Hey, it’s Simon.
Simon says: steal the idea, not the execution.
If an ad only works because it’s AG1 or Bobbi Brown, it’s not worth copying.
Most brands copy the layout of a big-brand ad they love, swap in their product, and wonder why it flops. What made the original work was never the layout. It was the famous founder, the $100+ in freebies, or the product ecosystem behind it, and none of that comes with the copy.
Here’s what you’re walking away with today:
three big-brand static ads and what each one is really selling
the one test I run before borrowing from any ad
the ad we built from scratch using it
1. The Offer: AG1 gives you a reason to start
About $111 in free extras, crossed-out prices and “limited time.” A premium subscription means high hesitation, and the freebies make the first order feel safe. But it only works because AG1 can stack a shaker, canister, travel packs and other SKUs into one bundle. Most smaller brands have one or two products and nothing to stack.
The bundle is AG1’s advantage, not yours.
2. The Switch: Ridge makes your wallet feel outdated
Not leather. Not boring. Not bulky. The ad never shows a traditional wallet. You picture your own and see the problem. You don’t need a new wallet until yours feels outdated, and “not boring” turns the old one into a statement about the person carrying it.
Everyone already owns a wallet. Ridge’s job is to make you embarrassed of yours.
3. The Trust: Jones Road borrows a legend
Five essentials chosen by Bobbi Brown, with her portrait and her signature. If Bobbi picked it, it works. But the editorial format only works with a famous founder. Without her name, it’s just a nice black-and-white photo.
The format belongs to Bobbi. The idea underneath it belongs to everyone.
4. The Swap Test: what survives without the big brand
Before I borrow from any ad, I swap the brand. If it still works with no famous founder, no big budget and no product ecosystem, there’s an idea worth developing.
Two ideas pass:
The authority figure. Doctor ads are huge right now, but the doctor who speaks to Gen Z isn’t the one who speaks to boomers. The figure doesn’t need to be famous either: a grandma, a psychologist, an athlete. Find yours.
The sorting line. “For guys who don’t switch jewelry.” If you’re the guy who wears one chain every day, you stop scrolling. If you’re not, the ad wasn’t for you anyway. It’s about the person, not the product.
What the test doesn’t require is polish. We ran one angle twice for a client: a long flight, have vs. don’t have, in one image.
The handwritten version, which looks like a real person’s post, is the account’s top performer over the last 30 days: $15K spent, 144 purchases, a $101.80 CPA, and a 1.63 frequency, so it can keep scaling. The polished version had a model, a clean layout and a clever headline, and Meta barely spent on it.
Same angle in both. What changed the result was how native it felt.
5. The Build: Lazy Girl Creatine
So we took both ideas and built a new ad.
Iconic pop stars are having a comeback on TikTok, driven by Gen Z women around 20 to 25, the same women for whom the goal is now being strong, not thin. The product is creatine gummies, for women who lift and find powder a hassle.
A pop star archetype backstage, with a headset mic and a sequined jacket, holding a blush-pink jar.
“Your ex said gummies were lazy. Good thing you don’t believe in ghosts.”
He called her lazy, but he’s a ghost now. She listens to a woman who’s still on stage, still fit, still at the top. This audience doesn’t need convincing that creatine works. They need to feel it’s for them.
We’d test two figures (the pop star and an athlete boyfriend archetype), each with and without the headline: four versions that show whether the face alone does the work.
Steal this for your next brief
Before you borrow from any ad, ask:
Swap the brand: would it still work with no famous founder, no budget and no ecosystem?
Who: does it name one specific person?
One second: does the message land without polished production holding it up?
Authority: who does your audience already look up to?
If the idea only works because it’s AG1 or Bobbi Brown, move on to the next ad.
Talk soon, Simon
Stop guessing what works on Meta. We already know. Book a call with me and my team!