# Ad summary
This ad features a male voiceover from the brand addressing common complaints about cologne pricing and quality. It begins with on-screen comments from potential customers expressing that the product is too expensive. The ad then transitions to showcasing Beardbrand's cologne, highlighting its alcohol-free, precision roll-on application, and unique, long-lasting fragrances that evolve throughout the day. It contrasts Beardbrand's high-quality, subtle scents with generic, cheap, alcohol-heavy sprays that create a 'five-foot scent cloud' and disappear quickly. The video emphasizes that customers are paying for formulation, longevity, and a unique scent profile, ultimately offering 'close-range confidence' for a premium price. The visual style shifts from black and white for the problem to color for the solution and product demonstration.
# Brand positioning
Beardbrand positions itself as a premium, non-conformist grooming brand that champions individuality and quality over mass-market trends. It aims to occupy a space in the consumer's mind as a sophisticated alternative to conventional fragrances, appealing to men who seek unique, long-lasting scents that evolve naturally rather than being loud or fleeting. The brand implicitly pushes against the norm of alcohol-heavy, synthetic-smelling colognes often found in malls, prioritizing natural layering and a subtle, 'close-range confidence.' Its positioning is a blend of functional (alcohol-free, precision application, longevity) and emotional (individuality, sophistication, confidence) benefits, designed for a discerning customer who understands and values the craftsmanship behind a superior product, even at a higher price point.
# Product
The product featured is Beardbrand Cologne, specifically a roll-on fragrance. The ad showcases multiple scents including 'Old Money,' 'Temple Smoke,' 'Bold Fortune,' and 'Norse Winter.' This product is for men who desire a high-quality, subtle, and long-lasting fragrance experience. Key features include being 'alcohol-free,' a 'precision roll-on' application that results in 'no overspray,' and 'no five-foot scent cloud.' The cologne is 'built to sit close,' 'layer naturally,' and 'actually evolve throughout the day,' ensuring a unique and personal scent experience. 'Old Money' specifically 'blends 23 fragrance notes.' The ad highlights that 'Temple Smoke isn't trying to be safe,' 'Bold Fortune doesn't smell like the mall,' and 'Norse Winter doesn't disappear after 20 minutes,' directly addressing common pain points with other colognes. The product's value proposition is its 'formulation, longevity, and something that doesn't smell like everyone else in the room,' offering 'subtle, close-range confidence' that 'costs a little more' but is justified by its superior quality.
# Visual style
The ad employs a hybrid visual style, blending a scrappy, UGC-like feel in its opening problem-setting phase with a more polished, aspirational commercial aesthetic for the product demonstration and solution. The initial scenes are in black and white, featuring handheld-style camera work and relatable, sometimes exaggerated, expressions of frustration, mimicking social media content. This shifts dramatically to vibrant color and cleaner, more stable tripod-mounted shots when the Beardbrand product is introduced, signifying a transition from problem to solution and a more premium experience. Editing is quick-paced in the opening, with rapid cuts between different men and their negative reactions, then slows down slightly for the product demonstrations to allow for clearer focus on application and details. The audio-visual sync is strong, with text overlays and visual actions perfectly timed to the voiceover, especially during feature callouts and comparative statements. The overall aesthetic is modern and masculine, using a mix of home and studio-like settings to feel both authentic and aspirational.
# Hooks
Spoken: Prices are ridiculously high. I was all about ordering until I looked at the prices. / I'd love to try it, but that's just too expensive. / Forty-five dollars? I'll pass. / We see the comments.
Text overlay: Kevin Delida (social media comment) / Prices are Ridiculously High. I was all about ordering until I looked at the prices....... (social media comment) / Pati Thomas (social media comment) / I'd love to try it, but that's just too expensive. (social media comment) / Michael Ryan Gilley (social media comment) / $45? 🧐🤔 I'll pass (social media comment) / We see the comments.
