Examples of a creative brief

Funnel stage is the single biggest driver of how a brief should be shaped. A top-of-funnel cold acquisition brief and a bottom-of-funnel high-intent search brief share almost nothing in common - different objective metrics, different audience definitions, different hook archetypes, different CTAs, different do-nots. The brief structure stays roughly constant; the substance shifts dramatically.

Most creative brief example collections sort by industry. That's the wrong axis. Industry-specific copy is easy to swap (replace 'electrolyte powder' with 'pet food'). Funnel-stage-specific structure is the part that actually transfers - if you copy a TOF brief into a BOF campaign, the ad doesn't work no matter how good the copy.

Use the four examples above as starting points. Match by funnel stage first, format second, industry last. The DTC supplement TOF brief is the right starting point for any cold-acquisition paid social. The B2B SaaS MOF brief works for any retargeting motion. The B2B Search BOF brief works for any high-intent commercial keyword campaign. The CTV brand brief works for any awareness-led streaming campaign.

Objective metric changes. TOF: CAC + purchases. MOF: CPA + recovered conversions. BOF: CPL + booked demos. Brand: aided awareness lift. The metric dictates which creative decisions are right. A TOF ad optimized for awareness will lose CAC tests; a BOF ad optimized for aided awareness will lose CPL tests.

Audience definition tightens as funnel deepens. TOF audiences are behavioral lookalikes. MOF audiences are first-party retargeting segments. BOF audiences are intent signals (search queries). Brand audiences are demographic + geographic. The tightness curve matters; mismatching it loses money.

Hook archetype shifts. TOF favors problem→solution and day-in-the-life. MOF favors objection-handle and testimonial. BOF favors capability + objection-handle paired (Search) or direct demo (display). Brand favors documentary narrative. Picking the wrong archetype for the funnel stage is the most common creative mistake.

What stays the same: the structure. Funnel stage + objective + audience + angle + hook + do-nots + CTA. Seven sections. Every brief, every funnel stage, every format. The structure is the bone; the substance is the muscle - both have to be there.

Internal: creative brief examples, creative brief template, what makes a good creative brief.

Pick by funnel stage, not industry. Find the example that matches your campaign's funnel position. Industry-specific words are easy to swap; structural choices (audience cut, hook archetype, do-nots format) are what actually transfer.

Replace the substance, preserve the structure. Keep the 7-section shape. Re-derive every section's content from your own brand, audience, and campaign.

Run the 5-minute test on your filled brief. Hand it to someone not on the campaign. Can they describe in one sentence what the ad should be about? Can they name three things the ad should NOT do? If yes, ship. If no, iterate.