Looking to stop scrolling thumbs in their tracks? Maybe you’ve got an important upcoming campaign and you want to make a splash with audiences. If this is the case, it’s time to think outside the box when it comes to your creative.
To achieve cut-through, you’ve gotta offer audiences something unique. Something they haven’t seen before. Something that captures their attention and draws them in.
This article explores five cut-through creative strategies. These strategies will help to unlock higher levels of engagement across digital channels, enabling you to meet your marketing objectives.
1. Land impact with UGC 3D
If you want to present something truly unique, Shuttlerock’s UGC 3D solution delivers in spades. The solution blends the authenticity of user-generated content (UGC) with the impact of 3D visuals – the best of both worlds! The result: truly unique storytelling that surprises and delights audiences.
The possibilities for this format are endless; you can let your imagination run wild.
Case Study: Explore how Primark used UGC 3D to announce the opening of two new store locations, resulting in a 1000% higher reach than their recent Reels content.
2. Tap into trends
Tapping into trends is a sure-fire way to boost engagement. Trends are trends for a reason – audiences respond to them. On TikTok, for instance, creatives that leverage trends see a 1.5x increase in view time exceeding 5 seconds.
To successfully tap into a trend, you need to be actively paying attention to organic content, hunting for trend opportunities that make sense for your brand. You then need to be agile, producing creative quickly so that you don’t miss the boat.
A great example of a brand effectively using trends can be seen with the example above from Indeed. Indeed utilized Shuttlerock’s end-to-end UGC solution to collaborate with a creator on a video that tapped into the things that just make sense trend as a way of communicating the features of their app.
3. Power your creative with UGC
Speaking of UGC: UGC in and of itself is great at driving cut-through and engagement when used within your creative.
Audiences crave content that they can connect with. They’ve become disillusioned by staged scenarios and idealized imagery. Instead, they want content that reflects their lives, featuring people they can relate to. Powering your creative with UGC is one of the best ways to achieve this.
Take a look at the Peloton Reels example above, again, produced using Shuttlerock’s UGC solution. The video is fully native to Reels; it matches organic content. It may sound counterintuitive, but in this case, the creative cuts through by blending in. In placements such as Reels, TikTok, and Shorts, if your ad looks like an ad, then it’s going to be ignored. Your creative needs to feel part of the platform, not a disruption to it. UGC is one of the most effective ways to achieve this.
Article: Explore more examples of brands using Shuttlerock’s UGC solution to produce platform-native creative.
4. Invite audiences in with interactivity
Another way to drive cut-through is to run creative that brings the audience into the experience – moving them from passive viewers to active participants. This can be achieved through interactivity.
Meta’s Instant Experience format is a great example of this. The format immerses audiences, allowing them to explore your product or service by clicking, swiping, and scrolling through different elements. A great use case for this can be seen with Auto brands. In the example above, you can see how Peugeot used the Instant Experience format to configure their own E-208 within the experience before being directed to a relevant landing page to learn more.
Case Study: Discover how Ford worked with Shuttlerock to create an Instant Experience that led to a 56% higher view time and a 15% lower cost per lead.
5. Make the first few seconds count
Our last recommendation is something we've been sounding like a broken record about for years: make the first few seconds count!
Unless your placement is non-skippable, the first two seconds of your ad are make-or-break time. This is what decides whether audiences will engage with your ad or not. Therefore, it goes without saying: you need to make these seconds count.
The most effective way to achieve this is by using high-impact visuals right from the jump. Use animation, use a quick zoom-in, use elements coming in and out of frame – whatever it is, make sure it’s eye-catching. Above, you can see how ASOS used a quick 3,2,1 countdown combined with a grid effect. These techniques capture engagement right from the get-go, and keep hold of it throughout the rest of the creative with fast cuts and unique transitions.
Looking for creative cut-through? Contact Shuttlerock
If you’re looking to produce creative with some extra oomph, Shuttlerock has you covered. Get in touch with one of our crew members to explore how our solutions can help your brand.
Related Content
.png?width=159&height=159&name=Group%201000001080%20(1).png)
