Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist

Research-led creative strategist helping DTC brands turn customer insights into ads that sell.
Pet • skincare • wellness • eco-conscious brands

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

Most brands don't have an ad problem.

They have an insight problem.

I research what customers actually want, fear, and tried before turning it into hooks, angles & UGC concepts.

Research → strategy → ads that sell.

Portfolio ↓
https://t.co/7y0B46cohA

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

“I don't like this hook” isn't the same as “this hook won't work.”

One is a preference.

The other is a hypothesis you can test.

Creative feedback should protect the strategy, not turn every ad into something everyone in the meeting agrees is nice.

#MetaAds #CreativeDirection

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

The ad was interesting until 7 people approved it.

“Make it safer.”
“Add more benefits.”
“Can the logo be bigger?”
“I'm not sure about that hook.”
6 revisions later, nobody objects.
Nobody remembers it either.
The villain: creative by committee.

#CreativeStrategy #DTC

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

Your Black Friday ads brought in 2,000 customers.

December came.

Nobody returned.

The villain? Optimizing for cheap acquisitions without asking who you're acquiring.

A discount can get someone to try your product.

It can't guarantee they'll want it again.

#DTC #BlackFriday

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

I got accepted into UCR's Master's in Diplomacy program! 🇨🇷🎓

A Global Studies degree, a career in creative strategy, and now diplomacy.

Apparently, my career path refuses to be a straight line.

But research, culture, and communication have always been the common thread.

Excited for this next chapter!

[Denée @deneetamia]

i run the #1 community of female creative strategists.

they’re trained by top D2C strategists who’ve made ads with millions in spend behind them for some of the biggest brands in the space right now.

we’re looking to partner with ecom & info brands.

you get free ads

our girls get results to add to their portfolio.

if you want ads for your brand, dm me.

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

@noecomskill I build research-backed DTC concepts, hooks, scripts, and creator briefs—with experience in Spanish-language creative and paid supplement projects.

Portfolio: https://t.co/7y0B46cW78

Would love to hear what you're building!

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

@momiugc I specialize in turning customer research into direct-response concepts, UGC scripts, creator briefs, and static ads.

Recent paid projects include Somerwell and Spanish-language creative for PG&E.

Portfolio: https://t.co/7y0B46cW78

Would love to learn more!

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

@VenuEcom1 The opportunity to build a creative function—not just deliver scripts—is what caught my attention.

I specialize in research-backed DTC concepts, hooks, scripts, and creator briefs, with bilingual creative experience. Sending you my work! https://t.co/7y0B46cW78

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

Bilingual creative strategy is exactly where I bring a different perspective—especially translating customer insights into Spanish-native hooks, not just translated scripts.

I've worked on Spanish-language creative for PG&E and research-backed supplement concepts. Sending my portfolio! https://t.co/jryCFwJc6R

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

The most expensive Black Friday mistake might not be a bad ad.

It might be teaching your customers that waiting always gets them a better deal.

20% off last week.
25% off today.
30% off tomorrow.
Eventually, “buy now” starts sounding like “wait longer.”
#Ecommerce #CreativeStrategy

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

Your Black Friday sale started in October.

Your customers know it'll last until January.

And your ads still say “LAST CHANCE!!!”

The villain isn't discounting.

It's fake urgency that teaches customers not to believe you.

A countdown timer can't manufacture trust.

#BlackFriday #dtc

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

“OMG guys, I literally JUST discovered this product!”

Perfect lighting.
3 camera angles.
A rehearsed reaction.
The villain of modern UGC?
Manufactured authenticity.

You don't have to pretend an ad isn't an ad to make it persuasive.

#UGCAds #CreativeStrategy

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

Somewhere, a $200 skincare serum is being sold with the words “unlock your glow.”

$200.

And THAT'S the best reason the brand could give someone to buy it?

The villain isn't bad design.

It's interchangeable marketing that makes genuinely different products sound identical.

#DTC #Copywriting

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

When researching a product, I look for one phrase:

“I love it, but…”

What comes after “but” might reveal a product limitation, an unmet expectation, or an objection your creative isn't addressing.

That's worth investigating before writing another ad.

#CustomerResearch #Copywriting

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

Unpopular opinion:

A detailed 3-star review can be more useful than 10 generic 5-star reviews.

The 5-star review tells you they're happy.

The 3-star review might tell you what almost stopped them from buying again.

That's where some of the best creative insights hide.

#CreativeStrategy #DTC

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

“Contains [ingredient]” is a feature.

“Here's why your current routine might not be solving the problem” is the beginning of an actual conversation.

Good copy connects the mechanism to the customer's lived experience.

Don't just explain the product. Explain why it matters.

#Copywriting #DTCMarketing

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

Your customer doesn't need a chemistry degree to understand your product.

The ingredient matters.
The mechanism matters.

But if you can't explain why either matters to the person who's already tried 12 products that didn't work…

You're educating, not persuading.

#CreativeStrategy #DTC

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

Hot take: Sometimes making your ad look more expensive makes it less believable.

Perfect lighting.
Perfect skin.
Perfect testimonial.

Meanwhile, your customer has already been disappointed by 3 products promising the same thing.

They don't need another beautiful ad.

They need a reason to believe you.

#CreativeStrategy #UGC

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

@Ahmadshoai9682 @stephmolinacs

[Kaleena Darrow - Creative Strategist @KaleenaDarrow]

A dog owner says they need obedience training.

But what they really want might be to stop dreading walks, invite friends over again, or keep the dog they've considered giving away.

The stated problem isn't always the emotional problem.

That's where good copy starts.

#CreativeStrategy #Copywriting