Ad Creative Vault
King Arthur's sword, pulled from the stone. Only the rightful king could draw it.
Proven ad layouts and angles, ready to adapt to your brand.
Angle first, layout second
An ad is two decisions: the angle (the reason this person should care right now) and the layout (how that reason is put in front of their eyes). Most creative fails on the angle, then gets blamed on the design. Pick the angle from the first library, pair it with a layout from the second, and you have a testable ad.
Ten angles
Each angle comes with a hook pattern you can fill in. The examples are illustrations, not tested lines; write yours from your own buyer's words.
| Angle | Hook pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pain callout | "If you [specific frustrating situation], read this." | "If your calendar is full of calls that never buy, read this." |
| Contrarian | "Stop [common advice]. It is why [bad result]." | "Stop boosting posts. It is why your ads feel expensive." |
| Before and after | "[Old state] to [new state] in [time]. Here is what changed." | "Empty inbox to twelve replies a week. One change." |
| Mechanism reveal | "The [named method] that [result] without [pain]." | "The two-page funnel that books calls without a webinar." |
| Proof first | "[Real client or result]. Here is how." | Use only results you can show on request. |
| Objection crusher | "Think [objection]? So did [person like them]." | "Think ads do not work for local businesses? So did this bakery owner." |
| Old way, new way | "[Old way] costs you [loss]. [New way] gives you [gain]." | "Cold calling costs you mornings. Inbound gives them back." |
| Founder story | "I [failed at X] for [time] until I [discovered Y]." | "I wasted a year on content nobody read until I flipped one thing." |
| Question | "Why do [group] who [do the right thing] still [bad result]?" | "Why do coaches with great reviews still struggle to sell?" |
| Offer forward | "[Offer] for [buyer]. [Key term]. [Deadline if true]." | "Spring menu tasting for local offices. Closes Friday." |
Eight layouts
Each layout is laid out top to bottom. Match the layout to the angle in the "pairs with" line.
The headline card
Plain background in a brand colour. One large headline. One short supporting line. Logo or name small at the bottom.
Pairs with: contrarian, question, pain callout.
The split screen
Left half "before", right half "after", each with a one-word label. Headline across the top naming the change.
Pairs with: before and after, old way new way.
The notes screenshot
A phone note or plain text list styled like a personal note: "Things I would tell myself before [goal]". Five short numbered lines.
Pairs with: founder story, contrarian.
The quote card
A real customer quote in large type, their name and role underneath, a single line of context above. Only with written permission.
Pairs with: proof first, objection crusher.
The comparison table
Two or three columns: the alternatives against your offer, five rows of criteria the buyer cares about, ticks and crosses.
Pairs with: old way new way, mechanism reveal.
The listicle
"[Number] signs you [problem]" or "[Number] mistakes that [cost]". Headline plus three to five short lines. Works as a single image or a carousel.
Pairs with: pain callout, question.
The talking head
Vertical video, face in frame, hook spoken in the first two seconds and shown as on-screen text. Captions throughout.
Pairs with: founder story, contrarian, objection crusher.
The screen demo
Screen recording of the product or result, with a text bar on top stating the outcome and a voiceover explaining one step.
Pairs with: mechanism reveal, offer forward.
Video ad skeleton
Use this for any video layout. Lengths are rough guides; cut anything that does not earn its second.
| Beat | Rough time | Job | Your line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0 to 3s | Stop the scroll with the angle | |
| Problem | 3 to 10s | Name the pain in their words | |
| Turn | 10 to 20s | Why the usual fix fails, and what works | |
| Proof | 20 to 35s | One result, demo or quote | |
| Call to action | last 5s | One action, said and shown |
Creative brief
Fill this in before anyone opens a design tool. If a line is blank, the ad is not ready.
Buyer and their exact situation… Angle chosen, and the hook line… Layout chosen… The one thing they should believe after seeing it… Proof available for that belief… The action, and where it leads…Testing grid
Test angles before layouts. Run three angles in the same layout first; once one wins, try it in two more layouts. Change one variable at a time.
| Ad | Angle | Layout | Spend | Click rate | Cost per result | Keep / kill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | ||||||
| A2 | ||||||
| A3 | ||||||
| B1 |
Before it goes live
- The hook makes sense with the sound off and the caption cut short.
- The headline on the ad and the headline on the landing page say the same thing.
- Text is readable on a phone held at arm's length.
- Every claim, number and testimonial can be backed up if the platform asks.
- There is exactly one call to action.
- The ad is named with angle and layout so results can be read later, for example "pain-callout_headline-card_v1".
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