ShaanksCreative strategy · Kikstart Snacks · 4 September 2026

Creative strategy

Your creative shows someone holding the pack. The brands above you show what it does, when, and for whom.

Six brands read as creative, not captions. Your live ads read the same way. Six ads written in full. Ten minutes.

119 competitor creatives read13 of yours6 brands6 ads written in full

01 · What your creative communicates today

One of your live ads already does the right thing.

13 frames, 8 live ads. 11 hold the pack. 11 shot on a phone, which is right. None show it eaten. One ad names a minute: "school run fuel because i didn't have time for a coffee", kitchen, lunchbox behind. Your strongest idea. One ad in eight.

What your 13 live frames are doing

the product is the star7 of 13
names the problem first3 of 13
a named moment2 of 13
explains something1 of 13

11 of 13 look shot on a phone in a real place.

Four of them

Kikstart
Pre-workout can be convenient and effective in a bar.
Person holding product in gym, text overlays highlight benefits.
Kikstart
Pre-workout can be convenient and effective in a bar.
Person holding product in gym, text overlays highlight benefits.
Kikstart
Quick, healthy energy for busy mornings without coffee crash.
Person holding product in kitchen, lunchbox and water bottle in background.
Kikstart
Quick, healthy energy for busy mornings without coffee crash.
Person holding product in kitchen, lunchbox and water bottle in background.

02 · What the brands above you communicate

Six accounts, frame by frame.

What the picture says, not the caption. Per brand: the angle mix, the longest-running creative, one thing to take. Live counts as of 3 September 2026. Every frame opens in the Ad Library.

HuelUK · plant based · founder led1,276 live · 30 frames read

What the creative is doing

the product is the star12 of 30
a comparison7 of 30
names the problem first6 of 30
a named moment2 of 30
an offer2 of 30

8 of 30 frames look shot on a phone in a real place.

Their longest-running creative

Huel321d
Huel provides convenient, nutritious meals for busy people.
Product being poured from cup into a bowl, with text overlay.
Huel321d
Huel provides convenient, nutritious meals for busy people.
Product being poured from cup into a bowl, with text overlay.
Huel321d
Huel is a comforting and easy meal solution.
Hands preparing Huel meal in a kitchen setting, with text overlay.
What to takeShow the product doing its job. Their 321 day creative: Huel poured into a bowl, one line, "Huel has got you covered." 20 of 30 frames designed, not shot. For you: wrapper off, a bite. Not a pack held up.
RXBARingredient transparency44 live · 10 distinct frames, too few to count

Why no numbers here

Once we removed duplicate frames, this account is 10 distinct frames, mostly the same few creatives in variants. Too few to put a percentage on. Observation and frames only.

Their longest-running creative

RXBAR7d

RXBAR7d

RXBAR7d

What to takePut the product in the moment. A handful of creatives, several a named occasion: bag opened from above, bike helmet, airport. Nobody explains the bar. One frame: honey over peanuts and oats. Set is a week old, so nothing on what lasts.
AG1proof and ritual1,058 live · 29 frames read

What the creative is doing

ingredients as proof9 of 29
an offer5 of 29
a comparison5 of 29
a named moment4 of 29
the product is the star3 of 29

12 of 29 frames look shot on a phone in a real place.

Their longest-running creative

AG1203d
AG1 is a rigorously tested and trustworthy product.
Celebrity (Hugh Jackman) holding product, looking at it thoughtfully.
AG1203d
AG1 is a rigorously tested and trustworthy product.
Celebrity (Hugh Jackman) holding product, looking at it thoughtfully.
AG1203d
AG1 is a rigorously tested and trustworthy product.
Celebrity (Hugh Jackman) holding product, looking at it thoughtfully.
What to takeMake the proof visible. 203 days: Hugh Jackman holding the drink, reading it, "AG1 IS RIGOROUSLY TESTED." 9 of 29 frames are proof, 4 a face, 5 a badge. You have Ben and a label. Same shot, different face.
Liquid Deaththe structure everyone copies332 live · 30 frames read

What the creative is doing

the product is the star15 of 30
a comparison6 of 30
a named moment3 of 30
names the problem first3 of 30
attitude2 of 30

5 of 30 frames look shot on a phone in a real place.

