A New Way to Think About Ad Creative in 2025 With Sarah Levinger

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Levinger, one of the most sought-after minds in consumer insights and behavioural strategy, to unpack the mental models behind performance creative. From understanding generational buying behaviour to why storytelling is outperforming old frameworks, Sarah shares a fresh perspective on what today’s top-performing DTC brands are doing differently.

We cover:
- Why “hook, body, CTA” is losing effectiveness
- The 4 ad types every brand should be running (but most aren’t)
- How AI is changing static ad creation and why psychology matters more than ever
- Using emotional insights to improve ad resonance and attribution
- What’s coming next for DTC brands in the next 12–18 months

Whether you’re a founder, CMO, or performance lead, this one’s packed with insights that’ll challenge how you think about creative.

00:00 – Intro
05:45 – The death of hook-body-CTA
08:30 – Brand vs performance: finding the balance
13:12 – What actually drives people to buy
17:46 – Why top-of-funnel strategy is broken
22:51 – The power of brand voice from day one
26:20 – Speaking like your customer (without losing your voice)
31:45 – Why your post-purchase surveys are lying
35:38 – Gen Z vs Gen X: how different audiences respond
40:15 – Creative testing in 2025: less iteration, more impact
44:02 – Sarah’s creative audit process
47:33 – What’s next for DTC

Follow Sarah:
tetherinsights.io
https://x.com/SarahLevinger
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlevinger/

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