrupts our attention with surprise and then delivers clarity through context (which you have to keep reading if you want).

Talking about smoking in a positive financial context feels wrong. And that’s why it works.

It violates expectations just enough to jolt you, but not enough to be offensive once you read the fine print.

It lives in that sweet spot where humor, truth, and discomfort meet. And that, my friend, that’s where ads become unforgettable.

Clove

🧠 Principle: Identity Framing

🖋️ Definition: How individuals or groups construct and present their identities, often related to a specific context or conflict.

💡 Why it works: If you want people to buy your product, speak to who they are and who they want to be.

Rather than saying “great for nurses,” it reframes the product as: “Perfect for the rainy day dog walker.”

Because even if you don’t walk dogs in the rain, this hyper-specific label makes you imagine exactly who the shoe is for… and if it works for them, it’ll probably work for you.

It’s selling peace of mind to people who get messy. The dirty tennis ball. The leash. The caked-on mud. It’s more of a “real-life scenario” with zero words needed.

The more sensory and specific something is, the more believable and memorable it becomes because of our bias for concrete information.

We don’t need the features listed. We see the benefit: durability, waterproofing, and ease of cleaning. It’s easy to understand what, why, and how they’re beneficial.

You don’t have to be a nurse to benefit from a nurse shoe. You just need similar attributes and have similar pains.

Kit-Kat

🧠 Principle: Visual Metaphor

🖋️ Definition: A figure of speech that uses images to represent an idea or concept.

💡 Why it works: Listen, we can argue whether attention spans have decreased or stayed the same, but one thing is undeniable: We are chronically addicted to our phones.

Everyone in the scene is looking down, holding Kit Kat bars exactly like smartphones.

It takes you a millisecond to realize, but you get it: Have a break. Have a Kit-Kat.

(The break means from your phone.)

Basically, the ad is just saying what you need isn’t more screen time… It’s a real break.

It works because our brains are wired to latch onto familiar shapes and routines (smartphones) and then snap to attention when they’re unexpectedly swapped out (Kit Kat).

You're primed to think everyone’s just doomscrolling until your brain does a rewind when you realize they’re all holding candy bars. When you do come to that realization, you subconsciously put 2 and 2 together.

It’s just “weird” enough to stick.

Volvo

🧠 Principle: Contrast Effect

🖋️ Definition: A cognitive bias where our perception of something is influenced by comparing it to something else, leading to an exaggeration of their differences.

💡 Why it works: Instead of bragging directly, Volvo lets you connect the dots yourself (because they know you aren’t stupid).

They don’t say: “Other cars suck.”

They say: “Other cars only go up to 99,999 miles… wonder why?”

By showing rather than telling, the ad activates what we call System 2 thinking, you do the mental math, and the insight feels “earned”. (System 2 thinking builds belief and processing fluency.)

Instead of just saying, “We build long-lasting cars,” they’re literally proving it with the odometer design.

It’s like a brand SHOWING that their product lasts longer than you think you’ll need it instead of just saying it.

My (personal) favorite part is the “Your car has five numbers. Volvo has six.” Because you immediately wonder: Why does that matter?

The headline creates tension, and as I’ve said before, tension = sales.

Then they resolve that tension by giving you an “aha” moment with “One could get the impression they lack a little confidence.”

Volvo doesn’t sell luxury. They don’t sell status. They sell durability, affordability, and longevity.

Here's an ad I made for Durex

That’s all for this week. If you liked this newsletter, reply with your favorite ad this week and whether or not you like or dislike sneezing.

Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Til next week.

Stay Mad,

-Carson 🧪

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