Product Demo Dominates Video Types
Creative Intelligence — Week 8
Apr 6-Apr 12, 2026
ads decoded across 6 verticals
+22 new this week
Product Demo surges to dominate video types, now at 64%.
The Movers
Specificity Bias
Specificity Bias appears in 9% of ads, enhancing clarity and impact.
Completion Bias
+2%
Completion Bias rose by 2%, suggesting a focus on full narratives.
Authority Transfer
1%
Authority Transfer declined by 1%, indicating reduced celebrity endorsements.
Scaling Leaderboard
| # | Brand | Scaled |
|---|---|---|
| 01 |  AuraBloom | 872d |
| 02 |  Gleam | 406d |
| 03 |  Meet Blume | 161d |
| 04 |  The Oodie | 42d |
| 05 |  JSHealth Vitamins | 31d |
| 06 |  Bloom Nutrition | 26d— |
| 07 |  JSHealth Vitamins | 19d— |
| 08 |  Primal Queen | 9dnew |
Format War
Content Mix
What KIND of content is winning — tutorial, demo, skit, story, etc.
Hook Leaderboard
Hook Spotlight
“Do not buy this.”
Pet Honesty · Pet
“Choose your Pokemon! Help me pick my new Uri Sleep Tea.”
The Oodie · Fashion Apparel
“"""Most people don't realize how fast mushroom coffee works. Here's what happens inside your body in the first seven days."""”
RYZE Superfoods · Health Supplements
Hook Performance
Top Performing Hook
Direct question hook
517d avg lifespan · 2 ads
Avg across all hooks: 196d
Hook Observatory
Hook × Vertical
| Health Suppl | Fashion Appa | Pet | Beauty Skinc | Tech Gadgets | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contradiction Hook | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Challenge Intro | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Curiosity Spike | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Discovery Moment | 2 | |||||
| Open Loop Statement | 1 | 1 |
Hook × Psychology
| Loss Aversio | Social Valid | Competence R | Threat Reduc | Closure Deli | Status Asser | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contradiction Hook | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Challenge Intro | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Curiosity Spike | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Discovery Moment | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Open Loop Statement | 1 | 1 |
Hook Duration (seconds)
Scaling Conversion Rate
Visual Signatures
Linguistic Signatures
Hook → Close Pairings
Beat Intelligence
Avg Time Allocation
Top Subtypes by Category
Top Transitions
Weekly Intelligence
Only 22 ads were decoded this week, with a notable surge in the use of the Product Demo format, which now represents 64% of the cohort—up from just 3% last week. Health Supplements led the charge with 9 ads, prominently featuring the Talking Head Product format, which accounted for 45% of all ads, marking a 42% increase. Specificity Bias emerged as the top persuasion principle, utilized in 9% of ads, indicating a trend towards detailed messaging across various verticals, including Fashion Apparel and Beauty Skincare. The standout ad of the week, "AuraBloom," has been active for 872 days, showcasing a Direct Question Hook that aligns well with its Talking Head B-Roll format. The increase in the Completion Bias principle suggests a growing emphasis on driving viewer engagement to the end of ads, although Authority Transfer saw a slight decline this week.
Psychology Landscape
Distribution of psychological missions across all decoded ads.
Loss Aversion
5Social Validation
4Competence Restoration
4Threat Reduction
3Closure Delivery
2Curiosity Gap
1Status Assertion
1Identity Confirmation
1Behavioural Disruption
1Algorithm Radar
What algorithms are these ads optimized for — the hidden intent behind the creative.
Discovery Education Driver
8CTA Optimized Conversion
5Value Stack Acceleration
4Shareability Social Replication
4Social Proof Accelerator
1Platform Signals
FB dominates (95%)
Psychological Mechanisms
The specific psychological levers used across all ads — the tactical moves behind the strategy.
Pipeline Confidence
Funnel Intelligence
Awareness
18%
4 ads
Consideration
41%
9 ads
Conversion
41%
9 ads
Message Intent
Behavioral Role
Funnel Position
Offer State
Angle Playbook
Top of Funnel
Mid Funnel
Bottom Funnel
Visual DNA
Aggregated visual characteristics from decoded ads.
Enhanced Vision
Visual editing patterns, pacing, and product placement across all decoded ads.
