Does creativity affect ad performance?

Creativity improves ad performance by making ads easier for our brains to process, creating more positive impressions of the brand, and creating a “wear-in effect” that makes ads more effective over time

The formula is fairly simple: originality + relevance = creative advertising that converts.

Does creativity still matter when AI tools make it easy to copy winning ads? The data says yes: creative ads outperform non-creative ones on the metrics that matter.

This guide covers proven creative testing strategies based on psychological research, including how to generate original ideas through divergent thinking and filter them for relevance through convergent thinking.

Does creativity matter?

Yes, creativity does affect ad performance.

Turns out, marketers aren’t the only ones wondering this. Psychologists are also curious whether creativity in advertising affects performance. 

A review of 67 studies found creative ads consistently outperform non-creative ones. The effects are strongest for unfamiliar brands – creative ads help them build awareness faster and that awareness sticks around longer.

One of the studies found creative ads have a strong wear-in effect: they grow more effective over time and take longer to wear out.

Some stats from TikTok suggest a similar conclusion:

According to the research, creative ads are easier for our brains to process, they put viewers in better moods (which transfers to the brand), and they signal that a brand is worth paying attention to.

So yes, creativity matters when making ads. But what does that mean?

What is creativity?

Creativity can seem like a vague, subjective term. You know it when you see it, but how do we define it?

Well, you have to define something before you can study it. The psychologists who study creativity have a simple formula:

Originality + Relevance = Creative

You need both.

Original ideas are unexpected, new, or unusual. But original alone isn’t enough – a cat wearing roller blades might be unexpected but it doesn’t mean anything.

Creative ideas need to be useful or meaningful. They need to be levant.

Defining creativity this way gives us a repeatable framework for ads that devour spend, convert like crazy, and run longer than David Goggins.

Divergent thinking: the root of Originality

Originality comes from divergent thinking – taking one thing and imagining all the different things it could be.

For example, a red circle could be a stop sign, a Japanese flag, a dog toy, etc.

Try this: Think about your product. What are five different things your product could be? Alternatively, you could brainstorm features:

• A mattress doesn't help you sleep, it helps you "win tomorrow"
• Deodorant doesn't stop sweat, it "saves first dates"
• Meal kits don't deliver food, they "tell you what's for dinner"

Divergent thinking is open-ended and exploratory, but it has to start somewhere. You start with one idea or insight and branch out in every direction.

Some more jumping off points:

• How would a 5-year-old describe your product?
• How would your grandparents describe it?
• Open a book to a random page. Connect something on that page to your product.
• What’s your top performing ad? How can you reimagine that ad in a different format? 

Most importantly, don’t try to put constraints on your ideas yet. If you start trying to filter ideas before you get them out, you won’t get the full value of divergent thinking.

Narrow your options with convergent thinking

If divergent thinking is starting with one thing and expanding it out to many, convergent thinking is the opposite. You take your pile of ideas and narrow them down to the best one. 

Convergent thinking is underrated as a creative skill. It’s easier to create chaos than it is to convert chaos into simplicity, but that second step is crucial – which is why it’s often left to our managers.

Originality without relevance is useless. If an idea isn’t useful, it’s not truly creative. As David Ogilvy once said, "If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative."

This is where you put your performance marketer hat on:

Filter for your audience

➡️ Which ideas would make your specific customers smile?

➡️ What references will they actually get?

➡️ What problems do they actually care about?

Check for brand fit

☞ Does it work with your brand's tone?

☞ Could only you say this, or could any competitor use it?

☞ Does it reinforce what you want to be known for?

Consider the context

▷ Will it work in a feed environment?

▷ Does it make sense in 3 seconds?

▷ Is the idea clear even without sound?

The beauty of performance marketing is you don’t have to nail this step in a vacuum, you can test your ideas with an objective measure: ad performance. But you do have to narrow your ideas down first.

Tools for creative testing and analysis

Creative testing requires systematic analysis to identify which original ideas actually drive performance.

Motion's AI tagging tracks performance by creative element — not just by campaign or ad set. This reveals whether your hook, visual style, or messaging angle drives results, informing your next round of divergent thinking.

A/B testing frameworks validate whether originality translates to performance. Test creative variables individually (hook vs. hook, format vs. format) to build a library of proven creative elements your team can recombine.

The combination of divergent thinking, convergent filtering, and systematic testing creates a repeatable creative process that consistently generates winning ads.

FAQ: Creative testing strategies for digital advertising

How do you test creative strategies in digital advertising?

Start with divergent thinking to generate 5-10 original concepts, then use convergent thinking to filter for audience fit, brand alignment, and platform context. Test filtered concepts in small budget experiments, measuring thumbstop rate and conversion performance before scaling winners.

What makes a creative ad test successful?

Successful creative tests combine originality (unexpected angles or formats) with relevance (solving real customer problems). Research shows creative ads perform 40% better than non-creative alternatives and maintain effectiveness longer through wear-in effects.

How long should you run creative tests before deciding winners?

Run creative tests for at least 7 days to account for Meta's learning phase and gather statistically significant data. Creative ads often show wear-in effects, meaning performance improves over time rather than declining immediately.

What metrics matter most for creative testing?

Track Thumbstop rate (how often viewers pause scrolling), hook rate (first 3-second retention), and conversion rate. Creative ads should outperform on engagement metrics while maintaining or improving conversion efficiency compared to non-creative alternatives.

How many creative variations should you test at once?

Test 3-5 creative variations simultaneously for statistically valid results without fragmenting budget. Use Motion's creative analytics to identify which specific creative elements (hooks, formats, messaging angles) drive performance differences.

Key Takeaways

Creativity isn't magic. It's originality plus relevance.

You find originality through divergent thinking: generating lots of wild options.

You ensure relevance through convergent thinking, filtering for what works for your specific situation.

It may sound obvious, but when you have a big creative task in front of you I find it helps to remember the process is actually quite simple. It just takes work.