Spec ad: the number, and what it hides
An ad made for a brand that has not commissioned it, usually to win the work.
Why spec ad matters
It replaces a deck about what you would do with the thing itself. For a creative service it is the most persuasive object available.
What this looks like with real numbers
Walking into a pitch with three finished ads for the prospect's own product beats any deck about what you would do. It costs an afternoon and it removes the imagination step from the buying decision.
What it does not tell you
It uses someone else's brand, so it stays a pitch asset. It is not something to run as advertising or publish as if the brand approved it.
The mistake people actually make
Running a spec ad as live advertising. It uses a brand that has not approved it, so it stays a pitch asset.
Questions, answered.
How do you calculate spec ad?
Not a metric — a pitch asset. An ad made for a brand that has not commissioned it, usually to win the work.
What goes wrong with spec ad?
Running a spec ad as live advertising. It uses a brand that has not approved it, so it stays a pitch asset.
What does spec ad not tell me?
It uses someone else's brand, so it stays a pitch asset. It is not something to run as advertising or publish as if the brand approved it.
Change the creative, not the dashboard
An ad made for a brand that has not commissioned it, usually to win the work.