📲💊 This YouTube Shorts Ad "replaces" a supplement VSL? ($268 cart value)

Want to see some YouTube Shorts ads that are scaling right now?

You’re in luck…

Because today is 2 Shorts Tuesday.

Why YouTube Shorts ads?

Because YouTube Shorts ad inventory is only going to keep growing:

…And critically, most DTC & Direct Response advertisers are still under-leveraging YouTube Shorts as an ad placement.

(and the upside is huge)

So, what are some ways you can succeed with YouTube Shorts ads?

Let’s take a closer look at 2 YouTube Shorts ads doing well right now:

Ad #1: This YouTube Shorts Ad "replaces" a supplement VSL? ($268 cart value)

Magnesium sells for $9 on Amazon:

Here’s a glimpse of the 57-second YouTube Short ad this brand uses to take this commodity supplement…

…and turn it into the front end that drives a $268 cart value:

(No VSL required - it drives straight to the product page (see more about the funnel here).)

You can check out all their ads & landing pages inside VidTao here…

But first, you need to understand something crucial about saturated markets...

What Eugene Schwartz (legendary ad man & author of Breakthrough Advertising) called…

"Market Sophistication"

Here's why many supplement companies fail:

They're fighting a Stage 3-4 market with Stage 1-2 weapons.

What does this mean? Quick context from Schwartz’s 5 stage framework:

Every market goes through 5 stages:

Stage 1: Basic claims work ("Magnesium helps sleep!")
Stage 2: Bigger claims needed ("Sleep BETTER!")
Stage 3: Mechanism required (absorption rates, delivery systems)
Stage 4: Complex differentiation (unique forms, sources)
Stage 5: Identity/aspiration based

The magnesium market? Firmly in stages 3-4.

This means:

• Basic claims fail

• Price wars are brutal ($9 bottles everywhere)

• Scientific claims are expected

• Big brands dominate shelf space

Most companies respond by:

❌ Making bigger claims (triggers skepticism)
❌ Cutting prices (death spiral)
❌ Adding ingredients (complexity)
❌ Pushing studies (yawn)

But this 57-second ad? Completely different approach.

Here's the quick breakdown:

[0:00-0:15]

• Pattern interruption using NYT article

• Benefit stack (sleep → stress → muscle cramps)

• Scientific credibility play

[0:15-0:25]

• Competitive destruction (specific warnings)

• Market sophistication signals

• Educational tone

[0:25-0:32]

• The "new mechanism" reveal

• Dead Sea sourcing story

• "46 times less heavy metals" claim

[0:32-0:57]

• Usage simplification

• Risk reversal

• Premium pricing setup

But here's what's fascinating...

This is just the entry point.

Want to see more detail on how this ad sets up a funnel that turns this premium positioning into a $268 cart value - without a traditional VSL?

Go here to check out this post from the Funnel of the Week team all about it.

👉 Go here to check out the breakdown.

Now let’s check out another YouTube Shorts ad making moves right now…

Ad #2: 💡Standing Tall: A Schwartz-Style Dissection of Height Enhancement Marketing

This ad has a brutal opening hook:

“There’s a good chance your girl is into taller guys…”

And look, “height enhancement” offers are nothing new.

Which is why it’s very helpful to analyze this ad based on some of the frameworks from Eugene Schwartz (legendary ad man & author of Breakthrough Advertising)

Let’s take a closer look…

Market Sophistication Analysis

The ad demonstrates characteristics of what Eugene Schwartz would call a Stage 3-4 Market Sophistication, where:

• Basic solutions exist

• Simple claims no longer work

• New mechanisms are needed to make claims believable

Check out at [19.04s - 22.8s]: "Not regular insoles that make you walk funny or ugly booster shoes that might cause injury"

• Shows market familiarity with existing solutions

• Positions against known problems with current solutions

Stages of Awareness Progression

1. Problem Aware Stage (Opening)

[0.0s - 10.64s]: "There's a good chance your girl is into taller guys. The average male height worldwide is 5 feet 7 inches, but for some ethnicities it's 6 feet."

• Establishes the problem

• Uses statistics to validate concern

• Creates comparison anxiety

2. Solution Aware Stage (Transition)

[14.8s - 19.04s]: "No, it's not what you think. Not regular insoles that make you walk funny or ugly booster shoes that might cause injury."

• Acknowledges existing solutions

• Points out their limitations

• Sets up for unique solution

3. Product Aware Stage (Introduction)

[27.12s - 32.8s]: "Introducing the Hypads 1.0 developed by top orthopedists in the country."

• Names specific product

• Introduces credibility mechanism

• Transitions to benefits

Primary Mass Desire: Attractiveness/Status

Opening sequence [0.0s - 10.64s] taps into:

• Romantic competition

• Height as status marker

• Social comparison

Secondary Mass Desire: Professional/Social Confidence

Later sequence [42.08s - 46.24s]: "You might not want to be the shortest guy at a cocktail party."

• Professional status

• Social confidence

• Situational advantage

Belief-Building Sequence

…And here’s how the ad follows Schwartz's principle of building belief before asking for action:

1. Establishes Problem Context [0.0s - 14.8s]

2. Dismisses Inferior Solutions [14.8s - 22.8s]

3. Introduces Superior Solution [22.8s - 32.8s]

4. Provides Technical Benefits [32.8s - 42.08s]

5. Adds Social Proof [42.08s - 51.84s]

6. Creates Urgency for Action [51.84s - end]

Key Points

1. The ad follows Schwartz's principle that copy cannot create desire - instead, it channels existing desires about height and status into a specific solution.

2. The market sophistication level influences the heavy focus on mechanism (orthopedic development, design features) rather than just making basic claims about height increase.

3. The awareness stage progression shows sophisticated understanding of moving prospects from problem recognition to solution acceptance.

4. The copy maintains believability by:

   • Leading with factual statistics

   • Using medical authority

   • Providing specific user numbers

   • Mentioning third-party validation (Shark Tank)

And with that, we’re all done for this week! 🚀

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

Want more insights like these?

Stay tuned for next week’s VidTao 2 Shorts Tuesday…

…where we’ll continue breaking down winning YouTube Shorts Ads you can break down + model for your own creatives & campaigns.

And btw… If you have questions about YouTube ads or YouTube Shorts ads in particular?

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 21 Million YouTube Ads (Including 14 Million Unlisted) & Their Landing Pages!

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