This Page Summary:

• Overwatch League Motion Comic
• PA(7) Video Ads
  • Results: Increased sales 1,400%
• Pro(Zero) Vegan Protein Video Ad
  • Results: Video script converts at 200%

Background: These video ads I wrote were part of a large marketing campaign to promote High Performance Nutrition's muscle-boosting supplement, PA(7).

Results: Between November, 2017 and February, 2018, PA(7) sales increased 1,400%.

THE STEROID COPYCAT

This is the legendary"steroid copycat" direct response ad. It was sort of the tip of the spear for the marketing campaign the High Performance Nutrition team developed for our phosphatidic acid (PA) supplement, PA(7).

Sean Torbati, the CEO of HPN and voice in the ad, told me once that steroids boost mTOR by increasing testosterone. mTOR is the body's main regulator of new muscle growth.

But PA boosts mTOR directly. So PA copies steroids in its end result (more muscle) while the mechanism of action is completely different. And PA produces far less drastic results than steroids and has no side effects. 

Interestingly, while the video performed really well (and still is), it generated tons of controversy. People did not like that we were comparing PA to steroids. They were offended, even. The response on social media was either "this is bullshit/scam/snake oil" or "there's no way this works as well as steroids."

This gave us the opportunity to engage with people online, present the human clinical data, and introduce people to our brand and product. 

The video succeeded in getting lots of people talking about PA(7) and our sales saw a massive increase that sold us out of PA(7) within a matter of days.  PA(7) is now the third best-selling product in the HPN lineup.

POPEYE, SPINACH, & PA(7)

We decided to take another educational approach. I found a study that showed spinach contained trace amounts of phosphatidic acid. I also found that the copyrights to Popeye were in the public domain.

I downloaded a few videos that contained Popeye opening a can of spinach and gave them to our videographer, Shane Hanlon. We modeled the style of this video after some of the news documentaries done by Ken Burns.

You'll notice that the video cuts are strategically placed so each text break leaves you on a cliffhanger.

We were curious if people were reacting negatively to the voice in the video. By replacing it with written text, we wanted to see if we would get more or a different kind of engagement with this kind of educational approach.

However, the results we got were skewed. If you look at the :22 second mark, you'll see an image of a synthol abuser. It was decided that this would be the thumbnail of the video. The reaction was vitriolic. People reacted to the thumbnail instead of the content of the video.

When I changed the thumbnail, the responses became much more cerebral. People would tag their friends in the comments, ask questions about the product, and generally engage with more curiosity.

INSTAGRAM STORY AD

We kept experimenting. I wrote the ads, I did the voiceover, Shane did the videos, and then Sean would push them out on social media to his followers. Our influencers would do the same.

This was an Instagram story ad I wrote that was all benefits. It was short, the claims were so strong and unique that I hoped they would elicit curiosity, rather than distrust, from our audience.

STEROIDS AND SPORTS

With our educational approach delivering moderate results, we decided to try something more provocative again in a very direct response style.

PA(7) is used legally by players and teams in the NFL and MLB. We decided to draw a comparison between the legality of PA and the illegality of steroids. We would tap into something familiar with sports fans (steroid scandals) and offer a positive alternative.

This also generated lots of online discussion, along with more curiosity and more sales.

Background: Pro(Zero) is one of the absolute best Vegan proteins on the market. We worked with a marketing agency to make a brand video to raise awareness of how much better this plant protein is than whey proteins.

Results: This ad enjoys a 200% conversion rate.  

PRO(ZERO) BRAND AD

We worked with an ad agency to develop a brand video for our Vegan protein, Pro(Zero).

However, the video script we got from them was not optimal. I had the chance to re-write the entire script. This is the final result.

The video ad killed it. We combined this video with a effective retargeting campaign, which increased our protein sales.