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  • [3 Ad Thursday] šŸ‘€ šŸ’ø These 3 ads have half a mil in ad spend combined...

[3 Ad Thursday] šŸ‘€ šŸ’ø These 3 ads have half a mil in ad spend combined...

Plus: Finance, golf & a banks monster ads that are killing the game!

Welcome to, or welcome back to this week’s VidTao 3 Ad Thursday!

Each Thursday we’ll be diving into our VidTao YouTube ad library to uncover 3 high-performing YouTube ads driving results.

This week we’ve got three high-performing YouTube ads for you to check out & model, including:

šŸ’ø Financial Education Ad by Dow Janes ($200k+ in AdSpend)...
⛳ Gold Swing Trainer Ad With Over $100k in AdSpend…
⚔Banks Monster Ad With Over $200k in AdSpend…

Ready to check the ads out?


The tracking metric you've never heard of that 4x'd a $750M business šŸ“ˆ


99% of DTC Subscription brands miss this

Duolingo was stuck in 2018.

Yes, $750M in revenue & 40 million+ daily users…

But growth?

Flatlining.

Hundreds of tests running… Nothing moving the needle.

They were trapped optimizing metrics everyone tracks: conversion rates, retention rates, acquisition costs.

Then they used a framework that flips traditional tracking on its head…

…exposing the ONE metric that mattered most...

…buried in every DTC subscription brand's biggest blind spot.

When they tested it against everything else — new user acquisition, reactivation campaigns, onboarding flows — this one metric had 10x more impact than all of them.

The result?

4x growth.

Not from better ads. Not from new traffic sources. Not from a rebrand.

From tracking one transition that 99% of subscription brands completely ignore.

Want to see how you can uncover your DTC subscription business’s ā€œmagic metricā€?

VidTao Co-Founder Brat Vukovich just wrote an article inside his weekly newsletter, The Dashboard, walking you through exactly how to dig into your own subscription business and uncover this golden insight.

PS — The Dashboard is where Brat shares weekly notes on building Bratrax, buying media, and making sense of performance data - without the fluff.

PPS — Send this link to a friend who needs it: blog.bratrax.com

Let's dive right in and take a closer look at this week's YouTube ad standouts and discover what makes them so successful.

šŸ’ø Financial Education Ad by Dow Janes ($200k+ in AdSpend)

Our first ad pick is this financial education ad we found inside VidTao:

This ad's estimated total ad spend is over $200K šŸ’„

These are some of the elements this ad combines:

🧠 Hook

ā€œMake lunch with me while I tell you all the things I don’t do with my money.ā€

— A classic pattern interrupt meets curiosity hook. Combining ā€œGRWMā€ casual tone with counterintuitive framing (ā€œwhat I don’t doā€) keeps viewers engaged.

šŸ³ Authentic Visual Frame

Filmed in a small, real kitchen — lighting natural, movement casual. The cooking action anchors attention while the voiceover builds authority.

It’s the anti-flashy wealth ad, which actually reinforces credibility for financial advice.

šŸ’” Believability Layer

Mentions: small 800 sq. ft. home, thrift shopping, old cars — each one dismantles traditional luxury associations with wealth. This makes the ā€œmulti-millionaireā€ reveal hit harder and feel authentic.

šŸ’¬ Philosophical Pivot

 ā€œReal wealth isn’t about what other people think — it’s about freedom.ā€

This section reframes the entire premise from money tactics to values alignment. It taps into emotional resonance — a key driver for female audiences seeking financial empowerment.

šŸ“Š Educational Proof

Explains clear financial systems: assigning every dollar a job, diversifying income, tracking spending weekly.

These tangible, relatable actions make the ad feel like free value, reducing resistance to the masterclass CTA.

šŸ‘©ā€šŸ‘§ Emotional Close

Visuals of family, outdoor scenes, generosity (buying raspberries for others) — visually representing ā€œfreedom and values-driven wealth.ā€

The final seconds position her as a role model, not a salesperson.

Additionally, here’s a quick look at this advertiser’s landing page in use:

~ update from our friends at Funnel of the Week ~

Air Fryers, ā€˜Dark Posting’ & Category Creation for
a $4B Market

Our friends at Funnel of the Week just released a new funnel breakdown…

…This time it’s a DTC beauty brand using dark posting + smart benefit repositioning to turn a decades-old niche product into a mainstream hit.