Visual: 00:00–00:01: The shot is in black and white. A Caucasian man (Male 1) with a grey beard and mustache, wearing a plaid shirt, sits in a black leather office chair, casually holding a smartphone and looking at it. His left leg is crossed over his right. In the background, there's a light gray wall with papers tacked to it, a desk with a laptop, sunglasses, and a lamp. The camera is stationary and tripod-mounted, offering a medium shot of the man. A text overlay (a social media comment) is visible at the bottom. / 00:01–00:03: The shot is in black and white. A young Caucasian man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a white t-shirt and multiple bracelets, sits at a desk, looking down and covering his face with his hands in frustration. In the background, there's a window with white blinds and a dark chair. A microphone is visible on the desk. The camera is stationary and tripod-mounted, offering a medium shot. A text overlay (a social media comment) is visible at the bottom. / 00:03–00:05: The shot is in black and white. The same young Caucasian man with dark hair and a beard from 00:01 is now standing in what appears to be a kitchen, facing the camera. He is wearing a light t-shirt and gives two thumbs down with a displeased expression. The background shows light-colored kitchen cabinets. The camera is stationary and tripod-mounted, offering a medium shot. A text overlay (a social media comment) is visible at the bottom. / 00:05–00:06: The shot is in color. A Caucasian man (Male 2) with short reddish-brown hair and a beard looks directly at the camera with a serious expression, slightly narrowing his eyes. His face fills most of the frame. The background is a blurry white wall. The camera is stationary and tripod-mounted, offering a close-up shot.
# Funnel stage
Consideration
# Pain points
The primary pain point addressed is the customer's frustration with the high price of quality cologne and the inadequacy of cheaper alternatives. This is signaled by comments like: "Prices are Ridiculously High. I was all about ordering until I looked at the prices......." and "I'd love to try it, but that's just too expensive." and "$45? 🧐🤔 I'll pass". It also addresses frustration with generic colognes being "loud, alcohol-heavy spray," disappearing quickly, or smelling "like the mall."
# Value propositions
- You're not paying for hype; You're paying for formulation, longevity, and something that doesn't smell like everyone else in the room.
- If you want subtle, close-range confidence? That costs a little more.
# Benefits
- isn't trying to be safe (Temple Smoke)
- doesn't smell like the mall (Bold Fortune)
- doesn't disappear after 20 minutes (Norse Winter)
- subtle, close-range confidence
# Features
- alcohol-free
- precision roll-on
- no overspray
- no five-foot scent cloud
- built to sit close
- layer naturally
- actually evolve throughout the day
- Old Money alone blends 23 fragrance notes.
# Call to action
Your move.
# Social proof
- Prices are Ridiculously High. I was all about ordering until I looked at the prices....... (Kevin Delida, social media comment)
- I'd love to try it, but that's just too expensive. (Pati Thomas, social media comment)
- $45? 🧐🤔 I'll pass (Michael Ryan Gilley, social media comment)
# Point of view
- Customer 25% – The initial comments and the visual reactions of men in black and white represent the customer's perspective on pricing and generic products.
- Brand 75% – The voiceover and demonstrations by various men directly explain the product's features, benefits, and positioning from the brand's authoritative viewpoint.
# Storyline
- 00:00–00:01 The ad opens with a black and white shot of a man scrolling on his phone, accompanied by a voiceover reading a negative comment about product prices. This establishes the initial problem or objection regarding the brand's pricing.
- 00:01–00:03 The scene changes to another man in black and white, head in hands at a desk, with a voiceover reading a comment about the product being 'too expensive.' This reinforces the pain point of high cost from a customer's perspective, conveying frustration and financial hesitation.
- 00:03–00:05 A third man in black and white, frowning and giving two thumbs down, is shown with a voiceover reading a comment questioning a $45 price point. This further amplifies the customer's perceived barrier of expense and skepticism, using a direct expression of disapproval.
- 00:05–00:06 The brand's representative (Male 2) appears in color, close-up, stating 'We see the comments.' This shifts the perspective to the brand, acknowledging the customer feedback directly and setting a tone of understanding and readiness to address the concerns.
- 00:06–00:07 The voiceover continues, presenting a counter-argument to generic expectations of cologne, while a hand picks up two Beardbrand products (Beard Oil and Cologne) from a shelf. This transitions to introducing Beardbrand's product and its unique identity, implying it's not a 'just another' product.
- 00:07–00:09 Male 1 applies an alcohol-heavy spray to his neck and recoils, with the voiceover describing it as a 'loud, alcohol-heavy spray.' This visually and verbally contrasts the competitor/generic product, highlighting a negative experience the target audience might associate with traditional colognes.
- 00:09–00:10 A close-up shot of a hand spraying a generic cologne bottle by a window is shown, with the voiceover adding 'in a fancy bottle...' This further criticizes the superficiality and common failings of competitor products, suggesting they rely on packaging rather than substance.
