Persuasion Sequences
Normalize Struggle
Make failure universal, not personal.
This is the moment where the viewer stops feeling alone with their problem. You've just shown them that the struggle they thought was unique to them — the one they've been quietly ashamed of — is actually universal. Everyone faces it. And knowing that changes everything.
Why This Works
Shame is the most powerful barrier to action. When people believe their failure is personal — a reflection of their competence — they hide from solutions rather than seeking them. Normalizing the struggle removes shame from the equation. "It's not just you" is one of the most psychologically liberating statements a viewer can hear. It frees them to engage with the solution instead of hiding from the problem.
In Your Ads
Make the struggle universal without making it trivial. "80% of D2C brands burn through their first $50K in ad spend without a single profitable campaign. Not because they're bad at marketing — because the creative testing model is fundamentally broken." The viewer goes from "I must be doing something wrong" to "The system is broken for everyone." That's the shift that opens them to change.
When This Breaks
You normalize the struggle so thoroughly that the viewer decides it's just the way things are. "Everyone struggles with ads" can accidentally communicate "and there's nothing you can do about it." Always follow normalization with differentiation — most people struggle, but here's what the ones who escaped did differently.
Example
Isolating: "If your ads aren't converting, you need to rethink your approach." Normalizing: "93% of ad creatives fail in the first 72 hours. Not because the brands behind them are incompetent — because they're all following the same broken playbook."
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to see Normalize Struggle in action?
Decode any ad free — 3 scans includedExplore More
Expand what your creative team can do.
Move from brief to better creative work, faster.
7-day free trial.