Ad Secrets Revealed: Masa Chips

Breaking Rules, Long-Form Copy, Beef Fat

Author

Sean Bacastow
March 21, 2024

Your Brain on Ads is sponsored by PureFunnel. We help tech companies grow by strategizing, designing, and managing their Meta ads.

Welcome to another installment of Your Brain on Ads! We dissect winning ads to help you become a smarter Facebook & Instagram advertiser.

This week, we’re focusing on an ad from Masa Chips.

What Is Masa?

Masa makes tortilla chips from natural ingredients and cooks them in beef fat.

Here’s what I noticed when giving their ad a closer look.

3 Things I Like About This Ad

This ad breaks all the “rules.” Long ad copy. No images. Saying “This is an ad” in the headline. But it works. And remember, the first rule of ad club is… there are no rules.

1. The headline stops the scroll and makes you want to learn more (so you click).

Starting your ad with “This is an ad” violates rules on paper. But it’s a pattern interrupt and stops the scroll. It follows that up by mentioning their chips are “cooked in beef fat.” Bizarre, yes, but also curious – and curiosity is one of the most powerful tools in advertising. It opens a loop and makes you want to scratch an itch, so you click to learn more.

This is why pattern interrupt is so important in sales, as it can jolt your prospects out of their normal routines, and put them in a position where they’re more receptive to your message.

2. The long-form ad copy is different and persuasive

This ad stands out because most people don’t run long-form copy ads. It cuts through the noise. And long-form copy typically sells better anyway – you have more space to persuade and include all your selling points.

On Long-form Copy

"Some say, "Be very brief. People will read but little." Would you say that to a salesman? With a prospect standing before him, would you confine him to any certain number of words? That would be an unthinkable handicap."

Claude Hopkins, Scientific Advertising

3. The Image Copy Tells A Story and Sells the Product In the Process

The founder tells his story – wanting chips that didn’t make him feel fat and sick. So he created a chip that’s healthier than all the rest. He talks about the natural ingredients. He mentions how tasty they are. He could have just created an ad with a bag of chips and listed some of the benefits (boring). But would that have gotten a Your Brain on Ads write-up? Not a chance.

Potential Improvements

I would list some if I had any. This is my favorite ad I’ve seen in a while.

Applying These Learnings To Your Ads 💰

1. Test long-form copy in your ads.

2. Think about how you can create ads that will capture attention while maintaining your brand's essence.

3. Don’t be afraid to break the rules. The first rule of ad club is… there are no rules.

If you’d like help with your advertising, email me at [email protected] or message me on LinkedIn. I run a marketing agency called PureFunnel that helps tech companies grow with Facebook and Instagram ads.