VIDEO ADVERTISING & e-commerce

Forging Impact & Conversions

In the turbulent world of online advertising, mastering the platforms where your customers live and breathe is essential for converting scrolls into serious sales. Understanding paid social media channels like TikTok and Meta is non-negotiable, and fortunately, I can help you with that.

As a Video Production Specialist & copywriter, I can shoot, edit and write copy for your video ads. My approach delivers bespoke video ad solutions engineered to thrive in the unique, fast-paced environments of today's social platforms. My comprehensive end-to-end campaign services include:

► Content & Market Research

► Creative Direction

► Storyboarding

► Pre-Production

► Talent, Small Crews & Project Management

► Video Production (Directing, Photography & Sound)

► Post-Production

► Copywriting 

► Continuous Optimization (different edits & versions for A/B testing)

Why Social Media is the Epicentre of Modern Advertising

Social media is now the dominant force in advertising. Digital advertising accounts for 79.7% of total UK ad spend. (Source) This massive shift indicates where brands need to be: online, right next to their customers.

Brands that embrace video in their paid social strategies see significant returns. 93% of video marketers report a positive ROI from their video marketing campaigns. (Source) Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Facebook's Feed actively prioritise video content. In fact, 64% of all online display ad spend in the UK is now invested in video. (Source)

However, video advertising isn't simply what 'looks good' - it's about performance-oriented creatives that drive tangible business outcomes.

From Storyboard to Camera to Copy

In social media advertising, the creative is everything: 70% of a campaign's success is determined by its creative execution. (Source)

If your ad doesn't grab attention, it's wasted spend. The opening seconds are crucial; an average of just 1.4 seconds of attention can lead to a 10% lift in brand awareness. (Source) Every frame must be meticulously crafted to hook your audience, and that's precisely what I can do for you.

My unique dual expertise in video production and copywriting means I can handle your ad's entire narrative, from initial concept to final creative. My comprehensive, end-to-end approach to paid social media video production covers every stage:

► Strategic Storyboarding: I conduct research and develop detailed storyboards to plan every impactful frame.

► Performance-Optimised Videography: I create video content tailored for each platform; from polished high-key lit commercial videos to 'strategically imperfect' UGC assets, where the power of authenticity drives conversions. Read more about my UGC expertise here.

► Dynamic Editing: I polish visuals, incorporate trending elements, and create multiple ad variations for continuous A/B testing.

► Compelling Copywriting: I write ad copy and on-screen captions to fit your brand's tone of voice, hook audiences and drive conversions.

My goal is for your paid media assets to be powerful tools that maximise your ad spend. The fact that they look good is just the cherry on top.

Garnier UK: Long-Term Partnership

The beauty and skincare market is a highly competitive arena, with brands vying for attention in an increasingly crowded digital landscape. Here, effective advertising isn't just about showcasing products; it's about building trust, demonstrating efficacy, and connecting with consumers on an emotional level. The UK's beauty market alone is valued at over £27 billion annually (Source), making effective digital presence absolutely critical.

For Garnier UK, my involvement encompassed a multitude of ad productions, spanning diverse formats from e-commerce campaigns designed for direct conversion to visually impactful out-of-home advertising that captures broader awareness.

While specific performance metrics for these campaigns are unavailable, as the digital publishing was handled internally by Garnier or by external digital marketing agencies such as Pillar Media, my range of work here reflects my long-term partnership with the brand and my ability to repeatedly execute and elevate briefs to the client's satisfaction.

Penguin Books: Launching Bestsellers

The publishing industry, while rooted in tradition, has fully embraced digital advertising to reach new readers and drive book sales. Effective book advertising blends compelling storytelling with strategic visual hooks to translate literary appeal into consumer interest. In 2023, the total revenue for UK publishing was 7.1 billion (Source), underscoring the value of impactful marketing in this sector.

I had the privilege of contributing to this vibrant industry by producing a TV commercial for Penguin Books's "Bored of Lunch" book release.

A television spot like this aims for broad reach and brand recognition. Crafting a TVC requires a keen understanding of narrative compression and visual impact to stand out in a high-stakes broadcast environment. This project demonstrates my ability to pivot from digital-first social ads to larger, traditional media formats, ensuring brand messages resonate across diverse consumer touchpoints.

来吧 LAIBA Beverages: Conquering Global Cocktail Markets

The premium bottled cocktail market, especially across diverse regions like Europe and Asia, presents unique advertising challenges and immense growth opportunities. The global ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail market is projected to reach $63.37 billion by 2030, with Asia Pacific being a significant growth driver (Source). However, brands must navigate varied cultural nuances and complex regulatory environments while communicating quality and convenience. This is where I came in.

For LAIBA Beverages (láiba, 来吧), a Chinese bottled cocktail start-up, I spent a year immersed in their advertising efforts across European, Singaporean, and Chinese markets. I had an end-to-end contribution to the production of all advertising creatives: I shot, edited, and wrote copy for all B2B and B2C e-commerce assets, both videos and still images. This wasn't just about pretty pictures; it was about performance.

Navigating Turbulent Moments with 来吧 LAIBA Beverages

Apple's  iOS 14 privacy changes had industry-warping effects on digital advertising. Advertisers's user data tracking capabilities became fundamentally limited, leading to a substantial decrease in ad targeting accuracy and, consequently, a widespread drop in ROAS for many businesses. 

However, despite this turbulent scenario, campaigns for which I was both creative and production lead, performed well:

► Several of my ads achieved a 3+ ROAS, even in such a challenging environment/moment

► 300% increase in holiday season revenue, compared to the previous year

I believe this speaks volumes about the precision and effectiveness of the creative and copy I crafted.