Their longest-running creative

Liquid Death127d
Excitement for an experience, with a product mention.
Man in suit looking down, text overlay, in front of attraction.
Liquid Death127d
Product as part of a healthy, active lifestyle.
Woman in gym clothes looking in mirror, product on shelf.
Liquid Death127d
Product as a healthy energy drink alternative.
Product can on top of a flat lay of clothes and accessories.
What to takeTwo kinds of frame. 12 of 30 the can big on a colour. 3 pack shots. 6 can-versus-soda. 7 in a scene: "Parenting is an EXTREME SPORT", stern woman, messy kitchen, 127 days. Product small, attitude big. Study the 7.
Barebellsscaled on taste51 live · 19 distinct frames, too few to count

Why no numbers here

Once we removed duplicate frames, this account is 19 distinct frames, mostly the same few creatives in variants. Too few to put a percentage on. Observation and frames only.

Their longest-running creative

Barebells83d

Barebells83d

Barebells83d

What to takeTaste as the hero. A named flavour, bar bitten open, protein number small underneath. For a plant bar the doubt is texture. They answer with the inside of the product. One of your creators called the category "dry, grainy". Answer with a picture.
Magic Mindcoffee replacement, at scale679 live · 30 frames read

What the creative is doing

a person using it8 of 30
humour8 of 30
the product is the star3 of 30
a comparison3 of 30
an offer3 of 30

22 of 30 frames look shot on a phone in a real place.

Their longest-running creative

Magic Mind97d
Matthew Stafford trusts this product for sustained performance.
Black and white photo of Matthew Stafford, text overlay with quote.
Magic Mind97d
The product provides sustained energy and mental focus.
Product bottle on a wooden surface with benefit callouts.
Magic Mind97d
Matthew Stafford uses the product for consistent peak performance.
Black and white photo of Matthew Stafford, product inset, text overlay.
What to takeOne face, again and again. Every long frame is Matthew Stafford. 8 of 30 humour, 22 phone-shot. Not polished, consistent. Your face is Ben. Not confirmed in any of your 13 frames; two show a man to camera.

03 · The patterns across all six

What repeats, and why.

119 distinct frames, 4 brands with enough frames to count. The counts are the counts; the line under each is our read of why.

the product is the star33 of 119 frames · 4 of 4 brands
a comparison21 of 119 frames · 4 of 4 brands
ingredients as proof11 of 119 frames · 2 of 4 brands
a person using it10 of 119 frames · 3 of 4 brands
an offer10 of 119 frames · 3 of 4 brands
a named moment9 of 119 frames · 3 of 4 brands
names the problem first9 of 119 frames · 2 of 4 brands
humour8 of 119 frames · 1 of 4 brands
/01

Show the product doing its job, not held up

Huel pours it. RXBAR pulls it from a bag. Liquid Death drops it in a scene. Moment first, product second.

Huel 321d · RXBAR · Liquid Death 127d · Kikstart: 11 of 13 frames hold the pack

/02

Name a moment, not an audience

"Busy people" is a category. "School run, no time for coffee" is a scene. Scenes get recognised.

RXBAR · Kikstart: one ad · bar brands we checked: 0 to 1%, Ape 24%

/03

Proof you can watch, not a badge

A face reading the label. Honey over oats. A bar bitten open. Needs a phone and the product.

AG1 203d · RXBAR · Barebells · AG1: 4 of 29 frames a face examining it

/04

One line in the picture, never a paragraph

Biggest text under ten words, a statement. The picture carries one idea. The caption carries the rest.

"Huel has got you covered." · "Real Energy" · "Parenting is an EXTREME SPORT" · Kikstart stacks two to three lines

/05

One face, again and again

Words stay the same, the face does the work. You cannot buy that face. You can be it.

Magic Mind: Stafford on every top frame of 30, 97d · AG1: Jackman, 203d · Kikstart: founder not confirmed in 13

04 · Where the openings are

What nobody is claiming, and what you already half own.

1

The morning, named

You made one ad of it. Six of eight bar brands we checked: 0 to 1%. The gym is crowded and 64mg is light for heavy coffee drinkers. 7:40 in the kitchen is open.

Your frame: "school run fuel because i didn't have time for a coffee" · Ape 24%, the rest 0 to 1%

2

The product doing its job

11 of 13 frames hold the pack. None eaten. Wrapper off in a car park. Bite at a desk at three. Bar pulled from a bag packed since June.

Huel 321d · RXBAR · Liquid Death 127d

3

The label as the ad

You already have the line: "Read every ingredient. We will wait." As a creative: the back of the pack fills the frame, nothing moves. Cheapest proof shot there is.