- 00:10–00:11 Male 3 points to the camera and says 'You probably should pass' in sync with the voiceover. This direct address creates a relatable tone, validating the viewer's potential dissatisfaction with generic options and reinforcing that Beardbrand might not be for everyone, but for those who understand quality.
- 00:11–00:12 The voiceover then introduces Beardbrand Cologne, and Male 4 is shown applying a rollerball to his neck. This marks the definitive transition to showcasing the Beardbrand solution and its unique application method.
- 00:12–00:13 A close-up of a tattooed hand applying the roll-on cologne, with the voiceover stating 'It's alcohol-free.' This highlights a key product feature, addressing a common negative attribute of traditional colognes and positioning Beardbrand as a healthier, more pleasant alternative.
- 00:13–00:14 A close-up of the Beardbrand 'Old Money' rollerball bottle is shown, with the voiceover detailing 'It's precision roll-on.' This showcases the unique design and application method, implying control and efficiency, and subtly justifying the premium price.
- 00:15–00:17 A generic spray bottle is shown with the voiceover stating 'no overspray, no five-foot scent cloud.' This continues to contrast Beardbrand's targeted application with the wasteful and potentially obnoxious nature of traditional sprays, emphasizing a subtle, personal scent experience.
- 00:17–00:19 Male 2 applies the roll-on to his neck in a patterned robe, and the voiceover explains 'It's built to sit close, layer naturally.' This demonstrates how the product is designed for a more intimate, evolving scent profile, appealing to those who prefer subtlety over overpowering fragrances.
- 00:19–00:21 Male 4 applies the roll-on to his neck and the voiceover states 'and actually evolve throughout the day.' This highlights a unique benefit of the formulation, suggesting a dynamic and long-lasting fragrance experience, further differentiating it from competitors.
- 00:21–00:23 A close-up of the 'Old Money' bottle is shown, with the voiceover revealing it 'blends 23 fragrance notes.' This provides a specific, impressive detail about the complexity and craftsmanship of the scent, reinforcing the premium quality.
- 00:23–00:24 Male 4 applies the roll-on to his neck while the voiceover details the complexity of 'Old Money.' This visual reinforces the application and complexity discussed.
- 00:24–00:26 Male 4 holds the 'Temple Smoke' bottle to his nose, and the voiceover states 'Temple Smoke isn't trying to be safe.' This emphasizes the bold and unique nature of Beardbrand's scents, appealing to those who want to stand out.
- 00:26–00:28 Male 5 applies the roll-on to his neck, and the voiceover says 'Bold Fortune doesn't smell like the mall.' This further solidifies the brand's anti-mainstream stance, promising a distinct scent experience unlike common commercial fragrances.
- 00:28–00:30 Male 2 applies the roll-on to his neck, and the voiceover claims 'And Norse Winter doesn't disappear after 20 minutes.' This addresses another common pain point of weak longevity in colognes, assuring the customer of the product's staying power.
- 00:30–00:33 Male 2 makes a gesture, and the voiceover asserts 'You're not paying for hype; You're paying for formulation, longevity.' This directly counters the initial price objections by reframing the cost as an investment in quality ingredients and lasting power.
- 00:33–00:36 Male 1 holds three Beardbrand cologne bottles to the camera, with the voiceover adding 'and something that doesn't smell like everyone else in the room.' This finalizes the value proposition, emphasizing uniqueness and individuality, appealing to a desire for distinction.
- 00:36–00:38 The ad returns to black and white, showing a man (Male 6) with his head back, and the voiceover states 'If you want cheap, there are plenty of options.' This acknowledges the market for cheaper alternatives but implicitly dismisses them as not meeting the Beardbrand standard, reinforcing brand exclusivity.
- 00:38–00:39 A hand discards a generic cologne bottle into a trash can full of similar bottles, still in black and white. This visual metaphor strongly conveys the brand's rejection of mass-market, low-quality fragrances, urging viewers to 'trash' their old habits.
- 00:39–00:41 Male 4 appears in color, looking confident and touching his beard, as the voiceover asks 'If you want subtle, close-range confidence?' This reintroduces the product's ultimate benefit and an emotional payoff, linking the product to a desirable outcome.
- 00:41–00:43 Male 2 looks directly at the camera, saying 'That costs a little more. Your move.' This final statement by the brand representative directly addresses the price objection one last time, framing it as a choice for superior quality and confidence, ending with a challenge to the viewer.