Revitalising 来吧 LAIBA Beverages's E-Commerce

Many of the brand's visual assets coexisted as collaborations with luxury 5-star hospitality partners such as The Shangri-La at The Shard (London), The Hart Shoreditch (London), and Hilton Vienna Park. It was crucial for these visuals to represent the level of quality and sophistication expected by discerning clienteles when associated with such titans of luxury hospitality. Every image and every frame counted, and represented the company on a larger level.

I was responsible for a complete overhaul of the brand's photography across both its european Shopify-based storefronts and its Chinese shop on WeChat/Weixin (微信). This was a critical undertaking, as products with high-quality photos can see a 94% higher conversion rate (Source). Our challenge was to craft visuals that inspired sophistication, but also incentivised broader audiences to purchase the cocktails.

This visual e-commerce revamp, in conjunction with the advertising B2B & B2C campaigns in which I worked, contributed to:

► A remarkable 70% year-on-year revenue increase

The extensive work with LAIBA truly highlights my range and flexibility when it comes to creating resonant concepts and imagery for markets as diverse as Europe, Singapore, and China. It underscores my ability to generate significant impact in vastly different cultural contexts, proving that effective creative strategy transcends geographical boundaries.

Volta XR: Empowering Immersive Experiences

Volta XR is an app that enables creators to build immersive digital experiences for live events and streams. The focus for this particular campaign was on engaging DJs and Twitch streamers, who could use the app to enhance their performances with dynamic visuals.

Data from previous campaigns ran by Founders Makers revealed that ads featuring grand stage performances were less effective. Users responded far better to relatable and achievable setups.

I shot 4 DJ performances for ads that demonstrated how everyday creators could easily integrate Volta XR into their streams.

This approach led to significant gains. The "Monetise Your Streams" ad published through Google and Meta, emerged as a top performer, achieving:

► A highly efficient CPI (Cost Per Install/Download)

► A strong CTR (Click-Through Rate)

This ad was part of a broader Google and Meta campaign, which resulted in:

► Over 1,600 total app downloads

► A robust 21.67% conversion rate

► More than 1 million impressions

► A significant increase of 52% in activated users & 41% in paid users

Black Tears: Crafting Alluring Narratives

The spirits industry relies heavily on branding and aspirational imagery in its advertising, aiming to evoke a lifestyle rather than just sell a product. Rum, in particular, often taps into themes of adventure, exoticism, and sophistication. The global rum market is expected to grow to $21.5 billion by 2028 (Source), making strong brand narratives crucial for market share.

I had the pleasure of working with Black Tears, the world's first ever dry spiced truly Cuban rum. I was responsible for the production and offline editing of an ad designed to capture its alluring essence and versatility by showing how to prepare a Spiced Cuba Libre cocktail.

The ad's results on Meta speak for themselves:

► Over 600,000 impressions

► Over 92,000 people reached

► High frequency of 6.54 (indicating good ad delivery and potential for message retention)

► Over 44,000 engagements

► An impressive engagement rate of 7.43%

This campaign further solidifies my range in creating impactful ads for the sophisticated alcohol industry, adapting creative strategies for different regional markets and brand profiles. I can deliver high-performing video ads in any market, whether it's China, Cuba or the United Kingdom.

Good in Bread: Baking Sensual Visuals

The artisan food industry often seeks to differentiate itself through unique branding and a strong narrative. The UK bread market is a significant sector, valued at approximately £7.8 billion annually, with a growing demand for specialty breads. (Source)

For a product as fundamental as bread, breaking through the conventional requires daring and memorable creative, especially when 59% of consumers are influenced by brand advertisements when purchasing bakery products. (Source)

I had the pleasure of shooting a Meta ad for Good in Bread. The creative fused sensual visuals with the craft of bread-making, creating a disruptive and ironic narrative that immediately captured attention. Pushing creative boundaries while adhering to platform policies.

Despite Meta's strict policies regarding sensually suggestive content, this ad successfully navigated the guidelines to deliver impressive results:

► An outstanding engagement rate of 24.35% - indicating phenomenal audience interaction and resonance.

► A strong CTR (Click-Through Rate) of 1.71

► A healthy ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) of 2.76

This highlights my proven ability to shoot compelling, positively edgy content that not only stands out but also drives measurable performance, even in highly regulated advertising environments. It's all about finding that unique angle that gets attention and converts, proving that with the right approach, bold creative moves pay off.

Little Moons: Hitting the Sweet Spot

The confectionery and dessert market thrives on impulse buys and emotional connections, making highly visually appealing and trend-driven social media advertising essential. In the UK, the confectionery market's value is expected to reach $21.57 billion by 2030. (Source) New product launches often rely on strong digital campaigns to gain traction.

Little Moons is a widely popular mochi icecream brand, a true global sensation that grew from £10 million in revenue to £50 million in a 2-year timeframe alone. (Source)  In addition to a plethora of organic social assets, I had the pleasure of producing two video ads for this mochi empire:

► A Meta ad focused on the new Cheesecake flavours, designed to introduce and entice consumers to their latest product innovation.

► A Meta ad for Little Moons’s collaboration with the Australian retailer Coles, highlighting brand availability in a key international market.

Both were intended to exist within an aesthetically UGC world, visually depicting a consumer-to-consumer recommendation. These campaigns underscore my ability to craft platform-native visuals that drive excitement for new product lines and strategic partnerships within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, leveraging Meta's vast reach to connect with audiences.

Ready to Forge your Mark in Video Advertising?

If you're looking to maximise your campaign's potential, I’m here to help you.

Let's craft video ads that perform for you.

kelvin@crucible35.com