Podcast Summary: Brain Driven Brands

Episode: The Worst Ad Takes We've Ever Heard (And Why They Refuse to Die)

Host: Sarah Levinger
Guest: Nate
Date: November 18, 2025

Overview

In this lively episode, Sarah Levinger and guest Nate break down some of the most persistent and misguided beliefs (“hot takes”) in digital advertising. Pulling from real industry feedback, Twitter posts, and their own extensive experience, they debunk common myths about ad strategy, platform best practices, and the intersection between brand and direct response. Along the way, they share hard-won lessons, memorable one-liners, and actionable takeaways for e-commerce marketers seeking to thrive in a changing ad landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Never Turn Off an Ad” Myth

Timestamps: 01:11–02:39

• Sarah and Nate express disbelief that some still believe ads should run perpetually, regardless of performance.
  • “Are people still believing this as a thing? Yeah, I leave the ads on forever.” —Sarah (01:20)
  • Both insist ads should be assessed and paused based on real business results, not blind adherence: "If overall business performance was bad to me, that means our top spending ads aren't doing their job." —Sarah (01:43)
  • Sarah has routinely improved results simply by turning off top-spending, underperforming ads.

Key Takeaway:

• Trust business performance metrics, not ad platform inertia; turn off what’s not working.

2. “You Gotta Season the Pixel”

Timestamps: 02:39–04:24

• The panel explores the still-circulating belief that ad pixels need extended “seasoning” or training.
  • “Do people still think this is a thing?” —Nate (02:53)
  • Sarah notes that while new accounts take time to calibrate, elaborate “pixel seasoning” is overrated.
    “If you are doing tactics to, quote, train your pixel better, I think you're doing something wrong.” —Sarah (03:47)
  • "There's better things to do in your business than to worry about the saltiness of your pixel." —Sarah (04:15)

Key Takeaway:

• Allow some learning time for new accounts, but stop obsessing over complex “seasoning” rituals.

3. “Running Ads Hurts Your Organic Reach”

Timestamps: 04:26–06:03

• The hosts refute the fear that running paid ads cannibalizes organic reach.
  • “There are brands that spend hundreds of millions of a year on ads and have great organic social stats.” —Sarah (05:24)
  • Nate attributes this myth to old-school founders nostalgic for early Instagram.
    “People who say it are...brand founders that started, like, 10 or more years ago, whose Instagram posts used to get a lot more reach.” —Nate (04:53)
  • Strong organic and paid efforts actually support each other — there’s no inherent competition.

Key Takeaway:

• Organic and paid should be complementary; invest in both without fear.

4. “Just Change the Format Color” / Andromeda Best Practices

Timestamps: 08:07–09:31

• Sarah and Nate highlight the absurdity of “just change the format color”— a tip that’s swept through circles associated with mysterious ‘Andromeda best practices.’
  • “Worst hot take I've ever heard... are you kidding me? Just change the format color.” —Sarah (08:12)
  • Nate admits he has no idea what “Andromeda” is, and makes a living regardless.
    “I don’t know what it is and the ads that I run make a lot of money.” —Nate (08:16)
  • Meta/Facebook “best practices” are often arbitrary and even Meta reps contradict each other (09:04).

Key Takeaway:

• Don’t blindly chase every new “best practice” — especially mysterious ones; use common sense and customer insights.

5. “Stop Worshiping Meta [Facebook Ads]”

Timestamps: 09:31–10:32

• The duo rails against treating Meta as a flawless oracle.
  • “Stop worshiping Meta. It is not an all knowing, all seeing advertising statue... take Zuck’s [expletive] out of your mouth and build a really dope brand.” —Nate (09:39)
  • Focus your energy on customer understanding, not on appeasing the algorithm gods.

Key Takeaway:

• Platform guidelines are helpful, but obsessed allegiance limits innovation and real brand-building.

6. “Direct Response Does Not Equal Brand”

Timestamps: 10:32–12:37

• Sarah and Nate reject the idea that direct response ads aren’t part of brand-building.
  • “I think you can build brand through the way you advertise.” —Nate (10:35)
  • Sarah: “Brand is just a mirror. It's just a way for people to buy pieces of themselves. That's it.” (10:57)
  • Consistency, tone, and personality all matter, regardless of ad format.

Key Takeaway:

• All public-facing communication contributes to brand, including direct response advertising.

7. “Scale Your Winners by 15% Every Day”

Timestamps: 12:37–16:06

• They challenge the dogmatic idea that scaling by fixed daily increments (like 15%) is always best.
  • “[With some ads] you technically don't have to just do 15... as long as the ad is holding.” —Sarah (13:16)
  • “Greediness and impatience kill more brands than anything.” —Nate (13:37)
  • The pair agree that scenario and seasonality (e.g., fireworks or holiday season goods) can call for aggressive scaling, but for most products, thoughtful, measured increases win out.

Key Takeaway:

• Don’t scale arbitrarily; base ad spend increases on performance data and business context.

8. Subjectivity and Founder Ego in Ads

Timestamps: 16:10–19:19

• Founder subjectivity is often a liability, not a strength, in creative decisions.
  • “Founder subjectivity matters in advertising when it shouldn't.” —Nate (16:48)
  • “Founders, I love you. Stay out of it, guys.” —Sarah (16:48)
  • Using founders in ads only works when authentically relevant (like a clinical doctor behind a supplements brand). Otherwise, team and employee stories often resonate better.

Key Takeaway:

• Don’t let founder ego override data and customer connection; empower teams to tell authentic stories.

9. Employee-Driven Content vs. Founder-Led Ads

Timestamps: 19:23–19:44

• The value of “employee as storyteller” over “founder as hero.”
  • “Most brand founders try to make themselves Batman...I think it's easier for employees of the brand to make themselves the tool belt.” —Nate (19:23)
  • Employee stories are more relatable and can strengthen customer connection authentically.

Key Takeaway:

• Leverage relatable employee voices for marketing; they connect better than founder origin stories for most consumers.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Meta is not infallible. It makes mistakes sometimes.” —Sarah (01:24)
• “There's better things to do in your business than to worry about the saltiness of your pixel.” —Sarah (04:15)
• “Stop worshiping Meta. It is not an all knowing, all seeing advertising statue.” —Nate (09:39)
• “Brand is just a mirror. It's just a way for people to buy pieces of themselves. That's it.” —Sarah (10:57)
• “Greediness and impatience kill more brands than anything.” —Nate (13:37)
• “Founder subjectivity matters in advertising when it shouldn't.” —Nate (16:48)
• “Most brand founders try to make themselves Batman... it's easier for employees... to be the tool belt.” —Nate (19:23)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:11 — Never turn off an ad: myth and reality
• 02:39 — Pixel “seasoning” chat
• 04:26 — Does paid cannibalize organic?
• 08:07 — Format colors and Andromeda myths
• 09:31 — Meta worship, challenged
• 10:32 — Direct response ads build brand, too
• 12:37 — Scaling winners: not always 15%
• 16:10 — Founder subjectivity and creative strategy
• 19:23 — Employees vs. founders in brand storytelling

Tone and Delivery

Sarah and Nate are informal, irreverent, and passionate. They bring humor, sarcasm, and candor to their myth-busting, backed by real data and experience. The tone is "no-nonsense but approachable," speaking both to experienced advertisers and those new to brand growth.

Final Thoughts

This episode equips e-commerce and digital marketers with the confidence to challenge recycled wisdom, focus on customer-centric strategies, and use data—not dogma—to drive growth. Above all, Sarah and Nate encourage listeners to stay curious, question the status quo, and keep both creativity and psychology at the core of their work.