Creative Strategist & Senior Performance Marketer

I don't just
run ads.
I build the
strategy
behind them.

15+ years turning scroll into revenue. I research customers, write converting scripts, test creative at scale, and iterate until the numbers say yes.

$3M+
Annual ad spend managed
8:1
Consistent ROAS on key accounts
31+
Ad accounts across Asia & US
15+
Years in digital marketing
"I think in hooks, pain points, and conversion angles — then I back every instinct with data."
Creative Strategy Script Writing Customer Personas Competitor Research UGC Direction Meta Ads TikTok Ads Google Ads CBO Scaling Looker Studio Full Funnel Analytics

I started as a media buyer who couldn't stop asking "why does this creative win?" That curiosity turned into a discipline. Today I sit at the intersection of creative and performance — the person who knows a script is broken before it goes live, and knows exactly how to fix it when the data confirms it.

For 15+ years I've scaled DTC brands from $50K to $200K+ in monthly ad spend across Meta, Google, and TikTok. I've managed 31+ ad accounts spanning the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and the US — across fitness equipment, beauty, apparel, sneakers, and financial services.

The through-line in every account: creative is the variable. The brands that win test faster, document better, and iterate smarter. That's what I build — not just ads, but a creative testing machine that compounds over time.

I write scripts that sell without feeling like sales. I build personas from real comment sections, not assumptions. And I treat the knowledge base like the most valuable asset in the company — because in creative strategy, it is.

How I turn
research into revenue

Every winning ad starts the same way: with relentless customer empathy and competitor obsession — not vibes.

01
Research
Deep dive into customer reviews, comment sections, Reddit threads. I find the actual language real buyers use — not marketing speak.
02
Personas
Build documented pain point maps per segment. Identify the emotional trigger that makes them stop scrolling and the rational hook that closes.
03
Script
Write scripts with a clear hook taxonomy — pattern interrupt, social proof, pain agitation, demo. Adapt format for UGC, VSL, or trend-native.
04
Test
Launch with a controlled creative testing matrix. Isolate variables — hook vs. hook, CTA vs. CTA — so every test teaches something.
05
Iterate
Winners get documented, losers get dissected. The knowledge base grows. Every new batch of scripts is smarter than the last.

The numbers that
matter most

9x
ROAS — 1 week retargeting campaign
8:1
Consistent ROAS on key e-com accounts
$65K+
Single ad spend / month (top account)
90%
Cart-to-checkout rate post-funnel rebuild
Fitness Equipment · DTC · Meta Ads

$50K–$200K/mo scaling engine

8:1 Average ROAS across campaigns
$200K Peak monthly ad spend
4.8x Top campaign purchase ROAS

Managed the complete paid media operation for a US fitness equipment brand with budgets that scaled from $50K to $200K/month depending on seasonality — managing the creative strategy, campaign structure, and media buying in parallel.

Built a full-funnel campaign architecture: cold traffic prospecting via CBO with broad targeting, a dedicated retargeting layer with custom audiences, and Advantage+ catalog campaigns for bottom-funnel recovery. Each layer had its own creative brief strategy tailored to the buyer's stage.

Key creative insight: the winning hook was never the product feature — it was the identity transformation. "You, but unbothered by pain" outperformed "Our equipment has X feature" by 3x CTR consistently. That customer empathy framework became the foundation for all scripts.

Fashion / Sneakers · DTC · Multi-platform

4,800-ad creative library built at scale

4,800 Active ads in the creative library
$64 Cost per purchase (top performer)
$65K Amount spent, single top-performing ad

Led creative scaling for a fashion/dance footwear brand operating a 4,800+ ad creative library across Meta. This wasn't just buying media — it was systematic creative production: briefing, testing, documenting, and iterating at a pace most brands never reach.

Developed a creative testing matrix where each new ad variant isolated a single variable — headline, hook format, visual treatment, or CTA — so every test result fed directly into the next brief. Built whitelabel video formats with Derek Hough and product-led DPA carousel formats that consistently drove sub-$65 CPP at scale.

Delivered structured weekly creative briefs for the editing team, specifying hook angle, visual cues, script tone, and performance hypothesis for each concept — the same workflow I bring to every new brand.

Retargeting Campaign · Sales · 1 Week

9 ROAS retargeting sprint

9.93x Peak ROAS (CheatCode ad)
6.38x ROAS — Scale Superstar variant
1.56% CTR on winning creative

Designed and executed a focused one-week retargeting campaign built around creative that spoke directly to warm audiences — people who had already seen the product but hadn't converted. The script strategy was deliberate: remove the brand awareness layer, amplify urgency and social proof, and match the creative tone exactly to where the buyer was in their decision.

