Hey - It's Carson.

I’ve been knee deep in creative ops, strategy, and ads galore this week, but I’m still bringing the heat.

Fun fact: It took the creator of the Rubik's Cube one month to solve the cube after he created it.

23 years into my life and I have yet to successfully solve more than one side. Sigh.

Here’s how I solve my Rubik's Cube:

Anyway, I don’t wanna keep you waiting, this week’s ads are some bangers.

Here. We. Go.

Ads of the Week

Oura, Liquid Death, Tesco, Dog is Human, Hygiene Lab

Oura

🧠 Principle: Incongruity Theory of Humor

🖋️ Definition:

💡 Why it works: Quick shoutout to my girlfriend for sending me this one.

Not sure if I was supposed to interpret her message as a code for another type of ring, but here we are.

The phrase “Give us the finger” makes you do a double-take because it’s commonly associated with giving the middle finger.

Before you can actually process the image, it looks like that’s what you’re getting too.

But it dodges your expectation with an innocent reveal of an Oura ring on the ring finger.

That surprise you get is what “we in the industry” call cognitive dissonance. And after you resolve the “conflict” you probably get a little smirk or laugh in there too.

Most wellness tech ads are serious, clinical, or inspirational. Lol not this one.

This is bold and unexpected (and plastered all over NYC).

The finger literally becomes the focus of the ad… and the product.

Liquid Death

🧠 Principle: Reactance Theory

🖋️ Definition: People rebel when they feel challenged or threatened.

💡 Why it works: Lean into the hate. Make people emotionally engaged. Start a conversation (using a bit of criticism).

Highlighting a disapproving comment, Liquid Death invites you to disagree with the critic and side with them.

It’s like a “don’t tell me what to do” instinct Gen Z (aka me) live for.

Instead of traditional happy-go-lucky reviews, they showcase hate comments like trophies. And the sticker “People love us on the internet” next to a scathing critique is dropping a bit of sarcasm.

They’re confident, divisive, and lean into what makes them different, their brand.

A pregnant Kylie Kelce at a bar holding a beer mug (with water) + the phrase “Liquid Death” = immediate tension.

But once you realize (“oh, it’s just water”), you get the joke. And you can laugh with them at the dummy who decided to open himself up to this.

Liquid Death does not sell water. It sells rebellion and going against the grain (and “we don’t give a f*ck” energy).

By mocking the haters, they speak directly to their tribe: people who want to stand out, not blend in.

Tesco

🧠 Principle: Cognitive Dissonance

🖋️ Definition: The mental discomfort experienced when we hold conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes.

💡 Why it works: Ah yes, pineapple on pizza… one of the internet’s most divisive food debates.

By referencing this controversial topic (“Pizza topping or not”), Tesco primes your brain to wrestle with a non-serious conflict while dropping the real message: their prices are objectively competitive.

Your brain wants to resolve the tension, and Tesco helps you do that by offering something both sides can agree on: value.

If you wanna make yourself feel modern and “hip”, then act like it.

People share and remember ads that make them smile. This does that.

You're associating Aldi (known for low prices) with Tesco through the words “Aldi price matched.”

Hijacking Aldi’s brand equity? Chef’s kiss.

Dog is Human

🧠 Principle: Temporal Landmarks (Temporal Framing)

🖋️ Definition: Distinct events that mark transitions between time periods, influencing how people organize memories, experiences, and make decisions

💡 Why it works: By breaking down the product’s effects week by week, it helps pet owners visualize a future where their dog is healthier.

Using timelines is KEY! They create a sense of momentum and goal progress, which helps reduce friction in the decision-making process because of the goal-gradient theory (remember that one).

Rather than overwhelming you with claims, it gives benefits over time (itch relief, hotspot healing, shinier coat, happier dog) to help you understand what you can expect.

It makes it simple and easy to understand. And, if you don’t recall, simplicity bias makes us trust simple things more than complex ones.

Rather than promising general health, it addresses a specific, emotionally triggering problem (itching, paw-licking, discomfort) and solves it fast.

Don’t treat your dog like an animal. Treat them like they’re human.

Hygiene Lab

🧠 Principle: Ego Priming

🖋️ Definition: Using a stimulus, like a word or image, to subtly influence a person's behavior or thinking in a later situation, particularly related to their sense of self.

💡 Why it works: “Your Wife is Hot” serves as a pattern disruption that immediately grabs your attention. It’s a disruptive statement that catches the brain off-guard by defying ad “norms”.

It forces you to pause and resolve the “What does this have to do with soap?” conflict, which keeps you reading.

Quick interruption: I didn’t understand the copy in this at first. It didn’t make sense in terms of fluidity. But it stopped me, so I had to include it. Back to it…

Humor activates the brain’s reward centers, making the brand more memorable. It also breaks down resistance, which is essential in hygiene categories (they are oversaturated af with overly generic claims).

Want people to act on your ad? Appeal to their aspirational identity. Men want to be perceived as attractive, desirable, and high-status.

If you can imply: “If you’re married to a hot woman, you should rise to her level.” That’s a form of social comparison framing, saying: Don’t underperform.

Complimenting people’s partner indirectly compliments them: “You’ve got a hot wife = you’ve got good taste = you must want to keep her.”

This ego-boost is followed by a call-to-action that ties pride to hygiene and seals the mf deal.

Here's an ad I made for Brez

That’s all for this week. Please fill out the poll to let me know: “Does Pineapple belong on pizza?”

I don’t think so.

Also, let me know what you thought of this week’s newsletter by replying to this email. Love to get your feedback so I can keep improving this week over week for you!

Stay Mad,

-Carson 🧪

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