name: dara-denney-meta-ads
description: DTC creative strategy — the full stack. Tier 0 Creative Strategy OS — the research→strategy layer BEFORE format selection: 7-station reputation analysis, customer review mining + golden nuggets, evidence-ranked Persona & Desire Segmentation (the moat), three-gap ecosystem audits, mission docs, quarterly→monthly creative roadmaps, plus the strategist business model (own-the-outcome packaging, spec-work client acquisition). Video — 2026 format archetype selection, David & Goliath construction, yapper script architecture, objection-handling ads, winning-hook engineering, founder ads, and format × messaging × persona test plans. Static — the 3-layer static system, 7 static format archetypes with frame-grounded exemplars, AI static production, and a productized static-ad sprint. Engine for performance creative built on Dara Denney's agency methodology.
version: "4.0"
format: completion-engine
workflows: 26
expert: dara-denney
domain: dtc-meta-ads
tiers: "Creative Strategy OS (18–26) + Video (01–07) + Static 3-Layer engine (08–11) + Static formats (12–14) + Static production & orchestration (15–17) = 26"
Dara Denney — Creative Strategy (Research OS + Meta Ads Production)
"In 2026, formats alone are not enough." — D.D.
"Real strategy lies in the layer before format selection." — D.D.
A completion engine for DTC creative strategy — research OS, video, and static. Built from Dara Denney's annual format review, her static-ad masterclass, and her creative-strategy research SOP videos ("Elite Creative Strategy in One Sitting" + "I Hired 100+ Creative Strategists", both watched 2026-07-25). Two governing principles: real strategy lives in the layer before format selection (personas · pillar angles · platform trends — gaps vs the live account), and format × messaging are independent test axes.
Expert Context
Dara Denney is a DTC creative strategist running an agency that has produced 20,000+ Meta ads across hundreds of brands. She publishes weekly on YouTube for performance creative practitioners. Her annual format reviews are arbitrage maps — she identifies which creative archetypes are performing in early-mass-adoption (before saturation) and pairs them with messaging strategies that survive 2026 ad fatigue.
Her methodology treats Meta ad format trends as a quarterly arbitrage discipline, separates format from messaging as two test axes, runs format theses across multi-brand portfolios for confidence, and operates at the script-distribution-architecture level (not single-creator level). She publicly admits when her taste is wrong — "I bet against this and was proved wrong" — and ships ads she personally finds embarrassing if pattern signal contradicts her gut.
When to Use This Skill
- Running the full research→strategy package for any brand — reputation analysis → review mining → persona deck → gap audit → mission doc → roadmap (
/dara-research-sop, the one-sitting elite build)
- Building an evidence-ranked persona & desire segmentation deck — the moat deliverable, also sellable standalone (
/dara-persona-intel)
- Auditing a live ad account for persona / awareness / diversity gaps, incl. public pre-pitch recon (
/dara-gap-analysis)
- Packaging creative strategy as a paid offer, or acquiring clients from zero via spec work (
/dara-strategist-package, /dara-spec-work-engine)
- Building any DTC Meta ads creative strategy from scratch — video or static
- Diagnosing why current ads are underperforming (likely a format-messaging mismatch, not a creative quality issue)
- Selecting formats for a new campaign — funnel position × audience age × ops maturity × budget × brand stage
- Constructing high-leverage video formats: David & Goliath, yapper, objection-handling, founder ads
- Building a static from a brand + persona: 3-layer system → one of 7 formats → 8 copy mechanics → 1-second comprehension gate → AI production
- Productizing a paid static-ad sprint (5–10 concepts, research-grounded, delivery package)
- Designing 30-day test plans as format × messaging × persona matrices
- Swapping a proven winner between static and video without re-researching
