People love to say we’ve got short attention spans. I don’t buy it.

We binge eight episodes in one night, spend hours scrolling deep into niche rabbit holes, and rewatch the same TikTok three times because it hits.

The real problem is that most ads are just forgettable.

For instance, Geico’s has been playing its 10-year-old commercial “Screaming Scapegoat” lately — the one with the goat that causes the malfunction in the peanut butter factory. Although it was funny, it did not have any elements within the ad that connected to its brand. When first viewing, you would never have thought this was a Geico commercial until the end. (Maybe this ad would’ve worked better if it was for a jar of peanut butter.)

Attention-grabbing design isn’t just about flair. It’s about resonance, relevance, and risk.

So, how do you create digital advertising that doesn’t just stop the scroll, but makes someone feel something and associate that feeling with your specific brand? Let’s get into it.

1. Start With the Story

You can borrow the trend, but you can’t borrow the resonance.

We process visuals 60,000x faster than text. That means your audience sees your brand before they read it. If your ad feels static, stiff, or templated, they’re gone.

Visual storytelling doesn’t mean adding more “stuff.” It means crafting a moment: a look, a frame, a detail that makes someone pause.

According to AdAge, the future of commercial filmmaking is cinematic, story-first, and emotionally immersive. In other words: make your ad feel like a movie trailer, not a billboard.

2. Color Isn’t a Vibe; It’s a Proven Psychology Tactic

Let’s talk color psychology. Color isn’t just a design choice; it’s also an emotion delivery system.

Red yells “now.” Blue builds trust. Yellow? It’s got main-character energy. These are not happy accidents; they’re tools. When you pair your message with the right emotional tone visually it hits different.

More importantly, your color language should be consistent across everything. Your audience should recognize you before they even read a word. That’s branding done right.

3. Design for Disruption

Before designing, you need to ask yourself: Is my brand’s creative distinctive enough to stand out from all the other ads in an Insta feed?

It doesn’t matter how aesthetically sound your design is if it doesn’t stand out to the user. Test a couple of different themes and tones to see which stops the user mid-scroll, and lean into that style in your iterations.

4. Your CTA Should Close the Emotional Loop

Think of your call to action like the final scene in a great movie. It’s not a random line. It matters.

It should feel like a natural next step, not a jarring interruption. Yes, test your copy. Yes, use color contrast. But don’t forget: if your ad feels like a story, your CTA is the resolution. Make it land.

And if you’re not testing your CTAs? You’re guessing. Speaking of testing…

5. A/B Testing is Not a Vibe Check. It’s Strategy.

Creative is emotional, but performance is math.

A/B testing lets you validate your gut. Test the angle, the hook, the CTA, the color, the layout. But don’t just test what’s easy – test what’s meaningful. Your headline isn’t just a sentence; it’s a bet. Your layout isn’t just a look; it’s a signal.

Let data sharpen your instincts, not override them. When art and analysis collaborate, you get ads that both convert and resonate.

Final Thought: Make Ads That Feel Like Something

Don’t chase virality. Chase the feeling that makes someone stop scrolling. The visual that jolts them. The line that gets stuck in their head. That’s the kind of creative that works in 2025 and beyond.

Digital advertising isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about showing up with something real when it matters most.

Let your ads be felt, not just seen.

Ready to make your ads stand out? Let’s talk.

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