The product? Shampoo bars. The angle? No longer ā€œeco-friendlyā€ - now it’s hair transformation stories like:

ā€œMy hair grew 4 inches in 2 monthsā€
ā€œFinally found the solution for my thin, lifeless hairā€

And the growth opportunity is huge:

  • US shampoo bar market: $4.13B, growing 7.7% annually

  • Only 35% of consumers know this category exists

  • Only 8% have tried solid shampoo bars

Inside this breakdown, you’ll see:

 āœ“ All ā€œdark postā€ influencer accounts running now - and how they target different demos
āœ“ Creative strategy that shifts from eco benefits to personal transformation
āœ“ The awareness stage moves that take someone from ā€œnever heard of itā€ to ā€œordering todayā€
āœ“ How this exact framework has created billion-dollar markets before (electric toothbrushes, plant-based meat, and more)

⛳ Gold Swing Trainer Ad With Over $100k in AdSpend

Next up - a golf swing trainer ad, check it out:

This ad's estimated total ad spend is over $100K ⛳

Again, here are some of the elements this ad combines:

🧠 Hook

Starts in medias res — ā€œWhen you swing down steepā€¦ā€ — no intro, no logo, just the problem visualized.

The orange line overlay (ā€œPro Sideā€ vs ā€œAbove Lineā€) triggers immediate curiosity for golfers who struggle with slicing.

šŸŽÆ Problem Setup

Narration dissects the problem: ā€œComing down steep wrecks your consistency in three waysā€¦ā€ then lists them clearly — casting, toe-down, open face.

This diagnostic format makes the viewer nod along (ā€œThat’s meā€), earning instant buy-in.

šŸ“Š Demonstration & Contrast

Uses exaggeration and slow-motion swings to show ā€œwhat goes wrongā€ vs ā€œhow pros do it.ā€

The teacher physically demonstrates shallowing, giving a clear visual aha moment that primes the viewer for the solution.

šŸ’” Solution Reveal

ā€œIntroducing the B29 Blue Brickā€¦ā€

Transitions smoothly from the problem to the invention story — ā€œafter 15 years of teachingā€¦ā€ — signaling experience and legitimacy.

The product’s multi-functionality (11-in-1 tool) and ease-of-use are emphasized with repetition: ā€œindoors or at the range, with or without balls.ā€

🧩 Social Proof Sequence

A full minute of customer testimonials, all filmed selfie-style by older male golfers — highly relatable to the 55+ demographic.

Key phrases (ā€œinstant results,ā€ ā€œfeeling the power,ā€ ā€œin my car for practiceā€) make it sound organic, not scripted.

Here’s a quick look at their advertorial-type landing page:

⚔ Banks Monster Ad With Over $200k in AdSpend

Last, but surely not least, we got this Banks Monster ad: 

This ad's estimated total ad spend is over $200K šŸ’„

Now let’s dissect this one as well and see what are some of the elements this ad combines:

🧠 Hook

Immediate tension: ā€œOh no… imagine owning a Ram knowing there’s a one-dollar bolt ready to kill your Cummins engine.ā€

No intro, no fluff — it drops you straight into danger. This opening leverages loss aversion — the most powerful motivator in automotive advertising.

šŸŽÆ Problem Setup

Visual storytelling shows the disassembly of a 2016 RAM engine. Mechanics narrate: ā€œThe whole piece is gone… the bolt’s missing.ā€ Viewers see the danger rather than being told.

Text overlays like ā€œAnother oneā€ and ā€œ30 grand for a new engineā€ reinforce the emotional cost of inaction.

šŸ“Š Demonstration & Evidence

The mechanic explains how vibration and heat cycles cause the grid heater bolt to loosen, arc, melt, and drop into the engine — turning technical detail into visual drama.

It’s fear mixed with fascination: the viewer learns why it happens while imagining it happening to their own truck.

šŸ’” Solution Reveal

 ā€œAlright, Monster Ram time.ā€
 
Switches tone — from grim to confident.

Shows the Banks Monster Ram intake manifold, contrasting the restricted factory inlet with the wide-open ā€œMonster Ramā€ version. Clear visual superiority shot.

🧩 Authority & Proof Sequence

Side-by-side comparison: stock intake vs. Monster Ram. The clean, high-gloss red part visually embodies ā€œsafety + performance.ā€

Mentions key features: billet high-flow intake plate, no grid heater, coil heater upgrade, better airflow.

šŸ“± CTA & Final Reinforcement
 
ā€œ50-state emissions legal Banks Monster Ram gives you peace of mind and performance.ā€

Emphasizes reliability, compliance, and efficiency — all core values for diesel truck owners.

To finish off with, here’s what this advertiser’s landing page looks like:


šŸ•µļø Want to ā€œSpyā€ on over 29 million YouTube ads (and landing pages)?

Go here to claim your free trial of the VidTao Premium YouTube Ad LibraryšŸ‘‡

With that, we’re all done for this week! šŸš€

We hope this week’s selection of high-performing ads has sparked new ideas to test yourself!

Want more insights like these?

Stay tuned for next week’s VidTao 3 Ad Thursday, where we’ll continue breaking down winning strategies from the best YouTube ads in the game!

And btw… If you have questions about YouTube ads?

Go here to schedule a free chat with our friends at Inceptly. Inceptly is a top Direct Response video ad agency, specializing in high-performing YouTube ad creatives & media buying.

Have a great week!

PPS - Are you spending $1k/day+ on Paid Ads? šŸ‘‰ Go here to set up a free YouTube Ad brainstorm chat.