Workflow Map
Tier 0 — Creative Strategy OS (the layer before formats)
| # | Workflow | When to run | Output |
|---|
| 18 | /dara-research-sop | Front door — every new brand/client/pitch | The complete package: 4 research context docs + persona deck + gap audit + mission doc + roadmap |
| 19 | /dara-reputation-analysis | Brand onboarding; pre-pitch spec (timeboxed) | 7-station customer-journey doc; THE friction point named; traced creative hypotheses |
| 20 | /dara-review-mining | After reputation analysis | Golden Nugget Bank + AI analysis (4 questions) — review_miner.py deterministic pre-pass |
| 21 | /dara-persona-intel | The moat — after review mining; also standalone product | Evidence-ranked persona + desire segment research deck with receipts, money quadrant, net-new injection |
| 22 | /dara-gap-analysis | Monthly; post-test-cycle; pre-pitch (public Ad Library mode) | Three-gap audit (persona/awareness/diversity) + gap-traced concept directions + winner×persona matrix |
| 23 | /dara-mission-doc | After segmentation + gaps | 2-4 page governing strategy doc (also the AI grounding context for all future creative) |
| 24 | /dara-creative-roadmap | Engagement start; monthly/quarterly rhythm | Quarterly plan + monthly roadmap + Creative Testing Roadmap sheet (5-column) |
| 25 | /dara-strategist-package | Selling the craft | 3-tier offer menu on the $2K→$10K ladder, own-the-outcome positioning, proof-building tracker |
| 26 | /dara-spec-work-engine | Client acquisition from zero; weekly flywheel | Public teardown + spec concept pack + outreach note (the 75%-response motion) |
Tier 1 — Core Strategy (Video)
| # | Workflow | When to run | Output |
|---|
| 01 | /dara-format-selection | Entry point for any new video campaign | Ranked brief: 2-3 format archetypes with paired messaging + arbitrage tags + test architecture recommendation |
| 02 | /dara-david-goliath | Brand has clear category villains; high-differentiation play | Full ad concept: 3 enemy variations to test, hook lines, contrast beat, science/proof scaffold, animation note |
| 03 | /dara-yapper-script | Brand can release script control; partnership ad ready | Beat-structure script (not locked dialogue) + persona adaptation matrix + creator brief + sourcing note |
| 04 | /dara-objection-engine | Known buyer objections OR genuine grievance/positioning shift | "We're not cheap" or "We're sorry" ad: hook, rebuttal stack, proof beat, hidden ad set / frequency notes |
| 05 | /dara-test-plan | $5K+ test budget, 3+ weeks runway | 30-day format × messaging × persona matrix with hypothesis-per-cell, prioritized cells, rotation/promotion logic |
| 06 | /dara-winning-hooks | Building the hook layer for any ad round; ads plateauing on product-first openers | Hook suite across tested-winner families, each specified on all 4 hook layers (text/sound/visual/vibe) + per-layer test grid |
| 07 | /dara-founder-ad | Brand has an accessible founder with a real origin story; founder content untested or stale | Format pick from six-play menu + 7-beat script (with Mad-Lib version) + interview plan for camera-shy founders + phone-first production spec |
Tier 1 — Static 3-Layer Engine
| # | Workflow | When to run | Output |
|---|
| 08 | /dara-static-engine | Front door for static — building a static from a brand + persona | One production-ready static-ad spec: headline, visual hierarchy, copy, format, aspect ratio, production level (Strategy → Design → Copy, each layer gating the next) |
| 09 | /dara-static-format | Layer-1 strategy is set; you need the vessel | Ranked brief: 2-3 of the 7 static archetypes × production level, each with headline direction + visual-hierarchy spec |
| 10 | /dara-static-copy | Strategy + design locked; writing the copy layer | Headline + supporting-copy variants, each tagged by mechanic, incl. the golden-nugget review-CSV mine |
| 11 | /dara-comprehension-audit | Before any static ships or gets scaled | Decisive KEEP / FIX / KILL verdict against the 1-second comprehension + single-focal-point test, with exact fixes |
Tier 2 — Static Format Builders
