How AdVance Creative produced video ads for SplitPay that achieved a 97.8% first-frame retention rate — the best in the entire account — with thumbstop rates up to 3.6× the account average.
Best 1st Frame Retention in Account
Peak Thumbstop · 3.6× Avg
Best CPL · 20% Below Avg
Combined Spend at Efficiency
Campaign Overview
Fintech · Rent payment splitting platform
Mar 15 – Apr 23, 2026 · 88 creatives tested
Facebook & Instagram · 9×16 primary format
The Challenge
SplitPay runs one of the most competitive Meta accounts in the fintech space — 88 creatives tested over a single 6-week period. The challenge was to produce creative video ads that could compete against established top performers, most of which had been running for months. Every metric has a defined account average to beat.
Ad Spend ÷ Contracts Sent — Americor's primary success metric. Think inverted ROAS.
% of people who stop scrolling on the first frame. Measures raw hook strength in the feed.
% of people who watch past the first second. The clearest signal of true hook quality.
Our Approach
01
We mapped the SplitPay customer before writing a single word — someone who gets paid bi-weekly but faces a monthly rent lump sum. Scripts were written to open mid-feeling, with no intro, no product name, and no setup. The viewer is dropped directly into the emotion before they have time to recognise it as an ad.
“Writers should spend 80% of their time on the hook and first 10 seconds. That’s where everything is won or lost.”
02
Every AdVance video was shot on a phone, in a natural environment, with natural lighting. No studio. No ring light. No scripted delivery. For a product that requires financial trust, authenticity is a functional requirement — and the data across SplitPay’s 88-creative account confirms this pattern consistently.
03
We produce the first batch, analyze every metric — thumbstop, 1st frame retention, 25%/50% watch rates, and CPL — then build the next full batch entirely around what the data proved. Each round of creative is smarter than the last, giving clients a compounding creative advantage every month.
“We produce the first batch, identify the top performers, then build the next full batch of concepts around what the data tells us works.”
The Results
Both AdVance creative videos ranked in the account’s top 10 by CPL PreQualify Approved — out of 88 total creatives tested. Here’s the full breakdown of each.
Creative · 9×16 · Launched Apr 13, 2026 · $12,569 Spend
🏆 Best 1st frame retention — entire account
Why It Won
97.8% first-frame retention means virtually nobody swipes away in the first second — the opening frame is so compelling it holds almost every viewer who stops. The watch curve is a healthy progressive drop with no cliff: 52% thumbstop → 97.8% 1st frame → 48.6% at 25% → 33.4% at 50% → 8.4% completion. This is the gold standard watch curve for this account. The hook structure — opening mid-feeling, one specific detail, then the turn — is the formula that works.
Creative · 9×16 · Launched Mar 26, 2026 · $32,409 Spend
Thumbstop · 3.6× account average
Why It Won
Script 19 has a massive hook — 55.85% thumbstop and 96.26% 1st frame retention. The concept clearly resonates at the scroll-stop level. Despite a mid-video drop indicating the middle section can be tightened, the video scaled to $32,409 spend with CPL holding steady at $10.70 — proof the concept works at volume. A sub-30-second edit cutting the middle is the clear next test for this creative.
Watch-Time Analysis
The watch-time funnel is the clearest signal of creative quality. A healthy progressive drop means the content sustains attention throughout.
Combined Performance
Across both AdVance creative videos, every core engagement metric beat the account average — on a platform with 88 creatives competing simultaneously.
Best CPL PreQual
Peak 1st Frame Retention
Peak Thumbstop Rate
Why It Worked
01
🎯
Both scripts open mid-emotion with no setup, no intro, and no product name. The viewer is dropped directly into the feeling before they’ve had time to recognise it as an ad. This is what drives 96–97% first-frame retention — the hook earns the next second.
02
📱
Across SplitPay’s 88-creative account, polished influencer creative consistently underperforms lo-fi. AdVance’s lo-fi videos hit $10–$10.70 CPL against account averages of $12.56. In fintech, authenticity is a conversion strategy, not just an aesthetic choice.
03
📊
Script 13 is now the creative benchmark for this account. Every next batch is briefed against its watch-time curve — targeting a Hook Score of 65+ and carrying forward the structure that drove 97.8% first-frame retention and a $10.03 CPL.
Results vs. Account Average
Every metric below is measured against verified SplitPay Meta account averages across 88 creatives and $1.07M in spend — not industry estimates.
Best CPL
$10.03
Best Thumbstop
55.85%
Best 1st Frame
97.8%
AdVance produces high-performance video ads for brands running paid social on Meta, TikTok, and Reels. Strategy, scripting, filming, and editing — all handled for you.