The "CheatCode" creative concept — which framed the product as the unfair advantage — achieved a 9.93x ROAS. The naming and positioning were strategic: a retargeting audience needs to feel like they're getting insider access, not being sold to again.

Beauty-Adjacent · Singapore · Video Brief

UGC creative system — Crafti Singapore

UGC Brief system built from scratch
Veo AI video brief format developed
5-scene Script + overlay architecture

Built the complete UGC video creative brief system for a Singapore-based beauty brand — covering talent direction, scene-by-scene Veo prompts, text overlay specs, and hook strategies. The system is designed so any video editor or content creator can execute the creative vision without ambiguity.

Each brief includes the strategic rationale behind every creative choice: why this hook angle, what pain point it targets, what text overlay goes where and why, and what the creative must achieve at each second of the video. That level of documentation is what separates good creative from a repeatable creative system.

Sample hooks &
creative angles

This is how I think about creative for a beauty e-commerce brand — customer empathy first, performance always.

Pain agitation hook · Cold traffic UGC format
"I spent $400 on skincare last month and my skin still looked like I hadn't slept in 3 years."
Why it works: Opens with a relatable financial pain + visual failure. The buyer immediately self-identifies before the product is mentioned. Authority transfer happens through shared experience, not a brand claim.
Social proof hook · Warm audience Testimonial-style
"My dermatologist actually asked me what I'd changed. I told her it was a $39 product from Instagram."
Why it works: Third-party validation (dermatologist) without the brand claiming it. The price point disclosure disarms skepticism. "From Instagram" makes the buyer feel like they're in on the discovery.
Pattern interrupt hook · Cold traffic VSL format
"Stop. Before you scroll past this — name one thing you've tried that actually worked. I'll wait."
Why it works: Directly challenges the viewer's scroll habit and their history of failed solutions. Creates a micro-pause and internal dialogue. Works especially well for audiences who've tried multiple products (saturated beauty market buyers).
Before/After hook · Beauty · Retargeting Short-form video
"Week 1 I didn't believe it either. Let me show you what week 4 looked like."
Why it works: Anticipates and dismantles skepticism upfront ("I didn't believe it"). The "show you" creates visual curiosity that drives watch time. "Week 4" sets a realistic expectation — which outperforms immediate-results claims with educated beauty buyers.

These are sample hooks built specifically for the beauty DTC space. In practice, each angle is developed from actual customer language — pulled from product reviews, social comments, Reddit threads, and competitor ad libraries — then tested against real audiences before it becomes a "format."

31+ ad accounts.
Multiple markets.

A cross-section of active and past accounts — spanning DTC, beauty, finance, fashion, and more across Asia and the US.

Platforms
Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Primary
TikTok Ads / TikTok Shop Active
Google Search & Shopping Active
Looker Studio / GA4 Reporting
Creative Tools
Veo (AI video generation) Active
Meta Ad Library research Weekly
UGC brief & script writing Core
Claude AI / ChatGPT Daily

The job description
described me.

What you need
Customer research & persona building
I build personas from real customer language — not assumptions. Reviews, comment sections, DMs, competitor libraries. I document every pain point and conversion trigger systematically.
What you need
Converting video scripts at scale
I've been writing performance creative for 15 years. I understand hook taxonomy, format trends, and how to brief a video editor so they don't have to guess. Scripts ship weekly, reliably.
What you need
Performance analysis & iteration
I live in Ads Manager. I know which metrics actually predict creative success and how to translate a losing ad into a winning brief. Every loss is data. Every win gets documented and scaled.
What you need
Competitor ad intelligence
I monitor competitor ad libraries regularly. I reverse-engineer winning formats, adapt the angle for our brand, and test new concepts derived from what's already proven in the market.
What you need
Knowledge base documentation
I treat the creative knowledge base as a compounding asset. Winning frameworks, losing patterns, audience insights — all documented in a format the whole team can use and build on.
What you need
AI tools & continuous learning
I actively use Claude, ChatGPT, and Veo in my daily workflow. I'm not threatened by AI — I use it to move faster, test more ideas, and free up mental bandwidth for the high-leverage creative decisions.

Ready when
you are.

Email carlobenavidesahavia@gmail.com LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/carlos-benavides-09861745 Phone +63-929-389-2189 Location Philippines (Remote-ready, full-time)

Obsessed with
what makes ads work?

So am I. I've spent 15 years building that obsession into a system. Let's talk about what it can do for your brand.

Get in touch