| # | Workflow | When to run | Output |
|---|
| 12 | /dara-educational-infographic | Unaware / category-curious TOF persona; teach a category insight (Sweetgreen play) | Infographic spec: category insight, chart concept, headline, soft CTA + render handoff |
| 13 | /dara-transformation-static | Problem/solution-aware buyer whose only blocker is proof | Before/after spec, headline, proof framing, lo-fi creator direction + render handoff |
| 14 | /dara-comparison-callout | Solution-aware buyer comparing alternatives (GRO play) | Comparison ✓/✗ grid or benefits-callout spec, copy (negative marketing, no trash-talk), defensible advantage claims + render handoff |
Static Production & Orchestration
| # | Workflow | When to run | Output |
|---|
| 15 | /dara-static-production | A locked static spec exists (from 08 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 17) and you want real image files | Rendered image files in deliverables/ + variation/QA sheet — brand-brain → research-first gap analysis → 3-variation batch → edit-to-refine loop |
| 16 | /dara-format-swap | You have a winner in one vessel; want the same message in the other without re-researching | Cross-format brief: source spec + paired target spec (static ↔ video), one research pass, both ready for A/B test |
| 17 | /dara-static-ad-sprint | Someone is paying for a batch (not a single hero asset) | 5–10 production-ready static concepts with locked copy + design + produced assets, QA report, testing roadmap, delivery package |
Recommended Workflow Sequence
Strategy-First Path (the elite build — start here for any new brand)
/dara-research-sop (18) orchestrates: reputation analysis (19) → review mining (20) → persona deck (21) → gap audit (22) → mission doc (23) → roadmap (24).- Roadmap rows then execute through the production tiers below (01-17), with
/dara-test-plan (05) as the monthly matrix layer.
- Selling it:
/dara-strategist-package (25); pipeline from zero: /dara-spec-work-engine (26).
- Notion delivery: the package deploys into the "Creative Strategy OS" Notion template (see References) for client-facing delivery.
Video-First Path
- First time on a brand: Run
/dara-format-selection → 2-3 format recommendations.
- For each recommended format: Run the construction workflow (
/dara-david-goliath, /dara-yapper-script, /dara-objection-engine, or /dara-founder-ad).
- Hook layer for the round: Run
/dara-winning-hooks — 4-layer hook specs across tested-winner families.
- Before deploying spend: Run
/dara-test-plan to architect the matrix.
- After 30 days: Re-run
/dara-format-selection with new performance data; cycle.
Recommended Static Sequence
- Pick the vessel:
/dara-static-format (09) — rank 2-3 of the 7 archetypes × production level for one goal + persona + awareness.
- Build the spec:
/dara-static-engine (08) for the full 3-layer build — or jump straight to a format builder if you already know the play: /dara-educational-infographic (12), /dara-transformation-static (13), or /dara-comparison-callout (14).
- Write the copy:
/dara-static-copy (10) — 8 mechanics + the golden-nugget review-CSV mine.
- Gate it:
/dara-comprehension-audit (11) — KEEP / FIX / KILL on the 1-second test before spending a dollar.
- Render:
/dara-static-production (15) — brand-brain → research-first → 3-variation batch → edit-to-refine.
- Swap (optional):
/dara-format-swap (16) — take the winner into the other vessel on the same research.
- Productize:
/dara-static-ad-sprint (17) — the whole system as a sellable 5–10-concept scope.
Static Ads
Source of truth: references/static-ad-exemplars.md — every exemplar below was watched frame-by-frame from Dara's masterclass, not paraphrased. Never invent a headline; a converting static is one you can name against these seven patterns.
The 3-Layer Static System
- Layer 1 — Strategy (button it up before a line of copy): pick ONE specific goal (offer / education / target a problem-aware buyer — never one ad doing two jobs) → a SPECIFIC persona (stage + objection, not "small business owners") → the FORMAT → a matched LEVEL OF AWARENESS (the bridge from persona+goal to framework).
