Portfolio
A selection of controls, creative systems, and process work from scaled acquisition environments.
HBI — YouTube Controls
$300K+/month in spend, LTV-driven subscription model, and a constant need to find the next control before the current one faded.
We found a swipe file that used an aspirational "new lease on life" framing for aging seniors. The opportunity was to translate that emotional arc into a direct response ad using real customer footage.
I directed the opening to weave in real footage of customers who had provided testimonials and pushed for a specific visual hook: an older, ex-military man running in slow motion. Aspirational before it was persuasive. It became our most durable control.
The original ad asked which of four foods made arthritis pain worse — but only showed a graphic. The opportunity was to make it visual.
We put the four foods on a table in front of Dr. Paris and had him reveal them one by one, turning a static image into a curiosity loop the viewer was actively participating in. One visual change. Biggest control I produced.
Most of our winning creative was curiosity-based, built on a knowledge gap. This was a chance to test a different emotional register entirely.
I wrote the hook — Dr. Paris holding a water bottle, throwing it in the trash: "If you have arthritis, toss your bottled water in the trash. Here's why." The opening section was written to feel documentary rather than direct response — a deliberate departure from our usual style — before transitioning into a more traditional DR flow. It opened up a new segment of the audience.
Zenith — Meta Ads
Parents with elite-level aspirations for their students — a service that guarantees acceptance into a top university. Every ad was driving toward a booked call.
The audience already believed the admissions game was rigged in favor of the wealthy. The opportunity was to validate that belief and then reframe it.
I wrote a script that opened with: "Children from the top 1% of income families are 77 times more likely to attend an Ivy League school. Rich families really do have a massive advantage. But not in the way you think." That pivot — confirming the suspicion before redirecting it — is what drove the call volume.
The existing control was fatiguing. I brought in talent specifically aligned with the target audience to open the ad with a direct pattern interrupt: “Parents, you’re probably tired of seeing this guy in your feed.”
Matching the messenger to the audience. New face, same core script. Strong performer.
Instead of writing one ad, I designed a modular system — two lead angles, eight CTAs, and a pattern-interrupt opening in a bank vault. A media buyer could test every meaningful variable from one production day.
The bank vault wasn't just a location choice: it made the money-back guarantee tangible before a word was spoken.
Process
The work that doesn't show up in the reel but determines whether the reel gets better over time.
AI Copy Workflow
The challenge wasn't just volume — it was writing for six distinct audience segments simultaneously. I developed a multi-stage prompting workflow that produced a full initial draft across all segments in one session, which was then refined down to the final creative. A well-known direct response copywriter who reviewed the process said he was genuinely impressed — and had nothing to add.
We'll start by clarifying what state the system is actually in.