AG1 203d: a face reading the label · Your 37 day ad: "We want you to read the label. Genuinely."

4

Ben as the face you keep seeing

The two biggest accounts here run one face on repeat. You cannot buy that. You are it. Reading your label. Walking to a coffee shop. Opening a glovebox.

Magic Mind and AG1: one face each · Ben not confirmed in 13 frames; two show a man to camera

05 · The five angles

Each one comes from something we counted.

/01

Lead with the caffeine, not the protein

Why
Caffeine: 100% of your copy, 0% to 21% of every other bar brand we checked. Yet 10g protein leads 81.5% of your ads. That is Grenade's fight.
What we would say
The 64mg as the star of the picture, not small print under the pack.
Format
One static, one big line.
Proof
Your 55 day ad has the 64mg in line two. Brands that lead with a number keep the rest of the frame empty.
/02

Agree first, then make the point

Why
Say what they already think, then the thing they have not. Honest from a founder, a trick from a big brand.
What we would say
You already wrote the best one: "The vending machine at 3 am is never the answer. Deep down, you already know this."
Format
Ben on camera, phone, no set.
Proof
Ran 41 days. Huel's longest: "Don't change your life, just change lunch."
/03

Name the morning, give it a time

Why
Six of eight bar brands we checked: 0 to 1% name a moment. 55% of UK 16-34s skip breakfast. The gym is crowded and 64mg is light for it.
What we would say
One minute before 9am. They see themselves before they see the product.
Format
Video, real setting.
Proof
"3 pm slump" is your longest-running creative. Same idea, other end of the day.
/04

Show the taste, because taste is the doubt

Why
The doubt is texture. One of your creators: "dry, grainy". You run taste in 24% of copy. Vive 100%, Veloforte 77%.
What we would say
The bite. A real first reaction.
Format
Show it. You cannot claim taste.
Proof
Barebells: named flavour, bar bitten open, protein number small.
/05

Your customers, in their own words

Why
Customers in 8.4% of your ads. 4.87 average. One reviewer: "not discovered anything like Kikstart before".
What we would say
The review, unedited, attributed to a real person.
Format
A review as an image, their words as typed.
Proof
Liquid Death's 127 day creator ad keeps the typo. Untidy looks like a post.

06 · Three ads, written out

Not directions. The actual words.

Three designs. They run as one ad.

S/01

Put The Promise Back

Built on your 55 day ad
Kikstart static 1
Static 01 · 4:5 · made by Shaanks
Headline
Natural caffeine + plant protein in every bar.
Opening line
The 3 pm slump hits whether you're ready or not.
Body
64mg of natural caffeine from guarana, the same as your morning coffee, plus 10g of plant protein to get you past the meeting that should have been an email. Nothing on the label you would need to Google.
Button
Shop now
Why. Your copy, ran 55 days, your longest. New creative: real desk, real light.
Drop if: 21 days and it does not beat what runs now on cost per sale.
S/02

Four Pound Fifty

Built on your 40 day ad
Kikstart static 2
Static 02 · 4:5 · made by Shaanks
Headline
Natural caffeine + plant protein in every bar.
Opening line
A coffee shop flat white is £3.50 on a good day.
Body
More like £4.50 in most places now, and you have to go and stand in a queue for it. A KIKSTART is £1.85 in the 36 bar bundle, it has the caffeine of a coffee and 10g of plant protein, and it has been in your bag since June waiting for exactly this moment.
Button
Shop now
Why. Your flat white ad ran 40 days. Price, no discount, one glance.
Drop if: loses to the plain benefit ad over 21 days.
S/03

A Berry, Not A Bean

Our honest bet
Kikstart static 3
Static 03 · 4:5 · made by Shaanks
Headline
Natural caffeine + plant protein in every bar.
Opening line
Your coffee comes from a bean. This comes from a berry.
Body
Guarana does the same job. It just never got a shop on every high street. 64mg in a bar, which is about what is in your morning cup, with 10g of plant protein alongside it. Nothing on the label you would need to Google.
Button
Shop now
Straight. No track record. One reviewer had "not discovered anything like Kikstart before". That surprise never goes to where the caffeine comes from. A bet, one slot in three.
Drop if: dies under 7 days twice.

Five more from our creative department

Further out.

Made blind to competitors. For pushing, not shipping as is.

