How We Made a Winning UGC Ad in 5 Minutes (for Under $10)

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In today’s newsletter

• Fix your silent profit killer

• Should copywriters use AI to scale output?

•  How Mertra creates fire product demo videos (and how you can too)

• DTC Gold for the day

In today’s AI Launch Codes (For Premium Users Only)

• Top AI tools we are tinkering with

• How we made a winning UGC ad in 5 minutes (for under $10)

Let's dive into it!👇

Fix your silent profit killer

Being out of stock is the biggest profit killer ecommerce brands ignore - until it’s too late.

• Lost sales (obvious)

• Higher costs per unit (hidden)

• Operational chaos (painful)

• Angry customers (long-term damage)

Portless fixes this.

Your inventory is available for sale the moment it’s made - shipping to over 55 countries. No guesswork. Always in stock. 

Should copywriters use AI to scale output?

Cody asked an interesting question: if you already have a great copywriter, can AI actually help them write more without watering it down?

He’s thinking of uploading past work + tone guidelines to keep things on-brand, then using tools like ChatGPT or Claude to expand on that.

Our take:

AI won’t replace a great writer, but it can definitely help them write 5x faster if you train it right. Create a “vault” of past best-performing copy, plug it into a custom GPT or Claude memory, and your writer now has a high-speed rough draft machine.

👉 See the full thread here

P.S.: Lots of interesting comments on this one.

How Mertra creates fire product demo videos (and how you can too)

I’m officially obsessed with Mertra, a Melbourne-based streetwear brand founded by Aron Williams in 2022. They’re not just making waves with their sustainable, standout pieces but also with their viral social content that pulls in millions of views.

In today’s post, I’m breaking down one of their high performing videos (22 M+ views) and one of their low performing video (just 630 K) to see what really separates their high performers from their low performers.

🥇 High Performing Post: 22M+ Views

mertra

387K followers

View more on Instagram

This video is a perfect example of how to layer multiple tactics for maximum impact. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Drama – Building Suspense:
   
   

   • The clip opens with a stoic model surrounded by multiple hands grabbing at the Heat Reactive Puffer Jacket. The tension is clear “ what are they going to do?”
     

   • Effect on Viewer: Creates immediate curiosity and FOMO. The viewer is left guessing — will they tear it apart? Damage it? It keeps them hooked.
     

2. Absurdity – Amplifying Shock Value:
   
   

   • The hands suddenly move and the jacket on fire while the model is still wearing it. It’s unexpected, extreme, and visually arresting.
     

   • Effect on Viewer: The “WTF” moment grabs attention and amplifies shareability. It’s not just a product — it’s a spectacle.
     

3. Satisfaction – Delivering a Payoff:
   
   

   • The closing shot reveals a hand pressing onto the jacket, leaving a visible imprint as the material reacts to the heat.
     

   • Effect on Viewer: The satisfying imprint ties up the tension and shock with a clear, impactful product demo. The viewer now understands why they need this jacket — it’s more than just apparel; it’s an experience.

🥉 Low Performing Post: 630K Views

mertra

387K followers

View more on Instagram

Now, let’s dissect why this similar concept didn’t hit the same mark:

1. Drama – Missing the Hook:
   
   

   • The video shows the jacket getting drenched in rain. There’s no element of suspense or unpredictability.
     

   • Effect on Viewer: The setup is predictable and lacks intensity. The viewer’s attention isn’t piqued the way it was in the high-performing video.
     

2. Absurdity – Underutilized:
   
   

   • Yes, the water-reactive material changes color, but it’s expected.
     

   • Effect on Viewer: Without a shocking or unexpected twist, the viewer quickly loses interest. It’s cool, but not mind-blowing.
     

3. Satisfaction – Not Enough Payoff:
   
   

   • The pattern emerges as expected, but the visual impact is less striking. The rain remains steady, and the scene lacks contrast or tension.
     

   • Effect on Viewer: The outcome feels underwhelming. There’s no dramatic reveal, so it doesn’t feel like a must see moment.
     

💡 Takeaways for Your Brand:

• Drama: Set up a scenario that builds tension or anticipation. Make viewers feel like they need to see what happens next.
  

• Absurdity: Include an unexpected element that disrupts the norm and makes your product feel impossible to ignore.
  

• Satisfaction: End with a visually striking, mind-blowing payoff that leaves the viewer feeling like they need your product.
  

Until next time,
Hana 💥

DTC Gold for the day

1. 🛍️ ChatGPT steps into shopping

   OpenAI is upgrading ChatGPT with product recs, visuals, and purchase links. It might just compete with Google Shopping soon.

   👉 Read more

2. 🧠 AI tackles cart abandonment

   Rezolve launched a tool that acts like an in-store sales assistant, online. It's built to reduce cart abandonment with real-time, conversational guidance.

   👉 Explore the insights

 How we made a winning UGC ad in 5 minutes (for under $10)

Ads are the backbone of DTC growth—we all know that. But filming UGC? Still a pain. Between hunting for creators, waiting a week, and shelling out $100+ for a 30-second clip, it’s more hassle than it’s worth. And honestly? Half the time the content doesn’t even convert.

Recently we have been tinkering with AI UGC ads and the results are surprising.

We ran 2 ads:

The first Ad you see below was created using AI and the Second ad was created by hiring an actor on fiverr, the results speak for themselves.

The AI ad took us just 5 minutes to put the whole thing together—and it cost us less than $10. No back-and-forth, no shoot days. The ad with the real actor cost us $100 and 7 days to create.

The AI ad is currently one of the best performers in our ad account.

And we’re not alone. When we interviewed Mirai Clinical (yep, the $3M+ brand) on the DTC Podcast, they told us AI UGC is crushing it for their ads too.

So we figured—it’s time to share the playbook.
A no-fluff, step-by-step guide to help you create your own AI-powered UGC ad that actually performs.

Looks real. Performs even better.

🔓 Want the full build?

We’ll walk you through how to:

• Generate product-in-hand footage using MakeUGC

• Add voiceovers that don’t sound robotic

• Structure it all inside a reusable ad template

• And do it all in under 15 minutes, even if you’ve never edited a video in your life

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