Write an ad creative brief on one page that names the goal, the customer, one promise, the proof, the formats and the things to avoid. A good brief lets a designer, creator or AI tool produce the right ad without a meeting.
TL;DR
- One brief per concept, not per campaign.
- State one goal and one customer. A brief for everyone is a brief for no one.
- Give one promise and the proof behind it.
- List the formats and placements before work starts, so nothing gets recropped later.
- Say what to avoid: claims you cannot make, competitors, banned words.
- Attach two or three reference ads, and say what you like about each.
What do you need before you start?
- The product and the offer in one sentence each.
- Your past results: the ads that did well and the ones that did not.
- The landing page the ad will lead to.
- Any rules from legal or the brand team.
If you do not have past results, write that in the brief. It tells the team that this round is a test.
Let Madgicx's AI do the work
Its AI marketer finds what's working and prepares the next move. You approve.
Try for Free ($0 Trial)The steps
- Write the goal. One sentence, tied to a number. For example: "Get first purchases of the starter box at a cost per purchase near what we pay now." How to check: a stranger could tell from the goal whether the ad worked.
- Name the customer. One person, described by what they want and what holds them back. How to check: you can picture a real buyer, not a market segment.
- Pick one promise. What changes for the customer if they buy. How to check: it fits on the headline line and does not use "and".
- Add proof. A review, a number you can support, a photo of the product in use. How to check: every claim can be backed up on request.
- Set the formats. Placements and ratios, and the length of any video. How to check: each placement has a version planned. See Meta ad creative sizes.
- Describe the hook. What shows in the first second. How to check: the hook shows the problem or the result, not the logo.
- List the do-nots. Claims, colors, competitor names, words that the platform rejects. How to check: the list is short enough that people read it.
- Attach references. Two or three ads, plus one sentence each on what to borrow. How to check: the references show a style, not a copy.
A filled-in example
A made-up candle brand called Ember & Oak.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Goal | First purchase of the three-candle sampler |
| Customer | Gift buyer, 30 to 45, shopping for a host or friend, worried about picking a scent they will dislike |
| Promise | "Three scents, so the gift is never wrong" |
| Proof | A review quote about the unboxing, a photo of the sampler tied with ribbon |
| Formats | 4:5 image for Feed, 9:16 video, 12 seconds, for Stories and Reels |
| Hook | Hands opening the box and lifting the lid in the first second |
| Do not | Say "natural" or "non-toxic", show a lit candle near fabric |
| References | One unboxing ad we liked for pace, one static ad for layout |
The template to copy
Copy this into a document and fill in each line.
- Goal:
- Customer:
- Promise (one):
- Proof:
- Formats and placements:
- Hook (first second):
- Offer and call to action:
- Do not:
- References and what to borrow:
- Due date and who approves:
What is the most common mistake?
Putting five promises in one brief. A creator tries to include all of them and the ad ends up saying nothing. If you have five promises, you have five briefs. Make the first one now and queue the rest.
A related mistake is leaving out the results from past ads. Creative Insights can break down your earlier creatives to show what the winners had in common, and that belongs in the brief as the "keep" list.
What to do next
Send the brief, ask for two concepts, not one, and plan how you will judge them before they launch. Our answer on how to test ad creative shows how, and improving Facebook ad creatives covers the metrics to read afterward.
Where Madgicx fits
Madgicx helps fill the two hardest lines of the brief: what has worked, and what to make next. Creative Insights breaks down your creatives to show what makes winners win, and the Madgicx AI Ad Generator makes new image ads from a prompt, an image or any ad in the Meta Ad Library. You approve the ads before they run.
FAQ
How long should an ad creative brief be?
One page is enough. If it takes more, the concept is not clear yet.
Who writes the creative brief?
The person who owns the results writes it, usually the marketer or media buyer. The creator or designer reviews it and asks questions.
Do I need a brief for AI-generated ads?
Yes, the same brief makes the prompts better. The goal, customer, promise and do-nots turn directly into instructions.
What is the difference between a creative brief and a creative strategy?
A strategy covers months and many concepts, while a brief covers one concept. The brief is the working page a creator uses.
Related
- Answers: Scaling ad creative production with AI
- Answers: Improving Facebook ad creatives
- Answers: Ad creative hooks
Go deeper
Our post with a step-by-step AI creative workflow shows where the brief fits in a full production line.