- Layer 2 — Design: visual hierarchy — headline generally FIRST (it does the targeting) → product/key visual → supporting elements; the focal point sits on the messaging ~9 times out of 10. Then the 1-second comprehension test — if a stranger can't tell what you're selling in one second, kill it. Clarity always beats creativity.
- Layer 3 — Copy (the most important layer): the 8 mechanics below.
The 7 Format Archetypes (real exemplars — never invent past these)
- Educational infographic — Sweetgreen "The Economics of $15 Salads" (Chartr-style bar chart). Masquerades as organic; leads with education/value; TOF workhorse.
- Headliner — Happy Tuesdays "The cheat code to your big weekend."; Wandering Bear "SO GOOD IT SHOULD BE BAD FOR YOU"; TIME/supplement "…the closest we've gotten to a fountain of youth" + TIME logo + "USE CODE TRY25 FOR 20% OFF". Ogilvy print lineage; the message is the focal point.
- Benefits callout (Ogilvy "features callout" renamed) — headline at top; test it two ways: tap the core desire vs a generic line, or slide a golden-nugget testimonial into the headline.
- Comparison / us-vs-them — "GRO Shampoo & Conditioner" vs "Other Hair Growth Products", green ✓ / red ✗ rows ("No harmful side effects," "Hormone free," "Visible results in 90 days," "Certified vegan & clean"). "Still cranking." Negative marketing baked in.
- Transformation — "My secret for getting rid of dandruff" before/after split (flaky scalp BEFORE / clean AFTER 2 USES) + creator holding two bottles (lo-fi creator). Biggest gap + biggest opportunity for problem/solution-aware buyers ("they're just looking for proof").
- Grid static — "MEET THE Cook & Bake Set" struck-through $1,090 → $632, "STORAGE INCLUDED," ~9 product tiles. OG print-era; apparel / multi-SKU; sales periods. (Laura Geller top performer follows a similar grid pattern.)
- Text-only — totallee "iPhone Cases Are Weird." founder's-letter long text. Borrows the organic founder's-letter format; founders' letters do well.
The 8 Copy Mechanics (Layer 3)
- Be specific — name the demographic, give exact numbers, lead with a number communicating time/effort/cost ("five minutes," "under $5," "2 inches in just one use").
- Call out the audience by name — self-selection is a copy mechanic; it improves targeting.
- Lean into the taboo — say what competitors are too polite to say.
- Tap a primal desire — status, sex, belonging, safety, approval. Product is the mechanism; the DESIRE is the headline.
- Open a curiosity loop — show the setup, hide the payoff through the click; satisfy it on the landing page.
- Negative marketing — say it in a negative aspect; name what the audience is afraid of.
- Borrow from customers — run a CSV of reviews through your LLM and find the "golden-nugget testimonials."
- Show the transformation — don't just describe the after state, show it (before/after). Before/afters are NOT illegal; cosmetic / weight-loss categories carry more restriction — claim only what the frame shows.
The 3 Production Levels
- Graphic-style — infographics, comparison grids, product grids, feature callouts.
- Hi-fi production — premium / luxury / B2B positioning.
- Lo-fi creator — phone-shot, founder/transformation, real-person content. The biggest current gap AND her current needle-mover in client accounts. Match the audience's expectation, not aspirational polish.
AI Production Pipeline (tool-agnostic)
Claude builds the brand brain (voice/style/constraints as one reference doc, added to the generator's context) → research first (sub-agents scan competitor ad libraries — she scanned Native, Every Man Jack, Harry's — scored winning ads ~62–80) → creative gap analysis (which awareness levels / personas / formats are missing → the real failure is lack of creative diversity) → generate in 3-variation batches ("I often like to stick to about three in the beginning") → edit-to-refine loop (natural-language edits: "remove the m dash," "change the background to beige," "make the t-shirt smaller," "make me five more variations for a solution-aware audience"). She demoed on SuperScale (paid sponsor) but the method is tool-agnostic.
