D2C Diaries

• The Future of Creative Strategy: How AI Is Transforming Performance Marketing in 2026

  🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your free audit here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0pzLCJ0Creative costs are climbing fast.Meta’s changed how ads learn.And AI is completely redefining what “creative strategy” means in 2026.In this episode, Olly and Loukas dive into how brands can adapt to Meta’s creative similarity update, scale creative diversity without burning resources, and build systems that use AI as part of the production line — not a side tool.They unpack what happens when 70% of your iterations get grouped under the same entity ID, why the role of an AI videographer is about to become one of the most important hires in performance marketing, and how tools like Sora, VEO 3.1, Nano Banana, and Gemini are reshaping the creative process.From creative operations to prompt engineering, this episode breaks down what the next wave of performance marketing really looks like and why the future belongs to the brands who move fast and systemise smarter.Watch Andrej Karpathy's podcast episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXUZvyajciY---We're excited to share that we are hiring creative strategists to join the UK's number one independent meta-agency, as recognised by Meta. Our team is known for being curious, innovative, and fast-growing, and we work with leading D2C brands like Heights, Mindful Chef, and Spacegoods and 47 Skin. If you're interested in being part of our dynamic team, please send me an email [email protected] the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: http://www.soarwithus.co/0:00 - Intro01:08 - Club Neuro community event03:10 - Film recommendation: “I swear”04:40 - Creative diversity revisited07:18 - The new iteration strategy15:15 - Rise of AI production19:40 - Andrej Karpathy podcast episode23:35 - New AI drops27:45 - Building our AI data warehouse36:66 - How we're using VEO 345:20 - The future of creative operations + predictionsFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

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• Meta’s Creative Diversity Mastermind: The 2026 Playbook for Ad Performance

  🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your free audit here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0ppm8t0Meta’s Creative Similarity Penalty just changed the rules - here’s how to protect your performance in 2026In one of the biggest creative updates since Andromeda, Meta has changed the way your ads are evaluated and most brands are getting silently penalised.This episode of D2C Diaries is a deep dive into Meta’s new Creative Similarity Algorithm, powered by Entity ID and Creative ID tracking.We tested 20 ads for a top-spending brand. Meta flagged 15 of them as identical, even though they featured different creators, different hooks, and different formats.Why? Because they looked visually similar and that now triggers Meta’s Entity ID grouping, which kills:- Incremental reach- Fresh delivery- Performance learning- CPM efficiencyThis changes everything about how DTC brands should approach ad iteration, creative testing, and campaign planning in 2026.This is the most comprehensive breakdown of Meta’s creative diversity update you’ll find, packed with examples, agency-tested frameworks, and tactical steps you can implement immediately.---D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by WayflyerThey’re offering $25,000 in upfront capital for just $1,800 to help you ramp up your efforts leading into Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This funding can be crucial for covering unexpected costs and ensuring you can double down on your best-performing ads while staying stocked. Timing is everything, so don’t miss out! https://kntn.ly/55cfeeff---We're excited to share that we are hiring creative strategists to join the UK's number one independent meta-agency, as recognised by Meta. Our team is known for being curious, innovative, and fast-growing, and we work with leading D2C brands like Heights, Mindful Chef, and Space Good 47 Skin. If you're interested in being part of our dynamic team, please send me an email [email protected] the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: [www.soarwithus.co](http://www.soarwithus.co/)00:00 Introduction to creative update01:35 Wayflyer's Black Friday offer03:10 What's changed on Meta05:40 We're hiring06:35 The creative diversity scale08:10 Entity ID vs creative ID09:25 Visual examples12:07 Why does Entity ID matter?13:43 How our testing has changed15:07 The building blocks of creative differentiation17:50 How to test21:40 Creative vehicles we're leaning into23:45 Iterating with visual differentiation + hooks30:20 Static iteration examples37:00 How we're adjusting our approachFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

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• The D2C Reset: Creative Strategy, Incremental Reach, and What’s Working Now