Visual Energy Arc
Edit Rhythm
Product Visibility
Text Overlay Usage
Vision Deep Cuts
Camera Angles
Scene Settings
Subject Types
Text Styles
Product Placement Types
Framing × Beat
Lighting × Beat
Color Mood × Beat
Linguistic DNA
How the copy is actually built — sentence structures, cadence, and feature placement.
Point of View
first person
55%
39 beats
second person
42%
30 beats
mixed
3%
2 beats
Sentence Cadence by Beat
| Medium | |
|---|---|
Close | 26% |
Shift | 33% |
Context | 56% |
Opening | 47% |
Tension | 58% |
Delivery | 51% |
Validation | 47% |
Top Sentence Templates
Hi.
OpeningI've been taking this {brand_or_product_name} for {duration} and they just sent me a {intensity_phrase} {swag_item}.
Opening{evaluative_judgment} it.
OpeningSo here's the {problem}.
ContextIn this {world_descriptor} world that we live in, we aren't getting the {vitamins_and_minerals_and_nutrients} that we need.
ContextThis {helps_action} {fill_action} {gaps_item}.
ContextThis is all of the {item} that, as a {audience}, we should be getting {time_constraint}.
TensionTake {count} of these a day or you can take {count} with every meal.
DeliveryYou will not be without this {item}.
DeliveryIt does come with this {quality_descriptor} {item}, {item}, {item}, and apparently after you've been taking it for {duration}, you start getting some {quality_descriptor} {item}.
DeliverySo {action_verb} your {thing}.
ValidationI will not {action_verb} without it.
ValidationThere are {intensity_phrase} {thing} to {item}.
Validation{action_verb} into it.
ValidationI {intensity_phrase} {action_verb}.
ValidationFeature Density by Beat
Slot Types by Category
Linguistic Deep Cuts
Sentence Roles
POV × Beat Type
Top Copy Phrases by Slot
Format × Psychology Matrix
| Behavioural | Closure Deli | Competence R | Curiosity Ga | Identity Con | Loss Aversio | Social Valid | Status Asser | Threat Reduc | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder To Camera | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| GRWM Routine | 1 | ||||||||
| Product Demo | 1 | ||||||||
| Talking Head B-Roll | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Talking Head Product | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Talking Head Solo | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Voiceover B-Roll | 1 |
Duration Intelligence
Average
Median
Sweet Spot
75th Percentile
By Vertical
Cross-Dimensional Intelligence
Mechanism Co-occurrence
Which psychological mechanisms cluster together in the same ad
Scaling Ad DNA
8 scaling ads vs 22 total — avg 47s
Confidence-Weighted Distributions
Weighted by agent confidence — higher-confidence classifications count more
Psychology (Confidence-Weighted)
Algo Intent (Confidence-Weighted)
Source & Meta Intelligence
Platform Sources
Script Complexity
Vision Coverage
10 of 22 ads have vision data
Ad Library Coverage
8 of 22 have library data
Avg 196 active days
Agent Intelligence Signals
Detected Signals
Principles × Beat Type
Classification Confidence
Cross-Category Heatmap
| Beauty & Skincare | Fashion & Apparel | Health & Supplements | Other | Pet | Tech & Gadgets | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specificity Bias | 4 | 5 | 20 | 2 | 2 | |
| Social Proof | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | |
| Completion Bias | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| Authority Transfer | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Cognitive Fluency | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| Feature Cascade | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| Cognitive Dissonance | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Loss Aversion | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Commitment Bias | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||
| Action Bias | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Principle Pairs
Behavioural principles that appear together most often — the power combos.
| Principle A | Principle B | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Authority Transfer | Specificity Bias | 10 |
| Completion Bias | Specificity Bias | 7 |
| Cognitive Dissonance | Specificity Bias | 6 |
| Cognitive Fluency | Specificity Bias | 5 |
| Social Proof | Specificity Bias | 5 |
| Feature Cascade | Loss Aversion | 5 |
| Feature Cascade | Social Proof | 5 |
| Feature Cascade | Specificity Bias | 5 |
| Action Bias | Specificity Bias | 4 |
| Authority Transfer | Cognitive Dissonance | 4 |
Category Deep Cuts
Health Supplements and Fashion Apparel brands are both leveraging Specificity Bias effectively, with 100% of ads in those categories utilizing it—this is a pattern worth exploring across other verticals.
