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- [3 Ad Thursday] š šø These 3 ads have half a mil in ad spend combined...
[3 Ad Thursday] š šø 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 weekās VidTao 3 Ad Thursday!
Each Thursday weāll be diving into our VidTao YouTube ad library to uncover 3 high-performing YouTube ads driving results.
This week weāve got three high-performing YouTube ads for you to check out & model, including:
šø Financial Education Ad by Dow Janes ($200k+ in AdSpend)...
ā³ Gold Swing Trainer Ad With Over $100k in AdSpendā¦
ā”Banks Monster Ad With Over $200k in AdSpendā¦
Ready to check the ads out?
The tracking metric you've never heard of that 4x'd a $750M business š
99% of DTC Subscription brands miss this
Duolingo was stuck in 2018.
Yes, $750M in revenue & 40 million+ daily usersā¦
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 headā¦
ā¦exposing the ONE metric that mattered most...
ā¦buried in every DTC subscription brand's biggest blind spot.
When they tested it against everything else ā new user acquisition, reactivation campaigns, onboarding flows ā 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 businessās āmagic 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 ā The Dashboard is where Brat shares weekly notes on building Bratrax, buying media, and making sense of performance data - without the fluff.
PPS ā 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.
šø 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 š„
These are some of the elements this ad combines:
š§ Hook
āMake lunch with me while I tell you all the things I donāt do with my money.ā
ā A classic pattern interrupt meets curiosity hook. Combining āGRWMā casual tone with counterintuitive framing (āwhat I donāt doā) keeps viewers engaged.
š³ Authentic Visual Frame
Filmed in a small, real kitchen ā lighting natural, movement casual. The cooking action anchors attention while the voiceover builds authority.
Itās the anti-flashy wealth ad, which actually reinforces credibility for financial advice.
š” Believability Layer
Mentions: small 800 sq. ft. home, thrift shopping, old cars ā each one dismantles traditional luxury associations with wealth. This makes the āmulti-millionaireā reveal hit harder and feel authentic.
š¬ Philosophical Pivot
āReal wealth isnāt about what other people think ā itās about freedom.ā
This section reframes the entire premise from money tactics to values alignment. It taps into emotional resonance ā a key driver for female audiences seeking financial empowerment.
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.
š©āš§ Emotional Close
Visuals of family, outdoor scenes, generosity (buying raspberries for others) ā visually representing āfreedom and values-driven wealth.ā
The final seconds position her as a role model, not a salesperson.
Additionally, hereās a quick look at this advertiserās landing page in use:
~ update from our friends at Funnel of the Week ~
Air Fryers, āDark Postingā & Category Creation for
a $4B Market
Our friends at Funnel of the Week just released a new funnel breakdownā¦
ā¦This time itās 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 āeco-friendlyā - now itās hair transformation stories like:
āMy hair grew 4 inches in 2 monthsā
āFinally 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, youāll see:
ā All ādark postā influencer accounts running now - and how they target different demos
ā Creative strategy that shifts from eco benefits to personal transformation
ā The awareness stage moves that take someone from ānever heard of itā to āordering todayā
ā How this exact framework has created billion-dollar markets before (electric toothbrushes, plant-based meat, and more)
ā³ 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 ā³
Again, here are some of the elements this ad combines:
š§ Hook
Starts in medias res ā āWhen you swing down steepā¦ā ā no intro, no logo, just the problem visualized.
The orange line overlay (āPro Sideā vs āAbove Lineā) triggers immediate curiosity for golfers who struggle with slicing.
šÆ Problem Setup
Narration dissects the problem: āComing down steep wrecks your consistency in three waysā¦ā then lists them clearly ā casting, toe-down, open face.
This diagnostic format makes the viewer nod along (āThatās meā), earning instant buy-in.
š Demonstration & Contrast
Uses exaggeration and slow-motion swings to show āwhat goes wrongā vs āhow pros do it.ā
The teacher physically demonstrates shallowing, giving a clear visual aha moment that primes the viewer for the solution.
š” Solution Reveal
āIntroducing the B29 Blue Brickā¦ā
Transitions smoothly from the problem to the invention story ā āafter 15 years of teachingā¦ā ā signaling experience and legitimacy.
The productās multi-functionality (11-in-1 tool) and ease-of-use are emphasized with repetition: āindoors or at the range, with or without balls.ā
š§© Social Proof Sequence
A full minute of customer testimonials, all filmed selfie-style by older male golfers ā highly relatable to the 55+ demographic.
Key phrases (āinstant results,ā āfeeling the power,ā āin my car for practiceā) make it sound organic, not scripted.
Hereās a quick look at their advertorial-type landing page:
ā” 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 š„
Now letās dissect this one as well and see what are some of the elements this ad combines:
š§ Hook
Immediate tension: āOh no⦠imagine owning a Ram knowing thereās a one-dollar bolt ready to kill your Cummins engine.ā
No intro, no fluff ā it drops you straight into danger. This opening leverages loss aversion ā the most powerful motivator in automotive advertising.
šÆ Problem Setup
Visual storytelling shows the disassembly of a 2016 RAM engine. Mechanics narrate: āThe whole piece is gone⦠the boltās missing.ā Viewers see the danger rather than being told.
Text overlays like āAnother oneā and ā30 grand for a new engineā reinforce the emotional cost of inaction.
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 ā turning technical detail into visual drama.
Itās fear mixed with fascination: the viewer learns why it happens while imagining it happening to their own truck.
š” Solution Reveal
āAlright, Monster Ram time.ā
Switches tone ā from grim to confident.
Shows the Banks Monster Ram intake manifold, contrasting the restricted factory inlet with the wide-open āMonster Ramā version. Clear visual superiority shot.
š§© Authority & Proof Sequence
Side-by-side comparison: stock intake vs. Monster Ram. The clean, high-gloss red part visually embodies āsafety + performance.ā
Mentions key features: billet high-flow intake plate, no grid heater, coil heater upgrade, better airflow.
š± CTA & Final Reinforcement
ā50-state emissions legal Banks Monster Ram gives you peace of mind and performance.ā
Emphasizes reliability, compliance, and efficiency ā all core values for diesel truck owners.
To finish off with, hereās what this advertiserās landing page looks like:
šµļø Want to āSpyā on over 29 million YouTube ads (and landing pages)?
Go here to claim your free trial of the VidTao Premium YouTube Ad Libraryš
With that, weāre all done for this week! š
We hope this weekās selection of high-performing ads has sparked new ideas to test yourself!
Want more insights like these?
Stay tuned for next weekās VidTao 3 Ad Thursday, where weāll 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!
PS - Go here to Claim Your Free Trial of VidTao Premium: Access 29 Million YouTube Ads & Their Landing Pages!
PPS - Are you spending $1k/day+ on Paid Ads? š Go here to set up a free YouTube Ad brainstorm chat.








