Creative that compounds, not creative that burns
Creative for paid social the only way to grow today. The wrong way to do it? Copying competitors ads libraries or believing you can throw hundreds of ads at the wall to make it work. We build strategic creative which is rooted in customer insight – personalised at scale. This is where the real leverage is, whether we're running your media or you are.
Making loads of ads isn't a strategy. Volume is important, but too many people treat creative as a numbers game – eventually something will stick. The outcome is often a hamster wheel where you burn through creative quickly, and your win rates never improve. Worse still, your creative just goes to the same audience over and over again, frequency goes up, growth goes down.
The opposite problem is just as common: the belief remains that ads need to look 'on brand' and to a certain design spec. After six rounds of approval, you only launch 3 new ads each month. You're not making art, the objective is to sell.
We've found the perfect balance between volume and diversity, beauty and performance. Strategic creative, built on deep customer understanding, executed with the volume and velocity that paid social demands. Not spam. Not guesswork. Personalised creative at scale — and a system that compounds over time.
The Ballpoint Customer Framework
Before we make anything, we build a complete picture of your customer. Jobs to be done. Catalysts that trigger action. Habits we're competing against. Anxieties that block purchase. Think old-school ad agency planner meets modern performance marketer meets management consultant. This framework drives everything.
16 creative types from day one
We've developed 16 creative formats we roll out for every client: founder ads, comparison ads, podcast-style ads, VO with B-roll, satire, long-form copy, and more. This builds creative diversity from day one and gives us an engine of infinite possibilities — all rooted in strategy.
Platform-native, not brand book
The best paid social creative feels like it belongs in the feed, not on a billboard. We work with beautifully designed brands that care about aesthetics — but we're honest that what works on Meta often looks more like a Reel than a polished brand shoot. We'll push you on this.
Creative-only retainers
We run creative for brands who manage media in-house or with another agency. Same process, same rigour. We build the ads, measure results in Ads Manager, and run experiments — we just don't control the buying side.
Compounding over time
Every week we learn what resonates with your audience. Every month the creative engine gets sharper. The system compounds — which means you're not starting from scratch every quarter.
Ex-in-house talent
Every strategist has built creative programmes in-house. We've sat in the senior leadership team meetings with the CEO questionning why we're running an ad that looks like it does. And we know the pressures faced from those across functions like brand and design and product.
Strategy-led creative
We don't start with formats. We start with your customer. The creative flows from insight, not guesswork. That's why it compounds instead of burning out.
Experiment engine
Weekly sprints, clear hypotheses, rapid iteration. We test systematically so every week you learn something and every month you're further ahead.
Consumer brands who have a creative problem. You're happy with how performance is being managed in-house, but your lacking creative stategy & operational firepower. If that's you, then get in touch to discuss creative for paid social.
