These Ads Will Blow Your Mind, In The Wrong Way!

#3 will leave you in a chokehold!

Author

Andy at Growth Catalyst Club
December 12, 2024

In partnership with

Have you ever seen an ad so confusing it makes you wonder, “What were they thinking?”

These ads take “doing the most” to a whole new level and not in a good way. 

Today, I will be roasting 4 of them in the pet niche.

But a fair warning: If you can’t handle seeing an ad get roasted to a crisp, you might want to skip this one. 

But if you’re ready to laugh, learn, and see how to fix these mistakes, grab your popcorn! 

And wait a minute, before we continue, say thanks to the sponsor of today’s newsletter!

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#1 - Doing the Most But Nothing to Show for It.

The Roast: 

This ad feels too busy. There are so many colors, fonts, and words that it’s hard to focus on anything.

The urgency is there, but “ONLY A FEW LEFT!” is too loud, like someone is yelling!

Don’t you think your audience is already familiar with this game to make the urgency sound fake? A softer tone might feel more inviting.

There are too many font styles, which makes it look messy. Choosing just one or two would make it much cleaner.

And the Kitten? Poor thing. The kitten is cute, but it’s buried under all the clutter when it should be the star

This ad is giving “first-time PowerPoint presentation vibes” –  doing the most, but missing the point.

How to Make It 2x Better in 3 Simple Bullets: 

  • Reduce fonts and colors for a cleaner, more focused design

  • Use a stronger CTA like “Save a Cat This Christmas and Order Now”

  • Let the kitten photo and story shine to create an emotional connection.

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#2 -  All Talk, No Receipts

The visuals are great! The clipper is shown in action, which is a win.

But then the voiceover comes in swinging with “This is the safest grooming tool in the whole world.” Really? That’s a big claim with zero receipts to back it up.

Instead of proving that bold statement, the ad just jumps into how it works. It’s like saying you’re the best chef in the world but refusing to cook anything. Helloo?

The best follow up to that claim is a testimonial or social proof.

The unique mechanism is right there.

The light feature that allows the user to see where exactly to cut is a really nice angle to sell from, and also a great angle to roast their competition but it barely got the spotlight.

How to Make It 2x Better in 3 Simple Bullets:

  • Highlight the light feature more – show how it helps avoid accidents.

  • Replace the over-the-top claim with a relatable benefit.

  • Add a quick line of proof or a testimonial, to back up the claim and build trust. A simple line like “Trusted by 5000+ pet owners across the globe will go a long way”

#3 - Trying Too Hard to Be Clever? 

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