If you want your creative strategy to actually convert (and just "look cool"), this post will save you a lot of pain.

DO NOT SKIP THIS!!! 

I know you want to get to the good stuff, but... 

Don’t make the same mistake I did. 

For years I struggled my ad campaigns.

I'd throw up a bunch of (great) creatives and hope for the best.

Some stuck, most didn't.

When creating new ads I'd ask myself:

• How can I make this creative go viral?

• How do I pitch the product in a more exciting way?

• How do I make the message clearer?

All decent questions…

But the better question is: What stage of awareness is this creative actually targeting?

Because if your entire campaign is speaking to people who already know you… congrats, you’ve built a retargeting strategy, not a funnel.

Now before you go on saying "yeah, yeah, I heard this all before…"

Just know…

The 5 stages of awareness are not just some abstract copywriting theory.

It’s a funnel framework for your entire creative ecosystem!

It makes sure you're not just running random ads, but instead…

Are building a full pipeline that takes people from "Who the hell are you?" to "Shut up and take my money!"

Because here's the truth…

You don't scale by running more ads.

You scale by building a system that meets people where they are and solves their problems.

One funnel step at a time.

And the 5 stages show you exactly how to do that.

The 5 Stages of Awareness (A full-funnel breakdown)

Let’s walk through the full funnel, top to bottom.

Each stage demands a different kind of creative.

Miss the mark, and you waste spend. Nail it, and you move people closer to purchase.

1. Unaware:

These people don’t know you. They don’t know they have a problem (and they're not looking for a solution).

They’re just innocently scrolling.

Your job: Start a conversation. Don’t pitch.

Tell a story. Hit a nerve. Spark curiosity.

Run a relatable story ad, a "How to" tutorial, no hard product mention, just a day-in-the-life struggle that builds empathy.

🔥 Example ads:

2. Problem aware:

Your unaware audience has been exposed to the problem.  

They feel the pain - but don’t know how to fix it.

Your job: Define the problem clearly. Make it feel solvable.

UGC-style ads, testimonial-driven content, and relatable frustrations do a great job in expressing that problem and introducing a solution.

Your goal: Make them say “That’s exactly what I’m dealing with.”

🔥 Example ad:

3. Solution aware:

They now know what types of solutions exist, but yours is just one of many.

This is your chance to position YOUR solution as the right one for them.

“Us vs Them” ads, explainer breakdowns, feature/benefit contrasts - do a great job of explaining that. 

And make your approach feel like the obvious choice.

🔥 Example ad:

4. Product aware:

They now know who you are. They’ve seen your ads. Maybe even visited your site.

Now’s the time to differentiate and deliver reasons to choose YOU.

The "3 Reasons Why" ad, product demos, and social proof do this in spectacular fashion.

Your goal: Speak to people who are on the fence… And push them off.

🔥 Example ad:

5. Most aware:

They’re ready. They just need a reason to buy NOW.

This is where your CTA, offer, and urgency matter most.

Run a limited time sale, make an offer… Get the damn click!

🔥 Example ad:

So… what does this all mean?

Think of the stages of awareness as one big funnel, taking prospects down the rabbit hole of your brand. 

Does every customer HAVE to go through all the stages? 

No. Some customers will convert at every level. 

But we’re professional marketers here and we’re not letting a single customer drop go to waste. 

Because great creatives aren’t just creative...

They’re coordinated. Layered. Strategic.

Every piece should have a role.

• Some pull people in.

• Some push them forward.

• Some close the deal.

Because if you’re only running ads that “sell,” you’re ignoring everyone who’s not ready to buy.

That’s not strategy - that’s hope.

And hope isn’t scalable. A creative system is.

So the next time you plan your ad campaigns, ask yourself:

👉 Where is this ad meeting the customer?
👉 And what’s the job of this creative in the bigger picture?

That’s how you build a funnel that actually works, stop wasting spend, and start stacking wins.

Now go build it.

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P.s. Here are the results, cause, you know, nice to have…