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Creative Lessons From Our Favorite Concepts of 2025
From car rants to AI visuals—here's what moved the needle (and what to steal for 2026).
Dan Moran, Rea Naidoo & Sam Makalou
January 23, 2026
In sports, you don't find the next winning play by staring at a blank whiteboard. You find it by reviewing the game film until the patterns become impossible to ignore. Performance creative works the same way. The 2025 auction has already revealed key insights to shape the winning playbook for 2026—you just have to be willing to watch the tape.
Here’s what’s inside today’s edition:
Sam joins Meta's 2026 Creative Forecast panel
The creative patterns that defined 2025's top performers
Why emotion often converts better than logic
Reading time: 5 minutes
CREATIVE STRATEGY
Creative Lessons From Our Top Concepts of 2025
It’s that time of year again where we asked eight members of Ready Set's creative and strategy teams to pick one ad from 2025 that genuinely shifted how they think about performance creative. Not the flashiest execution or the biggest budget. The concept that taught them something they're carrying into 2026.
Here are the best ads we shipped last year.
Venting from the Driver's Side
Brand: Hers
Length: 27 seconds
Platform: Meta & TikTok
👀 Why it stood out
Sometimes the best creative isn't about reinventing the wheel—it's about stacking what already works.
This ad combines three proven formats: split-screen layout, raw "car POV," and direct-to-camera talent. But what really makes it hit is how fast it addresses a major friction point—the hassle of in-person appointments.
It's short, punchy, and gets straight to the point. That's why it maintained one of the best CPAs on the account for months.
Solving a specific pain point + native-feeling content = winning formula.
Takeaways
→ Stack your wins. When multiple elements work, combining them can amplify results.
→ Hit the pain fast. Clear, specific frustrations stop the scroll.
→ Short is sweet. Short, focused ads often sustain performance longer.
Dasher Action Figure
Brand: DoorDash
Length: 19 seconds
Platform: Meta & TikTok
👀 Why it stood out
Cultural relevance is a cheat code for attention—when you get it right.
This ad taps into the action figure trend and uses toy-style packaging to instantly grab attention before pivoting into clear, performance-driven value props around earnings and control.
It feels playful and culturally relevant, but never loses sight of what actually matters to the audience. That's rare.
Even better? The concept is flexible enough to test across audiences, seasons, and messages. It's built for scale, not just a one-off moment.
Takeaways
→ Visuals over volume. Strong concepts communicate before a word is spoken.
→ Stay culturally relevant. Lean into trends to create a "thumb-stop" moment.
→ Build for scale. The best ideas evolve across audiences, seasons, and messages.
The AI Frontier
Brand: Happy Head
Length: 10 seconds
Platform: Meta & TikTok
👀 Why it stood out
Instead of hiding the AI, this ad made it the entire hook.
The AI-generated visuals are scroll-stopping on their own, but what makes the ad work is how clearly they're tied back to the product story. It feels futuristic and unexpected, earning attention fast before grounding itself in a performance-driven message.
This is a great example of using AI not just to produce ads faster, but to create work that genuinely looks and feels different in-feed.
Takeaways
→ Make the tool the hook. When the creative process is novel, let the audience see it.
→ Pattern-break visually. Distinct aesthetics buy you attention.
→ Anchor innovation to clarity. New tech works best when the message stays simple.
FROM OUR PARTNER
🌤️ You’re Invited: 2026 Creative Forecast
Our very own Sam Makalou is joining creator Sammi Cohen, Meta Creative Shop, and Meta product experts for a live virtual panel forecasting what's ahead for ad creative in 2026.
On the radar: bold predictions on the trends, tech, and creative strategies worth planning for now. Bring an umbrella, because this crew will be making it rain with actionable insights.
It’s happening Tuesday, February 10 @ 12:30 PM ET.
Emotional Transformation
Brand: Stately
Length: 33 seconds
Platform: Meta & TikTok
👀 Why it stood out
This ad doesn't lean on a checklist of value props. Instead, it taps into something deeper: the desire to be noticed and feel confident.
The transformation visual is immediately interesting, and the talent aligns perfectly with the target demographic. It feels relatable and realistic, focusing on how the product makes the user feel rather than just what it is.
It's a great reminder that emotion often converts better than logic.
Takeaways
→ Nail the fundamentals. Strong hooks, casting, and structure still win.
→ Sell the feeling, not just the features. Emotional relevance drives memorability.
→ Keep it intentional. Simplicity creates space for connection.
Pointing Fingers
Brand: Brigit
Length: 33 seconds
Platform: Meta & TikTok
👀 Why it stood out
You don't always need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, tapping into the existing "visual vocabulary" of the internet is the fastest way to scale.
This ad is based on the iconic "Spider-Man pointing" meme, and it quickly became the second top-spending video on the account across all platforms. Why? Because it's instantly recognizable, funny, and requires zero context to understand.
It proves that leaning into internet culture isn't just clever—it's a legitimate performance strategy.
When a visual is already baked into culture, you skip the explanation phase and go straight to conversion.
Takeaways
→ Meme-ify your message. Use established cultural symbols to lower the barrier to entry.
→ Instant recognition. Familiar visuals reduce the "cognitive load" for the viewer, making the ad easier to consume.
→ Build for scale. Strong, flexible concepts earn media confidence.
Short and Sweet
Brand: Hers
Length: 9 seconds
Platform: Meta & TikTok
👀 Why it stood out
Launching a totally new product is never easy, especially when no one even knows it exists yet. But Hers nails it with this one.
Executed by Ready Set's Design and Animation (DANDA) team, the creative pushed beyond standard patterns, introducing fresh visual language that added meaningful diversity to the account—something today's algorithms increasingly reward.
This ad proved how experimentation and craft can work hand-in-hand with results. It was one of several standout executions that powered a highly successful launch in 2025.
When you feed the algorithm variety, it rewards you with reach.
Takeaways
→ Diversity drives scale. Don't get stuck in one "winning" style; constant visual testing is the only way to sustain growth.
→ Feed the algorithm. Provide a variety of visual styles to keep your account "fresh" in the eyes of the platform.
→ Great launches are collective wins. Strong results come from collaborative craft.
The Bottom Line
The ads that worked in 2025 didn't follow a single formula. Some stacked trends. Others broke them. A few made AI the centerpiece. Most executed fundamentals better than anyone else.
What they share is intentionality. They stopped the scroll and moved the business forward because the teams behind them understood the difference between creative that looks good and creative that compounds.
Want us making high-performing creative for your brand? Let's talk.
That’s all for this week. Seeya next time 🫶
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 | Dan Moran, Rea Naidoo & Sam Makalou |