Render Wiring (real repo tools — never cite a tool not on this list)
python3 execution/generate_image.py "<prompt>" --aspect <1:1|4:5|9:16> — Nano Banana 2 (Gemini image). --edit <img.png> "<natural-language edit>" is Dara's edit-to-refine loop analog; also --reference <img.png>. Best for grid / text-only / headliner renders.python3 execution/generate_design.py --type <apparel|logo|...> --aspect <ratio> "<concept/brief>" — art-direction → Nano Banana 2 pipeline (concept → world-class prompt → render; --iterate, --prompt-only). Best for a DESIGN.md-style brief that should auto-render — infographics, graphic-style statics.python3 execution/creative_router.py route --task "<task>" [--json] — routes a creative task to the right service (fal-poster / higgsfield-soul / etc.) and prints the cost-gate pre-flight command.fantastic-posters skill (Fal / GPT-Image-2, 38 styles) — stylized poster / heavy art-direction, hi-fi. COST-GATED.- Higgsfield Soul (via
creative_router) — people/faces: lo-fi creator, founder statics, transformation with a person.
- DESIGN.md / Artifact — emit a DESIGN.md brief, render via
generate_design.py or the Artifact tool.
Cost note: image generation can trip the cost gate. creative_router.py prints the exact cost_gate.py pre-flight — SURFACE it, never bypass. Per no-forced-wiring, the render step is an optional offer, not a mandatory pipeline step.
Her Taste Calibration (verbatim)
- Rejects: em dashes; misspellings ("Deodorant spelled wrong — please spell it correctly"); "too much going on" / no focal point ("less is more"); review-collage / quote-heavy social-proof statics.
- Accepts: visceral — Dr. Squatch "Blame your D.O., not your shirts" / "Your Deo is ruining your shirts," a "disgusting closeup." She advised leaning more visceral, not "clean and safe."
Video Quick Reference
The 8 Video Format Archetypes (2026)
- David & Goliath (enemy callout → contrast → science proof)
- Obvious AI Slop (outrageous animated characters; permission via cringe)
- TikTok Love Letter (long text on short video; target callout)
- TikTok Short (1-2 line POV opener; rapid iteration)
- "We're Not Cheap" (objection-as-positioning)
- "We're Sorry" (emotional pattern interrupt)
- Listical (N reasons × multi-persona script distribution)
- Yapper (creator-led rant; operationally hardest, highest arbitrage)
Format → Messaging Pairing
- David & Goliath ↔ Enemy + science + customer benefit
- AI Slop ↔ Outrageous absurdity + product utility
- TikTok Love Letter ↔ Target audience callout + insight
- TikTok Short ↔ POV-opener + 1-line payoff
- We're Not Cheap ↔ Objection + reframe + proof
- We're Sorry ↔ Emotional pattern interrupt + offer
- Listical ↔ N reasons + persona × script distribution
- Yapper ↔ Creator-led rant + flexible script + native vernacular
The 4-Layer Hook Anatomy (first 3 seconds)
Text overlay + sound + visual + vibe — all four engineered per hook. Visual layer moves performance most; best hooks show, don't tell. Winning verbal families: investment, scam, give-me-time, POV/"POV: you hate X", founder origin, founder self-intro, in-action creator, emotional cliffhanger, "why did no one tell me", "if you…". Details: genius.md export-patterns section + /dara-winning-hooks.
Founder Ads (desert-island format)
Six plays: problem-solution VSL, objection handler, product demo, educational, sales-announcement POV, high-production (only after UGC traction). 7-beat script spine; keep the self-intro (split-tested winner). Camera-shy → interview-style shoot. Details: /dara-founder-ad.
5-Question Selection Tree
- Funnel position?
- Audience age?
