Creating ads that resonate and drive results in 2025 requires more than just clever copy or bold visuals. In 2025, your paid ad strategy must also build trust and connection.
Though, you should think of this less as a new ‘silver bullet’ marketing tactic to add to the list, and more like an ingrained part of your brand. For example, D2C brands like Gymshark and Glossier have consistently made authenticity, storytelling and building trust huge parts of their marketing campaigns over the years, and have seen huge success.
In this blog, we’ll delve into key takeaways from the recent D2C Diaries podcast episode below, exploring two powerful tools for paid ad success: authentic storytelling and leveraging Reddit for research and inspiration. These strategies are actionable, insightful, and perfect for any brand looking to enhance its creative process.
The Power of Authenticity in Paid Ads
One of the standout strategies for creating impactful ads is authenticity.
The core idea is simple: for an ad to perform, the audience must believe it’s real. This sense of authenticity is the difference between an ad that’s skipped and one that stops a viewer in their tracks.
Why Authenticity Works
Your audience isn’t stupid. They can easily spot when a brand tries too hard. Authentic content feels natural, relatable, and trustworthy, blending seamlessly with the organic content in their social media feeds. For example:
- User-Generated Style: Ads that mimic genuine user reviews or personal experiences outperform scripted, overly polished videos. Discover more about UGC in our Complete Guide to UGC here.
- Third-Party Narratives: Content framed as if it’s from a trusted source, like a podcast discussion or a journalist’s review, creates credibility
- Relatable Scepticism: Ads that start with a sceptical perspective (“I didn’t believe it at first...”) mirror the doubts many potential customers have, building a bridge of trust when those doubts are addressed authentically.
Crafting Authentic Scripts
When creating authentic ad scripts, avoid sales-heavy language. Instead, write from perspectives that mirror your audience:
- Existing Customers: Showcase genuine user stories, highlighting real problems and how your product solved them.
- Sceptical First-Timers: Share narratives of people hesitant to try your product but pleasantly surprised by the results.
- Third-Party Observers: Present content as if it’s been captured or narrated by an outsider, like a journalist or a friend.
For example, a fragrance ad might feature a hidden camera setup where someone compliments another person on their scent, reinforcing the product’s appeal without feeling staged.
Case Study: Belly Welly’s TikTok Success
A great example of leveraging authenticity in ads is the brand Belly Welly, a gut health product for women. Belly Welly capitalised on TikTok’s organic virality by creating videos that appeared natural and spontaneous. They staged scenarios like customers fighting over their product in stores or hiding it on shelves to build urgency and exclusivity.
While some of these moments may have been orchestrated, the organic, unpolished style captured attention and generated buzz. Importantly, they used this format repeatedly, tweaking the narrative to keep it fresh while maintaining the authentic feel.
Key Takeaways from Belly Welly:
- Ride the Viral Wave: If an idea works, repurpose it across different formats. This could mean using a winning TikTok concept in ads or adapting it for other platforms.
- Keep It Believable: Even if a scenario is staged, ensure it feels real. The audience should never feel “sold to.”
- Leverage Storylines: Build ongoing narratives that create intrigue and connection with the audience.
Unlocking Reddit for Ad Research
Reddit is a goldmine for understanding your target audience, their pain points, and their desires. With its endless subreddits and highly engaged communities, Reddit provides unfiltered insights into real customer conversations.
Why Reddit?
- Language and Tone: Reddit posts reveal how people naturally talk about their problems and solutions, helping brands craft copy that resonates.
- Pain Points and Solutions: Subreddits often discuss common challenges and how people try to overcome them, offering a direct line into customer frustrations.
- Validated Insights: Reddit’s upvote system highlights comments and ideas that resonate most with the community, acting as a built-in focus group.
How to Use Reddit for Ad Ideas
- Search for Pain Points: Start by searching keywords related to your product’s problem. For example, a sleep product might explore subreddits like r/insomnia or r/sleep. Here is an example of a search result when searching 'r/sleep':
- Analyse Top Comments: Look for the most upvoted comments to understand what language and angles resonate most with users.
- Extract Copy Ideas: Use these comments as inspiration for ad hooks, headlines, or storylines. For example, a top comment like “I hate lying awake for hours, knowing I’ll feel terrible tomorrow” can be adapted into a compelling ad opening.
- Track Failed Solutions: Look for mentions of competitor products or common methods that didn’t work. Highlight why your product is the exception in your ads.
- Build a Database: Organise Reddit insights into categories like benefits, pain points, and language style. This ensures you always have a resource of authentic ideas ready for your campaigns.
Examples of Reddit-Inspired Ads
Here are a few ways to translate Reddit insights into creative content:
- Hook Ideas: “Struggling to fall asleep even after trying everything? You’re not alone.”
- Relatable Stories: Share user journeys based on Reddit threads, like someone overcoming chronic sleep issues with your product.
- Authentic Reviews: Highlight real Reddit quotes in your visuals, adding a layer of credibility.
The Authenticity Checklist
To maximise ad success, here’s a quick checklist for incorporating authenticity:
- Is it Believable? Ensure the content feels like it could have been created by a customer, not a brand.
- Does it Mirror Your Audience? Use language and scenarios that align with your audience’s experiences and values.
- Have You Included Scepticism? Show the journey from doubt to belief, helping audiences overcome their own objections.
- Are You Repeating Winning Concepts? Build on ideas that work, presenting them in fresh, engaging ways.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating authenticity and leveraging platforms like Reddit can transform how brands approach advertising in 2025. By understanding your audience on a deeper level and speaking their language, you can create campaigns that not only capture attention but also build trust and drive meaningful action.
Ready to rethink your paid ad strategy? Get in touch with us today.
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