How Boring Metrics Ruined Banger Ads
Let’s talk about the worst thing to happen to great advertising in the past decade: KPIs. Nothing kills imagination faster than a spreadsheet.
Remember when ads punctured pop culture? When kids quoted them at school and someone’s dad said, “Did you see that one with the talking dog?” Of course you do. Because back then, creative leads were chasing impact. Now, they’re chasing conversion rates in Auckland East, women aged 35–42 who clicked something after 9pm.
The obsession with micro-metrics is producing wallpaper. Mobile-first, Gen Z-optimised, moodboard-regurgitated dullness. You know the type: a six-second pre-roll that says nothing, featuring a dance, a discount code and someone doing a backflip in a car park. Was that advertising? Technically, yes. But so is printing a flyer and yelling near a bus stop.
The best work still comes from instinct. Gut. The client who says, “I trust you, go mad.” And the team that doesn’t immediately hold a burial ceremony for boldness because the ROAS wasn’t up in week two. My unsolicited recommendation for 2025? Build ads you can’t wait to show your mates. Then once it’s out in the wild, track the hell out of it if you must. Just don’t let the algorithm into the brainstorm.
Remember when ads punctured pop culture? When kids quoted them at school and someone’s dad said, “Did you see that one with the talking dog?” Of course you do. Because back then, creative leads were chasing impact. Now, they’re chasing conversion rates in Auckland East, women aged 35–42 who clicked something after 9pm.
The obsession with micro-metrics is producing wallpaper. Mobile-first, Gen Z-optimised, moodboard-regurgitated dullness. You know the type: a six-second pre-roll that says nothing, featuring a dance, a discount code and someone doing a backflip in a car park. Was that advertising? Technically, yes. But so is printing a flyer and yelling near a bus stop.
The best work still comes from instinct. Gut. The client who says, “I trust you, go mad.” And the team that doesn’t immediately hold a burial ceremony for boldness because the ROAS wasn’t up in week two. My unsolicited recommendation for 2025? Build ads you can’t wait to show your mates. Then once it’s out in the wild, track the hell out of it if you must. Just don’t let the algorithm into the brainstorm.