Key takeaways
- Format: Meme-based before/after split with a product UI toggle as the hero.
- Best for: SaaS, AI tools and apps that replace a complex manual workflow.
- Hook: The familiar meme instantly sets up a struggle-to-ease story.
- Reuse it: Show the painful old way on the left and your one-click feature on the right.
Available sizes
What is a before and after ad?
A before and after ad shows the same subject in two states side by side, so the result of using the product is visible at a glance. It's common in skincare, cleaning, fitness and home improvement, but claims shown must be realistic and typical to stay within ad platform policies.
See all before / after ads →Why this before / after ad works
- 01
Familiar meme structure
“How it started vs How it’s going” is instantly recognisable, so viewers grasp the story without effort.
- 02
Pain made visible
The cluttered mixing desk and tense posture dramatise the frustration of manual audio editing.
- 03
Product UI as proof
The “Studio Sound” toggle shows the actual feature and how simple it is to use.
- 04
Mood contrast
Dark, busy left versus bright, calm right reinforces the emotional payoff of switching.
Full creative breakdown
Who this ad targets
The ad targets podcasters, YouTubers, video editors, marketers and course creators, roughly 22–45, who record content at home or on the go without perfect gear. They know the pain of background noise and echo and either lack audio engineering skills or don’t want to spend hours fixing it. It also targets small marketing teams and freelancers on LinkedIn who need professional-sounding content quickly and value time savings.
Copywriting analysis
The headline “Get Studio Sound” doubles as a benefit and the feature name, which reinforces brand recall. The meme labels do the framing, so the body copy can stay short. The left side is deliberately long and frustrated – “time consuming & complex audio tools that never quite work” – mirroring the struggle. The right side is short and casual: “Just turn on the AI audio fix”. The word “just” emphasises effortlessness. Length contrast in the copy itself mirrors the before/after story, a subtle but effective technique.
Visual design
The layout is a two-panel split inside a mint frame on a deep green background, giving it a cohesive brand palette. The left panel uses dark slate and a moody studio photo; the right panel uses cream and a bright, airy photo. A circular arrow badge bridges the panels and signals transformation. Bold uppercase panel titles are easy to scan. The mint toggle UI element stands out as the hero and links visually to the frame colour. The logo is centred at the bottom.
How to adapt this template for your brand
- Pick one feature that replaces a slow or complicated manual process.
- Use the “How it started / How it’s going” labels or a similar before/after framing.
- Write a long, frustrated line for the before and a short, easy line for the after.
- Pair a cluttered, stressed photo with a calm, minimal one.
- Add a real UI element from your product, like a toggle or button, to the after panel.
Tips for saas & tech ads on Meta
On Meta, target podcasting, YouTube creation and video editing interests, and test a video version that plays the noisy audio then the cleaned version. On LinkedIn, aim at marketing and content roles and stress team time savings. Use a free-trial CTA and send traffic to a page with an audio sample. Retarget visitors with a tutorial or creator testimonial creative.
About this creative
This Descript creative is a before/after split built on the “How it started vs How it’s going” meme. A dark green background carries a large cream headline, “Get Studio Sound”, above a mint-bordered frame divided into two panels. The left panel, in dark slate, is titled “How It Started” and describes trying to fix a poor recording with time-consuming, complex audio tools that never quite work. Below, a photo shows a focused man in a brown sweater hunched over a mixing desk with multiple microphones and tangled cables in a dim studio. The right panel, in warm cream, is titled “How It’s Going” with the line “Just turn on the AI audio fix”. A mint UI toggle labelled “Studio Sound” is switched on, and a photo shows a calm woman typing on a laptop at a clean desk. A circular mint arrow joins both halves, and the Descript logo sits at the bottom. The message is clear: AI replaces gear and effort.
Meta ad · 1200 × 1200 · SaaS & Tech
SaaS Ad Example: Descript “How It Started vs How It’s Going”
This Descript ad uses the popular “How it started vs How it’s going” meme to contrast complex audio editing with a one-click AI fix called Studio Sound. A UI toggle makes the feature tangible. It is a great before/after template for SaaS and AI tools that simplify a painful workflow.
Added
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Details
Ad copy
Primary text
Stop wrestling with EQ, noise gates and plugins 🎙️ Descript’s Studio Sound uses AI to remove background noise and echo and make any recording sound like it was made in a pro studio – with one click.
Description
AI audio fix for podcasts and video.
On-image text
GET STUDIO SOUND | HOW IT STARTED | Trying to fix poor recording with time consuming & complex audio tools that never quite work | HOW IT’S GOING | Just turn on the AI audio fix | Studio Sound | descript
Headline ideas for this template
- 1Bad audio? Just flip the switch
- 2Studio sound without the studio
- 3Fix your audio in one click
- 4No mixer, no plugins, no problem
- 5Sound pro from your laptop
Meta image ad specs
| Placement | Ratio | Size (px) |
|---|---|---|
| Feed | 1:1 or 4:5 | 1080×1080 / 1080×1350 |
| Marketplace | 1:1 | 1200×1200 |
| Messenger inbox | 1:1 | 1200×1200 |
| Stories & Reels | 9:16 | 1080×1920 |
This template is 1:1. Request 4:5 or 9:16 to cover all placements.
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