Top scaler: Gleam (406d)
Top scaler: The Oodie (42d)
Top scaler: JSHealth Vitamins (31d)
Top scaler: AuraBloom (872d)
Category War Room
Category Divergence Index
How different each vertical's creative mix is from the global average
Hook × Category
| Health Suppl | Pet | Fashion Appa | Beauty Skinc | Tech Gadgets | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contradiction Hook | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Curiosity Spike | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Open Loop Statement | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Discovery Moment | 2 | |||||
| Challenge Intro | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Direct Question Hook | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Story Start | 1 | |||||
| Prescriptive Cascade | 1 | |||||
| Contrast Setup | 1 | |||||
| Provocation | 1 |
Psychology × Category
| Health Suppl | Pet | Fashion Appa | Beauty Skinc | Tech Gadgets | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss Aversion | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Social Validation | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Competence Restoration | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Threat Reduction | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Closure Delivery | 2 | |||||
| Identity Confirmation | 1 | |||||
| Status Assertion | 1 | |||||
| Curiosity Gap | 1 | |||||
| Behavioural Disruption | 1 |
End Frame Intelligence
CTA vs Narrative Close Split
Close Type Distribution
Close Duration (seconds)
Close POV Distribution
Close × Vertical
| Health Suppl | Beauty Skinc | Fashion Appa | Tech Gadgets | Pet | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redirect | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Soft CTA | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Open Loop | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Try This Today | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Lesson | 1 | |||||
| Poetic Close | 1 | |||||
| Retention Hook | 1 |
Close ← Hook Pairings
Close Visual Signatures
The Playbook
Utilize the Contradiction Hook
Contradiction hooks are performing well, appearing in 23% of this week's ads, indicating that they effectively capture attention.
Open with: 'Do not buy this if you don't want to feel more energized than ever.'
Emphasize Specificity in Marketing
Specificity Bias is the top principle in this week's cohort, showing that detailed, concrete claims resonate more with audiences.
Instead of saying 'Our supplement boosts energy,' say 'Our supplement increases energy levels by 40% in just 7 days.'
Incorporate Completion Bias
Completion Bias is gaining traction, up 2% from last week, suggesting that showing progress or a journey can enhance engagement.
Show a sequence of results: 'After 30 days, 80% of users reported feeling more alert—here's how it worked for Jake.'
The Direct Question Hook
This framework involves posing a direct question to the audience that addresses a common pain point or curiosity, effectively engaging viewers from the start. It works because it prompts immediate reflection and personal connection.
Beat Structure
OPENING (Direct Question) → DELIVERY (Contextual Information) → TENSION (Problem Highlight) → DELIVERY (Solution Explanation) → CLOSE (Call to Action)
Specificity Bias
Specificity Bias refers to the tendency for people to respond more favorably to detailed and concrete information.
In video ads, this principle is often used through specific stats, testimonials, or case studies that highlight exact outcomes, such as '85% of users saw results in under two weeks.' Ads using Specificity Bias are more persuasive and trustworthy, leading to higher conversion rates.
Try this: In your next ad, include specific numbers or detailed testimonials to enhance credibility and impact.
Featured Decodes
406dGleam
42dThe Oodie
31dJSHealth Vitamins
872dAuraBloom
161dMeet Blume
Past Weeks
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this weekly creative intelligence report cover?
22 high-performing video ads decoded across 6 verticals. Not surface-level summaries. Structural formulas: which hooks are scaling, which psychology is converting, which beat architectures are running longest. The patterns that separate winning creative from the 70-90% that fail.
How does Heista decode ad creative?
Every ad is reverse-engineered into its structural formula: beat-by-beat architecture, hook type, psychological mechanism, visual DNA, and timing. The same intelligence a creative strategist charges $10K+/month to produce, extracted in 30 seconds. This weekly report aggregates those formulas to surface what's working right now.
How can I use these formulas in my own ads?
The Playbook section gives you specific formulas to test this week. The Scaling Leaderboard shows which structures are running longest (proven, not theoretical). Sign up for Heista to decode any ad yourself, generate ready-to-shoot scripts on proven formulas, and brief creators with shot-by-shot specs and visual direction. Your brand voice and product details load automatically.
How often are new reports published?
Every week. New ads decoded, new patterns surfaced, new formulas identified. Category-specific intelligence drops are also published weekly if you want to go deeper into your vertical.
