Speaker 1: I call upon the great Facebook algorithm to deliver us low CAC, high conversion rates, and the ultimate blessing.
Text overlays appear on screen: "Low CAC", "High Conversion Rates"
Speaker 1: Unicorn ads made with lo-fi magic?
Text overlay appears on screen: "Unicorn Ads With Lo-Fi Magic"
Speaker 1: Wait, who am I kidding? I am not an ad wizard, but I am a marketer equipped with Motion's 2025 Creative Trends report.
The speaker takes off his hood. A slide appears behind him titled "Motion's 2025 Creative Trends". Text below reads: "We analyzed $100M in ad spend, surveyed 100+ industry insiders, and conducted over a dozen interviews with leading creative strategists to help you understand the forces shaping DTC ad creative." To the right are four illustrated tarot-style cards.
Speaker 1: And one trend they uncovered after analyzing 100 million in ad spend is the lo-fi squeeze.
The speaker is now in a modern office setting. To his right, an illustrated tarot card appears. It shows a person walking with a bindle stick and is labeled "The Lo-Fi Squeeze".
Speaker 1: Most advertisers know that lo-fi ads are the backbone of DTC marketing.
A large collage of various lo-fi, TikTok-style ads appears and animates on screen.
Speaker 1: In fact, 42% of top-performing ads analyzed by Motion were shot on smartphones or made with minimal editing.
A slide appears with a tarot card on the left labeled "The Lo-Fi Squeeze". The slide is titled "Everyone in DTC advertising knows lo-fi works—it's foundational." The text below reads: "Most brands in DTC were built on scrappy content that blends seamlessly with organic social feeds. 42% of top-spending ads in our analysis of $100M+ in ad spend were classified as lo-fi production (i.e. shot on an iPhone with minimal editing and post-production polish), proving what we already knew: that you don't need a massive production budget to drive results." The phrase "42% of top-spending ads in our analysis of $100M+ in ad spend were classified as lo-fi production" is highlighted.
Speaker 1: But while ads filmed like this used to be major differentiators for direct-to-consumer brands, ugly ads have become, well, pretty much mainstream.
A woman sits on the floor in a living room, filming herself with a smartphone mounted on a tripod.
Speaker 1: Even legacy brands are getting in on the action.
A montage of lo-fi style ads from major brands begins. First, a TikTok-style video for Tide. A woman holds a container of Tide Pods in front of her face. The Tide logo is overlaid. On-screen text: "Because I've been in the studio so much lately, I've had to do a ton of laundry."]
> [VISUAL: A TikTok-style video for Ford. A red Ford Explorer is parked in front of autumn trees. The Ford logo is overlaid. On-screen text: "I'll be driving the new 2025 Ford Explorer ST in the coming months". The car drives on a dirt road. On-screen text: "this Rapid Red Explorer will be my new road trip bestie."]
> [VISUAL: A TikTok-style video for Dunkin'. A woman sets up a coffee bar. The Dunkin' logo is overlaid. On-screen text: "Let's Set Up a Cold Brew Coffee Bar with Dunkin #dunkinpartner".
Speaker 1: So when everyone knows the playbook, how do you stand out? The trick is you have to get more creative.
The text "MORE CREATIVE" appears in large 3D letters behind the speaker.
Speaker 1: And even more importantly is you need to match your lo-fi content to the mindsets of the people that are scrolling. Let's check out some examples where you can adapt these into your own ads. First up is this ad from Poppi.
A TikTok-style ad for "poppi" plays. A hand restocks a fridge with blue cans of poppi Cream Soda. The brand name "poppi" is in pink text at the top.
Speaker 1: This ad is literally just a hand restocking a fridge with cream soda cans on repeat. And their caption, "us after trying cream soda for the first time."
A text overlay appears on screen: "“us after trying cream soda for the first time”"
Speaker 1: That's it. Simple, relatable, and it makes you smile while subtly hammering home the product. This is a very creative and clever way to do more with less.
The text "DO MORE WITH LESS" appears in large 3D letters behind the speaker.
Speaker 1: All right, here's another standout lo-fi ad from The Ridge.
A split-screen ad for The Ridge wallet plays. Top screen: A man is talking. Bottom screen: A montage of satisfying, "sludge content" style clips, like candy being poured and crushed. On-screen text: "The BEST Wallet". Audio from ad: "It's the best wallet that you can buy, but you don't just have to take my word for it. There are over 30,000 five-star reviews."
Speaker 1: I love this one because Ridge recognized and capitalized on what's called "sludge content," which looks amateurish, overstimulating, and kind of chaotic all at once.
The text "“sludge content”" appears in large 3D letters. To the left and right, examples of sludge content videos play, showing split screens with podcasts or news clips on top and satisfying or gameplay footage on the bottom.
Speaker 1: The ad stops the scroll because it understands the audience.
A person is seen from behind, scrolling on their smartphone.
Speaker 1: It's fun, lo-fi, and it feels like the content that you'd probably stumble upon while scrolling through TikTok or Reels. All right, let's take a look at one final example.
A selfie-style video of Kourtney Kardashian plays. The brand name "lemme" is on screen. On-screen text: "WE JUST LAUNCHED". Audio from ad: "We just launched Lemme GLP-1 Daily with a limited time subscription offer."
Speaker 1: Kourtney Kardashian at home in a hoodie, and she crushes the ad read like she's just talking to a friend. Whether you're a fan or not, this is an effective way to do a founder ad that blends high-profile celebrities with a lo-fi production.
The words "high-profile celebrities" and "lo-fi" appear on screen as the speaker says them.
Speaker 1: But how can you actually make lo-fi ads that differentiate your brand and also mimic the tone and style of the content that your audience already loves? Well, here are three ideas that you can implement right away to get started now.
A large number "3" and the word "Ideas" appear on screen.
Speaker 1: Number one is start blending lo-fi with hidden polish.
A large number "1" appears on screen with the text "start blending lo-fi with hidden polish." A montage of various lo-fi ads plays.
Speaker 1: Find an agency that can combine studio-level lighting and professional-looking product shots with iPhone recordings of your subject talking. A number two idea or tactic is to get a customer to record a voiceover and use that authentic audio over-laid with nicely set up product shots to achieve a better balance.
A large number "2" appears on screen with the text "customer voice over with product shots." Two examples of ads play. Left: An ad for Oats Overnight with a customer comment screenshot. Right: An ad for a bidet toilet seat.
Speaker 1: And lastly, number three, test out a high-profile, fun celebrity partnership, but have the ad recorded on an iPhone.
A large number "3" appears on screen with the text "have a high-profile celebrity record an ad on iphone." A montage of ads featuring celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Marques Brownlee plays.
Speaker 1: This way, it feels unscripted, trustworthy, and totally authentic.
Speaker 1: The lo-fi squeeze isn't just about saving money, it's about meeting your audience where they are with content that feels real, raw, and totally scroll-stopping.
End screen with the Motion logo and text "Motion 2025 Creative Trends". A button below reads "Dive into the report".
