5 takeaways to build creative work that drives results
Brands know that it’s no longer enough to simply influence perception. To be ready for what’s next, they need ads to drive action.
To explore this, Google partnered with Global Citizen to challenge ten world-class creative and performance agencies with a brief of global importance: mobilize individuals to take action for a better world using direct response ad formats across Google and YouTube.
Working together, agencies around the world used Video action campaigns with Discovery ads to inspire action on social challenges across health, inequality, sustainability, and education. The campaigns drove tens of thousands of people around the world to sign up as Global Citizens – a 220% increase on the average – resulting in one of Global Citizen’s most successful digital acquisition campaigns, ever.
Their journey uncovered 5 takeaways to get brands ready for what’s next.
1. Design for Action
To get viewers to act, make action the center of the concept, versus relying on a call-to-action at the end. Protect the Planet leverages ASMR sound effects, visceral immediacy, and a CTA of “Stop this” that progressively reveals throughout the ad to trigger viewer action, which resulted in strong click-through rates. Meanwhile, Advance Equity for All pairs an emotionally driven narrative with a YouTube best practice of breaking the fourth wall to deliver high average watch time and conversions per clickthrough.
From striking visuals to emotional appeals, all campaigns experimented with making action integral to the storyline – driving record conversions for Global Citizen.
Srinivas Seshadri, Director, Performance Marketing, Interactive Avenues India (End The Hunger Crisis)
2. Gain efficiencies by pairing Video action campaigns and Discovery ads
Combining YouTube and Google ad formats in an action-driving campaign can produce more efficient results than using one ad format alone. Each agency developed incredible action-driven Video action campaigns, but when paired with Discovery ads, the campaigns collectively resulted in 28% lower average conversion costs.
Creating for multiple formats doesn't have to be complex. You can simply lift stills from your video asset and use them as images in Discovery ads alongside minimal copy and a succinct CTA. For all campaigns, agencies employed this approach to drive more efficient conversions.
Geane Mota, Executive Director, Client Solutions, Blinks Essence (End Covid For All)
3. Create ads that hook and hold
Getting your audience’s attention — and holding on to it — means you have more opportunity to educate, engage, or inspire. A more informed viewer is more likely to click and convert.
Advance Equity for All’s impressive click-to-conversion ratio indicated that the longer audiences watched, the more likely they were to click through. So, grab the viewer's attention, then make sure you use it.
4. Best practices produce best results
Whether crafting awareness or action campaigns, the principles of YouTube's ABCD framework and Google Ads best practices remain vital. Attracting attention quickly, integrating brand throughout, and authentically connecting with audiences is essential, no matter the campaign. Once you have the attention of the viewer, be direct. Tell them what you want them to do, and show them how to do it. Campaigns with people-focused creative that address the viewer directly, like End Covid For All, perform well.
Asking audiences to take action only works once they’re already paying attention. So brands need to make sure they’re making use of best practices in order to make that happen.
Chloe Stephenson, Creative Director, BBH London (Resume Learning)
5. Media and creative go hand in hand
The consumer journey is not linear, meaning that brands and agencies cannot operate in silos of creative and performance. To drive more effective and efficient campaigns, brands must break down these barriers.
All creative and performance agencies working on the Global Citizen campaigns partnered from the brief, through creative ideation to execution. Working collaboratively enabled campaign efficiencies and ensured all touchpoints across the customer journey were truly integrated.
Abi Howson, VP, Video, Jellyfish UK (Resume Learning)
Whether brands are trying to change the world or drive business results, direct response ad formats on YouTube and Google have the power to share stories that drive real action. Brands that harness the power of data-driven creativity won’t only be ready for what’s next — they’ll be shaping what next looks like.
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