April 28, 2025
The Paid Ad Creative Checklist Used by 8-Figure DTC Brands
Don't ship another ad without running it through this checklist.
Most paid ad performance issues trace back to creative choices the team didn't check before going live. Here's the checklist our edit team runs before every delivery.
Pre-flight (creative)
Hook in first 1.5s, sound design verified, captions burned in, aspect ratio matched to placement, CTA in last 2s.
Pre-flight (compliance)
Claims reviewed, disclosures on screen, trademarks cleared, music licensed.
Pre-flight (technical)
File spec matched to ad manager requirements, safe zones respected, thumbnail intentionally chosen.
Key takeaways
- •Hook timing
- •Sound verified
- •Captions burned in
- •Compliance verified
- •Spec matched
FAQ
Should captions always be burned in?+
Yes for paid. Auto-captions vary across surfaces and break with sound off — which is most users.
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