- Operational maturity (script-flex)?
- Creative budget?
- Brand maturity (6/7/8/9 figure)?
5 Signature Moves (Video)
- Test-it-Anyway Override (taste vs. signal)
- Enemy-First Variation (David & Goliath testing)
- Comment-Mine Before Drafting (vernacular bank)
- Format × Messaging Matrix (2-axis minimum)
- Marketplace Hook-Rate Filter (creator sourcing)
Skill Stacking
Compounds with (Video Ad Skills)
/cash-method — concept card → ad pipeline integrates Dara's format selection as the vehicle choice/awareness-ladder — Schwartz awareness ladder pairs with funnel-position format selection/proof-stacked-ad-builder — David & Goliath's "science" beat maps to multi-tier proof/hook-forge — enemy-first hook variation is a hook formula/proof-pipeline — end-to-end ad production should integrate format archetype as Step 0
Compounds with (Static Ad Skills)
- Format selection: awareness level + persona objection determine the archetype (the 7 static formats map to the Schwartz ladder)
- Copy architecture: the 8 copy mechanics apply universally; the headline sells a desire/outcome, not a spec
- Design gate: the visual hierarchy (headline first, focal point on the message ~9/10) and the 1-second comprehension test are format-agnostic QA
- Cross-format research reuse: message architecture (goal / persona / objection / awareness / proof mechanism) is format-agnostic; only the production vessel changes (static headline+hierarchy ↔ video hook+sequence) — that's
/dara-format-swap
- Production efficiency: production-level choice (lo-fi / graphic / hi-fi) compounds with awareness level — match the audience's expectation, over-index toward lo-fi creator
Stacking Pattern: Video ↔ Static
- Lock the winning spec in one vessel (video: 8 formats / 6 founder plays; static: 3-layer system / 7 archetypes).
- Extract the message architecture (goal, persona objection, awareness level, proof mechanism, format).
- Run
/dara-format-swap — reuse the research, produce the paired spec in the other vessel.
- A/B test (same budget, ~30 days) — measure which vessel wins for this ICP.
- Document the winning awareness-level × format × objection combo (feeds
evolution_store/ground_truth/).
References
Execution Prompts (structure-pure v2)
25 deterministic practitioner prompts — each carries an Output Contract, Output Skeleton, and Quality Gate. When a deliverable matches one, Read it and honor its contract instead of improvising the output shape.
- Dara Denney — Video Format Selection Brief —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/01-format-selection-brief.md
- Dara Denney — David & Goliath Ad Concept —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/02-david-goliath-concept.md
- Dara Denney — Yapper Format Script —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/03-yapper-script.md
- Dara Denney — Objection-Handling Ad Builder ("We're Not Cheap" / "We're Sorry") —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/04-objection-engine.md
- Dara Denney — 30-Day Format × Messaging × Persona Test Plan —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/05-video-test-plan.md
- Dara Denney — Winning Hook Suite —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/06-winning-hook-suite.md
- Dara Denney — Founder Ad System —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/07-founder-ad-system.md
- Dara Denney — Static Ad Spec (The 3-Layer Build) —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/08-static-ad-spec.md
- Dara Denney — Static Format Brief (7-Format Selector + Production Level) —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/09-static-format-brief.md
- Dara Denney — Static Copy Spec (Layer 3 Copy Engine) —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/10-static-copy-spec.md
- Dara Denney — Comprehension Audit (The 1-Second Kill-Gate) —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/11-comprehension-audit.md
- Dara Denney — TOF Educational Infographic Builder —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/12-educational-infographic.md
- Dara Denney — Transformation Static Builder (Before/After) —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/13-transformation-static.md
- Dara Denney — Comparison Grid & Benefits Callout Builder —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/14-comparison-callout.md
- Dara Denney — Static Production Package (The Renderer) —
skills/dara-denney-meta-ads/references/prompts-v2/15-static-production-package.md
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