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- 👀💰 If we combined these ads’ total ad spend, it would be close to $1.5 million...
👀💰 If we combined these ads’ total ad spend, it would be close to $1.5 million...
[3 Ad Thursday] A WiFi router, skincare brand and a translation device - what makes these ads work so well? 🤔
VidTao
December 11, 2025
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:
✅ WiFi router ad by the brand Ryoko (nearly $300k adspend)...
🧖🏻♀️Skin care brand ad with nearly $400k in adspend (Qure)...
📱Translation device that works INSTANTLY! (ad with nearly $800k in adspend)...
Ready to check the ads out?
The tracking metric you've never heard of that 4x'd a $750M business 📈
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 “magic metric”?
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.
✅ WiFi router ad by the brand Ryoko (nearly $300k adspend)
Our first ad pick for this week is this WiFi router ad by the brand Ryoko we found inside VidTao, check it out:
This ad's estimated total ad spend is nearly $300k! ⚡
Here are some of the elements this ad combines:
🧠 Hook
The ad opens with a direct emotional contrast: personal frustration → immediate solution.
“This is why I canceled my ISP subscription.”
The camera framing and pacing make it feel testimonial-like — human, believable, and urgent.
Within five seconds, the viewer understands there’s a new alternative to overpriced internet.
⚙️ Mechanism & Backstory
“Developed by two former employees of a cable company in Atlanta, Georgia.”
This section does two things:
Establishes credibility (insiders turned innovators).
Builds rebellion (they saw the corruption, now they’re fighting it).
The “former-insiders-turned-heroes” structure is a textbook David vs. Goliath archetype.
It reframes the product as a movement, not a gadget.
💣 Conflict & Villain
“Executives were pocketing millions in roaming fees… older customers didn’t even notice.”
This creates emotional engagement — outrage drives attention.
It also sets up the contrast: Ryoko isn’t selling speed — it’s selling freedom from control.
🚀 Product Reveal & Mechanism
The narration turns practical:
“No contracts, no hidden fees, no nonsense.”
“Wi-Fi on a click… powers up to 10 devices.”
The phrase rhythm mimics Apple-style simplicity, paired with cinematic product shots and bold graphics.
Technical benefits (8-hour battery, malware blocking, ad filtering) are delivered as quality-of-life promises.
🪄 Ease-of-Use Demo
“All it takes is two simple steps: hold the button, scan the QR code.”
This visual demo hits a core DTC principle — make the tech feel human.
Even the line “whether you’re an engineer or a housewife” broadens demographic resonance.
🧩 Social Proof & Scarcity
“1 million units sold.”
“Blocked from retail stores.”
“70% off sale.”
These combine credibility + urgency + conspiracy.
The claim that “major providers are trying to block it” adds curiosity-based scarcity, a recurring tactic in high-converting direct response tech ads.
💡 Why It Works
Strong narrative arc: problem → corruption → rebellion → easy solution.
Human protagonist: “Joseph and Mark” personalize an otherwise cold tech story.
Contrast psychology: old = complicated, slow, expensive; new = portable, instant, liberating.
Story pacing: alternates between cinematic shots and emotional narration for retention.
Offer clarity: one-time payment + 70% off + 30-day guarantee = frictionless close.
Inside VidTao, you can check out different landing pages this advertiser has in use…
~ update from our friends at Funnel of the Week ~
Air Fryers, ‘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 “eco-friendly” - now it’s hair transformation stories like:
“My hair grew 4 inches in 2 months”
“Finally found the solution for my thin, lifeless hair”
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:
✓ All “dark post” influencer accounts running now - and how they target different demos
✓ Creative strategy that shifts from eco benefits to personal transformation
✓ The awareness stage moves that take someone from “never heard of it” to “ordering today”
✓ How this exact framework has created billion-dollar markets before (electric toothbrushes, plant-based meat, and more)
🧖🏻♀️ Skin care brand ad with nearly $400k in adspend (Qure)
Next up - an interesting ad by the skincare brand Qure we found inside VidTao:
This ad's estimated total ad spend is nearly $400k! 💰
Let’s now analyze the elements this ad combines:
🧠 Hook
“Stabbing your face with needles sounds terrifying, but…” hooks through fear inversion.
It stops the scroll, especially among skincare-conscious viewers who know microneedling but hesitate to try it.
