Full-Stack Performance Creative for a $1M+ Paid Media Program
How I conceived, shot, edited and designed every ad format (UGC video, vertical video, static image and animation) and ran the campaigns that generated 307,000+ leads across Meta, Google and Snapchat.
- Client
- SurgePays
- Role
- Creative direction, ad production and campaign management
- Services
- Creative strategy, Ad production, Paid media
- 307K+
- leads from campaigns I created and ran
- $1M+
- in ad spend managed
- 4
- ad formats produced in-house
- 100%
- in-house, concept to final cut
My role
I owned the creative and the campaigns end to end: creative direction, scripting, shooting, editing and design for every ad format, plus running the paid media across Meta, Google and Snapchat.
The challenge
SurgePays was running a large-scale paid media program to acquire customers for its free government phone service across Meta, Google and Snapchat. The campaigns needed a constant stream of high-performing creative across multiple formats, audiences and platforms, without the cost and turnaround time of an external creative agency.
The strategic insight
The target audience, people who qualify for free phones through EBT, SNAP, Medicaid and other government benefits, didn’t respond to polished, corporate-looking ads. They responded to authenticity.
The creative strategy
Lead with real people, real language and real benefit messaging. In our testing, UGC-style and TikTok-native formats beat studio-produced content because they felt organic in the feed rather than disruptive.
The formula: a benefit-forward hook in the first 2 seconds, plus social proof, plus a clear call to action. I tested it across every format and it held.
The execution
| Format | Approach |
|---|---|
| UGC-style video | Directed and shot authentic testimonial-style content. Real people, real reactions, scripted to feel unscripted. Built to stop the scroll and build trust fast. |
| Vertical video | 9x16 native format with on-screen text, fast cuts and trending hooks for Snapchat and Meta Reels. Short, punchy, benefit-first. |
| Static image ads | High-contrast, benefit-forward designs. Multiple headline, visual and CTA combinations tested per campaign. |
| Animated ads | Motion-based ads for display and social placements, highlighting key benefits and eligibility in a way static images couldn’t. |
- Concept: creative briefs built from audience insight, platform behavior and campaign goals
- Script and copy: every script, hook and ad line across every format
- Production: shot and directed video myself, including talent direction, lighting and framing
- Post-production: edited in Premiere Pro and After Effects, including sound, captions and motion graphics
- Design: static and animated assets in Figma and Illustrator, consistent across placements
- Iteration: weekly performance reviews feeding the next round of creative tests
The measurable results
- 307,000+ leads across Meta, Google and Snapchat from campaigns I created and ran
- $1M+ in ad spend managed, with all creative produced in-house instead of by an outside agency
- All four ad formats delivered entirely in-house
- Creative testing contributed directly to cost-per-lead improvements across the program
How this was measured: lead counts from the program’s reporting across Meta, Google and Snapchat.
What this means for your business
The same principle applies to an HVAC company, a med spa or a studio: people act on ads that feel real and speak to what they actually want. That’s the starting point for every campaign I build.