Paid Social
Expanding Brand Prominence Through Multi-Format Storytelling
2023
Role: Creative Lead
Team: 2 Designers
Format: Static Imagery, GIFs, Short-form Video
Creative Strategy
As the lead, I directed a team of two designers to move away from "corporate" financial aesthetics and toward contextual lifestyle content. Pinterest users are "planners," so we aligned our assets with their intent:
Diverse Content Pillars: We curated a blend of imagery covering sporting events, holiday gifting, travel, and daily spending.
The "99% Acceptance" Narrative: Instead of just saying it, we showed it. We created assets that placed the card in a variety of environments—from a dusty road trip to a high-end boutique.
Asset Hybridization: To stop the scroll, we developed a mix of static "hero" images, eye-catching GIFs for subtle movement, and fast-paced short-form videos for high-impact storytelling.
The Challenge
Despite being a household name, Discover’s presence on Pinterest was underperforming. Our existing creative wasn't resonating with the platform’s unique audience, leading to numbers that sat consistently below industry benchmarks.
The Goal: Increase brand "prominence" and drive high-intent clicks by repositioning Discover as a versatile, everyday tool. We needed to specifically communicate that Discover is accepted at 99% of places nationwide.
The Process
We focused on high-contrast layouts and "mobile-first" design, ensuring the Discover branding was visible within the first 2 seconds of motion assets.
Static: Clean, high-res lifestyle photography with clear CTAs.
Motion/GIFs: Used subtle animations to highlight the "99% acceptance" messaging and seasonal holiday themes.
The Results
After several months of live testing, the campaign delivered a massive shift in performance, particularly within video assets which became the "hero" of the campaign.
Video Completion
+496% Above Benchmark
Awareness (CPM)
34% Below Benchmark (Highly cost-efficient reach)
Consideration
26% Below Benchmark (Identified as a secondary optimization area)
Key Insight: While static consideration was a challenge, our video content shattered expectations. The 496% lift in video performance proved that the Pinterest audience preferred dynamic, narrative-driven financial content over traditional static ads.
Conclusion
The Business Partnership (BP) report was overwhelmingly positive. By diversifying the creative mix and focusing on the "99% acceptance" message through a lifestyle lens, we successfully moved the needle on brand perception. This project solidified a new creative blueprint for how Discover approaches "inspiration-heavy" platforms like Pinterest.