  1. The Fourth One Nobody counts the first three. / This is your fourth. Four cups from above, three crushed, the fourth is the bar.
  2. The Lid You have not cleaned that lid either. / Nothing to wash. Keep-cup seal off in the sink, bar on the draining board.
  3. After Four Do not eat this after 4pm. / You have been warned. Sell strength by saying when not to.
  4. Lost Property FOUND: one bar, gym bag, since June. Still fine. A laminated notice on a corkboard.
  5. One Bloke Ben has 239 followers and packs every box himself. Say you are small first. Real number on the day.

07 · Three more, with scripts

Video gets three slots too.

Phone, no crew, no set. Ben on camera.

V/01

Not For You

Our honest bet
0-3sBen to camera, reading his phoneDoes sixty four milligrams actually do anything if you drink six coffees a day. That's the question we get asked most.
3-8she agrees with themHonestly, no. If that's you, this isn't going to move you.
8-16swho it is forOne bar is one coffee. Not your fifth flat white. Your first, the one you didn't have time to get.
16-26sthe actual customerHalf seven, already in the car, no kettle in sight. That one it replaces completely. That's who it's for.
26-30sclose, holds the barSixty four milligrams. Ten grams of protein. That's the whole pitch.
On screen
The question, typed, first three seconds. Then nothing till the end card.
How it is shot
One take, phone propped, daylight. No music, no cuts.
Straight. No track record. The bet: saying who it is not for buys more trust than dodging. Your live ad says it is the question you get asked most.
Drop if: under 7 days. Ben on camera is untested, not failed.
V/02

I Put These Here In July

Our honest bet
0-3sno voice, hands open a car door pocketOn screen: I put these here in July.
3-9sthree cuts, no speechA desk drawer. A gym bag pocket. A glovebox. A bar in each one.
9-15sfirst line, flat deliveryCoffee's gone cold in twenty minutes. These have been sitting there for two months.
15-24seats one in the car park, filming one handedSame caffeine as a coffee. No queue, no cup, nothing to wash up.
24-28send card64mg natural caffeine · 10g plant protein · kikstartsnacks.com
The idea
Shelf life as the benefit. Coffee cannot wait. This can.
How it is shot
Real car, real clutter, one trip outside.
Straight. Untested as video, not as an idea. Your 39 day ad ran "One bar. One coffee's worth of caffeine. No queue." This shows it.
Drop if: loses to S/01 over 21 days.
V/03

We Will Wait

Built on your 37 day ad
0-4sthe back of the pack fills the frameWe want you to read the label. Genuinely.
4-14snothing happensThe camera holds on the ingredients. No music. On screen at 6s: we'll wait
14-22sBen, off to one sideThat's it. That's everything in it. Nothing on there you'd need to Google.
22-28scloseNatural caffeine, plant protein, and a list you can actually finish.
The idea
Ten seconds of a label, no motion. The dead air is the ad.
How it is shot
Two locked shots. Label readable on a phone.
Why. Your line, ran 37 days. We add the silence.
Drop if: people leave before 6 seconds. Then cut the hold to four.

Five more from our creative department

Further out.

First line, and where it goes.

  1. Which Aisle Right. Where does this go. Ben in a supermarket with the bar, coffee aisle, protein aisle, cereal aisle, shaking his head. Ends by the tills: "It goes in your drawer, apparently. We are online only."
  2. The Machine Nobody has descaled me since 2023. Subtitles over a grim office coffee machine, drip tray full. The villain narrates, calm and smug, until a hand reaches past it into a drawer.
  3. The Old Thread why is there no coffee you can chew A screen recording of Ben's real messages from before the brand existed, then a hard cut to the same desk with a box on it. Only if the thread is real.
  4. Keep The Walk You do not want a coffee. You want ten minutes away from your laptop. Ben walking the real route to a coffee shop. At the door: "Keep this bit, it is the good bit. I made these for the days you do not get it."
  5. My Fault Two of our three flavours are sold out and that is my fault. Ben in a storeroom with mostly empty shelves, holds up the one box left, says it is the good one anyway.

08 · What we would test first

Two questions, then scale what answers.

Test oneThree statics as one ad. Does caffeine beat protein when only the creative changes.
Test twoOne video against the statics. Is Ben on camera worth building on.
Give it21 days each. Your ads that passed three weeks ran about five. Cut sooner, they never reported back.

The Ad Library does not show spend. We assumed creative, not budget, was the limit. If wrong, say so.

That is the strategy

If you want to go deeper on any of it, we can get on a call.

Happy to show where any number came from.

Pick a time

Or just reply to my message.

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