🧪 Education & Benefit Framing
The doctors position microneedling as a science-backed solution with wide appeal: “fine lines, wrinkles, tone, texture.”
Every claim is grounded in authority rather than hype — this feels like free professional advice, not an ad.
🧩 Step-by-Step Demo
Instructions make the device feel easy and safe: cleanse, perpendicular needle contact, apply serum, finish with moisturizer.
The simplicity of the ritual builds user confidence — it demystifies the clinical process.
⚖️ Objection Handling
The ad directly confronts major consumer fears:
Pain: “2 out of 10.”
Safety: “Sterile heads,” “don’t dermaroll.”
Time: “Takes only 5 minutes, every couple of weeks.”
This sequence is textbook for skincare DTCs — it keeps prospects emotionally engaged while eliminating hesitation.
💬 Expert Authority & Differentiation
“This system uses sterile heads… what you don’t want to do is dermaroll.”
The comparison reframes competitors as dangerous or outdated, positioning Qure as the intelligent modern alternative.
💎 Transformation & Proof
“Give it at least 2 months… you’ll see results.”
This segment sets realistic expectations — reinforcing credibility over hype. Cutaway shots of women using the device and showing smoother skin visually deliver social proof.
🛍️ Offer & CTA
Ends with a clean, high-trust CTA:
“Shop now & save 43% on the 3-month supply” + “50,745 reviews.”
Authority + social validation + tangible offer = high-converting close.
💡 Why It Works
Trust-first structure: doctors, education, and proof before price.
Balanced tone: not hypey, not dry — conversational expert endorsement.
Objection sequencing: mirrors real customer psychology (fear → safety → time → reward).
Visual storytelling: alternates between authority (talking heads) and transformation (user results).
Subtle social proof: review count feels earned, not inflated.
Inside VidTao, you can check out other incredible ads by this advertiser for some additional inspo!
📱Translation device that works INSTANTLY! (ad with nearly $800k in adspend)
Last, but definitely not least for today is this unusual translator device ad.
Check it out:
This ad's estimated total ad spend is nearly $800k! 💰
Let’s see what are some of the elements this ad combines:
🧠 Hook
“Speak any language at the touch of a button.”
It’s a simple, universal benefit — no jargon.
Immediate demonstration (older man smiling at the airport) proves ease of use and global relevance.
🌍 Benefit Montage
Shows how the device turns language barriers into enjoyable moments: asking for directions, ordering food, chatting with locals.
Emotional core: confidence through connection. Each scene builds lifestyle credibility rather than tech complexity.
💡 Contrast Setup
“Why do you need this if you have a smartphone?”
Great pivot. It preempts skepticism by acknowledging the obvious and dismantling it:
Google Translate = inaccurate
Apps = subscriptions + login + data reliance
Ann = simple, private, offline
That reframing is the ad’s core persuasion lever — it shifts from nice gadget → essential tool.
⚙️ Feature Countdown
“8 Reasons” format gives pacing and anchors attention. Each reason blends logic + emotional reassurance:
Offline use anywhere — independence.
4-day battery — reliability.
99.99% accuracy — trust.
Built-in AI improvement — future-proofing.
Understands dialects/slang — real-world usability.
Tone recognition — human nuance.
Compact, travel-friendly design — convenience.
One-click simplicity — accessibility for all ages.
Each benefit segment resets attention — the perfect structure for mid-funnel YouTube placements.
🏁 Offer & CTA
The ad closes with stacked scarcity: “Only viewers of this video,” “70% off,” “demand is crazy.”
Combined with visuals of happy travelers and the phrase “You’re going to love it,” the ending drives emotional closure and urgency simultaneously.
💡 Why It Works
Modular storytelling: “8 Reasons” = digestible pacing for a 3-minute runtime.
Proof through visuals: Real-life settings outperform studio shots.
Smart skepticism pivot: Destroys “I can just use my phone” argument mid-ad.
Emotional payoff: Ends not on specs, but on freedom to connect anywhere.
Offer intensity: 70% off + limited availability makes the long-form format feel worth watching to the end.
Don’t forget to check out other ads by this advertiser using VidTao as well, they god some really cool ones!
🕵️ Want to “Spy” on over 29 million YouTube ads (and landing pages)?
Go here to claim your free trial of the VidTao Premium YouTube Ad Library👇
That’s all for this week, folks! 🚀
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!
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? 👉 Go here to set up a free YouTube Ad brainstorm chat.