Hey - It's Carson.

I’m currently on the train to NYC to see my FIRST EVER BILLBOARD IN TIMES SQUARE!

Still feels weird to say out loud, but it’s going to be crazy seeing it tomorrow.

Fun fact: Buzz Aldrin (the second man to ever step on the Moon, in 1969) actually peed himself while walking on the Moon, allegedly.

I’d have peed during takeoff, so good on ya, Buzz.

Anyway, I’ve got some great ads for you this week, so I will not delay any longer.

Ads of the Week

Nivea, Audible, Hers, Craftsman, Buoy

Nivea

🧠 Principle: Visual Metaphor

🖋️ Definition: When an image represents a concept or idea through association or analogy to convey meaning beyond the literal picture.

💡 Why it works: Using one image to represent another concept without ever showing it directly, the cracked wall stands in for dry, damaged skin, and the Nivea cream “fills” it both literally and metaphorically.

Humans process visuals 60,000x faster than words, and the metaphor activates System 1 thinking, the fast, automatic, and intuitive way the brain processes information, operating with little effort.

The ad’s simplicity (one crack, one brushstroke, one line of text) reduces mental effort, letting the metaphor do all the work.

Use Nivea, fill your dry, cracked skin.

Audible

🧠 Principle: Expectation Reversal

🖋️ Definition: Something that is the opposite of what was anticipated, surprising the audience with an unexpected plot twist or development.

💡 Why it works: Why would someone ditch their reading glasses if they can’t read? Well, if they aren’t reading a book, and they’re using Audible, then that’s why.

The expectation reversal here is brilliant because it breaks a normal pattern/norm that you anticipate.

“Ditch your reading glasses,” Audible turns a pain point (the hassle of reading glasses) into a pleasure point (the ease of listening).

Instead of selling audiobooks, Audible sells the freedom from inconvenience. They remove the frustration of reading fatigue and glasses and replace it with ease and accessibility

It’s also incredibly simple, using cognitive ease (the psychological bias where people prefer things that are simple, clear, and easy to understand).

Hers

🧠 Principle: The Principle of Least Effort

🖋️ Definition: People, animals, and even machines naturally choose the path of least resistance to achieve a goal.

💡 Why it works: It’s pretty simple to understand why this ad works.

It presents a desire: “Thicker, fuller hair”

Then presents a quick and easy timeframe: “takes less than 1 min a day”

And instantly makes people want to either learn more or buy because it reframes hair growth, a long, frustrating process, as effortless and fast.

It satisfies the internal negotiation happening in your mind of wanting results, but not having the wait forever to see them.

The headline lowers the perceived cost (time and effort) while maintaining the perceived value (better hair).

Doing this creates a powerful value-effort imbalance, which is a sweet spot where reward feels huge compared to the effort required.

This ad makes transformation feel easy, and it reframes “treating hair loss” from a high-friction task to a 60-second habit that even Jeff Bezos could manage (yes, I know it’s for “hers” but still).

Craftsman

🧠 Principle: The Ben Franklin Effect

🖋️ Definition: People's feelings towards someone change to be more positive after they do that person a favor.

💡 Why it works: Instead of suggesting you give back to your Dad for all he’s done, what if you ask for more by giving him the tools to do it?

This inversion works because of the Ben Franklin Effect, which is the idea that when YOU do things for OTHERS, YOU actually grow to like THEM more.

That’s what the ad uses. Dad’s already done so much for you, and this gift helps him “do more,” which paradoxically still makes him feel useful, capable, and appreciated.

It’s funny, relatable, and connects directly with social identity and purpose rather than obligation, which some dads might hate.

That’s why it’s important to know your audience. Dads who hate fixing stuff would not be a fan of Craftsman gifts.

“Now make him do more” uses the Incongruity Theory of Humor because the expected emotional Father’s Day message (“Treat him,” “Thank him”) turns into a contrast that is surprising and makes you laugh.

Buoy

🧠 Principle: The Von Restorff Effect (Isolation Effect)

🖋️ Definition: Distinctive or "isolated" items stand out and are remembered more than the other items.

💡 Why it works: This ad by Buoy grabs attention by saying what most wellness brands *probably won’t:

“De-bloat, poop more, and sleep better.”

The raw, unfiltered copy from the headline uses the Von Restorff Effect, because the words themselves stand out since they are more “risque” (especially “poop”).

When a message breaks a category’s conventional tone, it commands attention and gets people to say:

• “Wait, did they really say poop more?”

  and

• “Okay, finally — someone said it”

Possibly my favorite part is that the copy is written like how real people talk.

It’s conversational with “Poop more” and “sleep better,” and it aligns with natural language processing as well as Buoy’s audience.

Fact: the brain prefers conversational fluency because it requires less cognitive load to understand and trust.

Instead of leading with abstract science (“supports 300+ pathways”), the ad leads with outcomes that consumers can feel.

It follows the CORRECT order of persuasion: emotional first, rational later.

It’s bold enough to stand out, simple enough to process, and credible enough to trust.

Here's an ad I made for Bud Light

That’s all for this week.

If you wanna see how my first Billboard looks and how it goes tomorrow, check out my other socials below.

I’m going to be vlogging my whole NYC trip for YouTube because I need to finally get on there.

Anyway, as always, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed :)

Till next week.

Stay Mad,

-Carson 🧪

---

If you're new, subscribe here​!

P.S. Enjoy the newsletter? Feel free to forward this to your friends. It only takes 10 seconds. Writing this takes me about 10 hours every week.

Click here to see how my team and I can help you get your best-performing ads or book a meeting.