Understanding Facebook Ad Performance through Creative Testing
When Action Laser Tag wanted to step up their digital advertising game, we seized the opportunity to run a small but mighty effort to test creative and Facebook ad performance with Meta Ads. Our mission was simple: find out which type of ad creative truly connects with audiences and drives performance. Along the way, our whole team got involved, and what started as a short experiment became a memorable deep dive into the impact of branding, teamwork, and data-driven design decisions.
The Test: Three Creative Directions, One Winner
We designed three ad creatives using a comic book-inspired visual style, each with a unique approach to colour and tone:
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On-Brand: Stayed true to the business’s identity, using military neutrals, camo greens, and a tactical tone that echoed their branding and gameplay style. -
Vibrant: Aimed to stand out in the feed with bright, saturated colours and a punchy POW-style graphic to grab attention fast. -
Bang: Leaned into graphic novel nostalgia, featuring a classic BatMan-esque vibe to appeal through stylized flair and familiarity.
All three ads were launched simultaneously on Meta Ads and allowed to run for just over a week. We let Meta’s algorithm optimize delivery based on engagement, and used key metrics to determine the clear winner: Cost per Link Click, Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Cost per Thousand Impressions (CPM).
Performance Results
The following table shows how each ad performed:
Creative | Cost/Link Click | Click-Through Rate (CTR) | CPM | Total Clicks |
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On-Brand | $0.59 | 0.89% – 1.65% | $3.75 | 483 |
Vibrant | $0.60 | 0.30% – 0.59% | $3.30 | 83 |
Bang | $1.04 | 0.5% – 0.64% | $3.83 | 11 |
Team collaboration turned insights into impact
This wasn’t just a campaign—it was a whole team moment. Everyone from creative, copywriting, and strategy jumped in. We brainstormed, laughed, made bold predictions, and spent time throughout the test period chatting about what we were seeing and what it might mean. We brought our deep knowledge of the local market and past campaign performance into the mix, which made the analysis that much richer.
From the outset, the On-Brand creative stood out. While the Vibrant and Bang versions offered flashy visuals and bold flair, it was the consistent brand alignment, tone, and visual familiarity of the On-Brand creative that won out—confirming our belief that brand integrity matters in Facebook ad performance.
What we learned about Facebook ad performance
- Strong branding boosts results: The On-Brand version delivered the lowest cost per link click and the highest CTR—even beating out the more eye-catching alternatives. This supports findings from Think with Google that consistent branding improves ad performance.
- Colour matters—but not in isolation: While colour and punchy visuals grabbed attention, it wasn’t enough. The creative had to connect to the brand and the expectations of the audience. A helpful breakdown on HubSpot supports this—attention is only one piece of engagement.
- Creative testing drives smarter decisions: Letting Meta’s algorithm optimize delivery gave us clean insights. According to Meta’s own guidance on A/B testing, running simultaneous variations is the most reliable way to assess what truly resonates.
Small budget, big takeaway
This test may have been modest in scale, but the results were loud and clear: thoughtful, brand-aligned creative beats flashy experimentation in terms of Facebook ad performance. It also proved something we already knew—branding isn’t just about how things look. It’s about how they feel, who they connect with, and what they signal to your audience.
And yes, it helped that our team had a blast doing it. Great work happens when you enjoy the process. This campaign reminded us that creativity, strategy, and a little curiosity go a long way—especially when you’re backed by great collaboration.
Ready to optimize your Facebook ad performance?
If your digital advertising could use a boost, let’s talk. Whether you’re rethinking your ad creative or testing something bold, we’ll help you design, test, and optimize campaigns that perform—and feel like your brand.