Creative brief examples and templates

ATIYO product documentation · Briefs · 6 min read

A great creative brief answers one question: what should this ad make the viewer feel, and why will that make them buy. This guide gives you a field-by-field creative brief template built for DTC ads, a filled-in example you can copy, and how to turn it into a reusable template inside ATIYO. If you brief the same way every time, you get faster editors, cleaner iterations, and data you can actually learn from.

The anatomy of a strong DTC creative brief

ATIYO's brief fields map directly to the decisions that make an ad work. Here's what each field is for and how to fill it in.

Avatar

Who this ad is for, pulled from your Brand Bible. Be specific: "busy new moms with sensitive skin," not "women 25 to 45." The avatar drives tone, casting, and language.

Core desire

The deeper thing the avatar actually wants. Not "cleaner skin" but "to feel put-together again without adding steps to a chaotic morning."

Marketing angle

The single argument this ad makes. One ad, one angle. "The 60-second routine that replaces your three-product regimen."

Hook

The first three seconds. Write the actual line or visual. This is the field that decides whether anyone sees the rest.

Awareness level and ad type

Where the audience is in their journey and the format you'll use to reach them. See our guide on ad types for choosing a format that fits.

Breakthrough memo

The strategic why behind the concept, the insight that makes you believe this will beat the control. Keep it to a few sentences of real reasoning.

Promo, funnel stage, and inspiration

Any offer, where the ad sits in the funnel, and a link or upload of reference creative so the editor has a visual target. Store heavy reference video in the Vault and link it.

Notes

Anything else the editor needs: must-say claims, brand safety, pacing, or shots to avoid.

A filled-in creative brief example

Here's the template applied to a real-feeling UGC concept for a skincare brand:

  • Avatar: Busy new moms, 30 to 40, sensitive skin, short on time.
  • Core desire: Feel put-together again without adding steps to a chaotic morning.
  • Angle: The 60-second routine that replaces a three-product regimen.
  • Hook: "I stopped doing skincare after my daughter was born... until I found this."
  • Awareness level: Problem-aware.
  • Ad type: UGC / testimonial.
  • Breakthrough memo: Our reviews keep repeating the word 'fast.' We're betting a time-savings angle beats our ingredient-led control for tired parents.
  • Promo: 20% off first order, code GLOW20.
  • Funnel stage: Top of funnel, cold audience.
  • Inspiration: Link to two reference UGC ads in the Vault.
  • Notes: Show the product being used one-handed. No clinical or lab settings, keep it real and homey.
Notice every field earns its place. The hook is a real line, the angle is one idea, and the breakthrough memo states a testable bet, not a vague hope.

Turning the example into a reusable template

Once you've seen a brief that works, standardize it so every future brief starts strong. On Growth and Team plans you can build a custom brief template that locks in this field order for your whole team.

  1. Open a new brief and launch the custom brief builder.
  2. Order the fields the way this example flows: avatar, core desire, angle, hook, then awareness and ad type.
  3. Remove any fields your team never uses and add custom ones you need, like a landing page URL.
  4. Save it as your default so every new brief inherits the structure.
  5. For a one-off or externally written brief, upload a PDF or DOCX instead of rebuilding it.

From brief to production

A finished brief isn't the finish line, it's the go signal. Attach the brief to a creative on your Creative Roadmap, move the card from needs brief to working, assign an editor, and set a due date. When the creative gets tested, mark it a winner or archive it so your Insights win rate reflects what your briefs are actually producing.

Next steps

Copy the example above into your next brief, then codify it with a custom brief template. To pick the right format for each concept, read ad types: choosing the right creative format, and to fine-tune individual briefs, see hiding and showing brief fields.

Related articles

Building a custom brief template in ATIYOUse the custom brief builder on Growth and Team plans to add, remove, and reorder fields so every brief your team writes follows the same structure. Ad types: choosing the right creative formatUnderstand the common DTC ad types, how to match a format to your angle and awareness level, and how the ad type field ties your briefs to your Brand Bible. Hiding and showing brief fields in ATIYOHide the brief sections you don't need on a given creative and show them again anytime, so each brief stays focused without deleting anything.
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