  The D2C landscape has been completely rewritten in the last six months.Meta’s changing what it rewards. AI is reshaping how we research, test, and create. And the creative tactics that worked just half a year ago are already burning out.In this episode of D2C Diaries, Olly and Loukas break down what’s actually driving performance right now and how smart brands are adapting to find incremental reach in a tougher, more competitive landscape.They dig into what Meta is really rewarding in 2025, why format and hook now matter more than volume, and how to build creative that signals to the algorithm - not just the audience.The conversation covers the building blocks of modern creative strategy, how they’re using Grok + Reddit for sharper audience research, and why founder ads, nostalgia, and demographic nuance are quietly outperforming trend chasing.They also unpack a new GMV MAX tactic that’s driving £6–7K/day for clients and discuss how subtle shifts in creative structure are helping brands scale sustainably.🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your free audit here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0nQz9n00:00 — Intro2:03 — Liquid Death controversy explained7:44 — Creative similarity and incremental reach14:42 — Using AI (Grok/X) for persona and audience research17:57 — Google Trends & keyword analysis for insight22:58 — Tailoring creative for personas and demographics29:07 — Messaging depth, market sophistication, and emotion35:06 — Creative formats, founder ads, and persona-driven hooks42:25 — TikTok Shop, AI content, and evolving creative execution49:46 — Static ads, nostalgic hooks, and final takeawaysFrom the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: [www.soarwithus.co](http://www.soarwithus.co/)Follow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

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• How Jack Rubin Scaled Purdy & Figg to 1 in 20 Homes with One Product

  Purdy & Figg has quietly become one of the most impressive DTC brands in the UK. 1 in 20 households now use the product. But what’s more impressive is how they've done it:One product. One market. One channel. For six years.In this episode, Jack breaks down how he's stayed this focused and why most brands burn growth by diversifying too early.We get into how Purdy & Figg became the blueprint for creative volume, running 180 shoots a year and scaling a performance team in-house before it was trendy. Now, he's pivoting again, this time toward creative *diversity*, building campaigns that stretch across YouTube, TV, podcasts and radio.He talks honestly about the real impact of brand spend, the cash flow pain of TV, and why DR alone will never build a lifestyle brand. There's deep insight here on CAC, media mix, testing frameworks, org structure and how to lead a DTC company without losing your grip on creative.This conversation lays out exactly how to scale performance and brand, without sacrificing either.🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your free audit here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0nQwsq0

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• The New Meta Ad Playbook: Avoiding Creative Similarity on Meta

  D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by WayflyerRunning an ecom brand and struggling with cash flow? Whether you're scaling ad spend or restocking bestsellers ahead of peak season, Wayflyer provides fast, non-dilutive funding tailored to e-commerce businesses. No equity. No months of waiting. Just the capital and insights you need to grow, on your terms. Check them out: https://tinyurl.com/4jfc8yejCreative similarity is quietly killing Meta ad performance and most brands have no idea it’s happening.In this episode of D2C Diaries, we dive into the biggest update to Meta’s creative delivery system since Andromeda: how visual similarity between ads is now being flagged and penalised, even when the creator, script, or copy is different.Read Olly's update here: https://x.com/oliverwhudson/status/1975537673470132358This isn’t theory. We’ve seen the impact inside high-spend accounts over the past 6 months.Brands that look like they’re iterating are actually just reskinning. Meta sees it. And performance suffers.We share how one client went from £54k to £622k/week in spend by building persona-led creative that delivers stronger signals. We unpack what Meta really wants from your ad account in 2025 and why creative diversity now matters more than creative volume.We also break down the 3 new in-platform creative metrics Meta is rolling out (Creative Similarity, Fatigue, and Top Themes), how CPMR and New Visitor % are changing how we benchmark creative success, and why testing strategies need to evolve beyond micro iterations.Read Jason Yim's update here: https://x.com/jasonyimco/status/1975687580449710215🚨🚀 If you're a brand spending £100K/month, we'll run your ads. Apply for your free audit here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0nQwmw00:00 Intro2:51 How Meta reframed creative diversity9:30 Asset similarity explained10:35 Persona-led strategy 13:55 Volume vs quality of assets15:25 Signal engineering: how Meta reads engagement17:00 Tracking Meta performance24:23 Creative strategy: vehicles, angles, and hooks26:20 Concept-level variations and visual diversification33:00 Meta introducing 3 new creative metrics39:20 Brand consistency vs creative diversity42:14 Creative production scale challenges43:40 Sora’s leap in speed, cost, and realism48:20 OpenAI + Shopify + Stripe integrations 50:20 Further AI advancements55:35 Tactical Section: Black Friday prep 1:01:28 Final Thoughts From the team behind Soar With Us and Hambi Media: www.soarwithus.coFollow Sam on socials:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-wright-324737216/Follow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

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