The first second
Every ad opens with a hook worth stopping for. We write several, so you can test which one works instead of guessing.
Short-form ad creative · South Africa
Short-form ads, with substance.
Vertical video ads for South African online stores. A clear idea, a strong first second and enough versions to find out what your customers respond to.
- 7 daystest pack delivery
- 10variations per test
- 9:16made for Reels and TikTok
Why creative matters
Your product hasn’t changed. Your ads have stopped working.
On Meta and TikTok, the ad itself does most of the targeting. People decide in about a second whether to keep watching, and the same ad gets tired fast. So you need good ideas, often.
Built for the feed
Vertical, captioned for sound-off viewing and paced for a phone. It should feel like it belongs in the feed, not like a TV ad.
Fresh, regularly
Retainers bring new ads each month, built around what worked last month, so your account always has something new to test.
Work
Made for our own products first.
We test ads with our own money on our own brands before we make them for anyone else. Everything here is labelled for what it is.
Motion: “Back in my day”
App launch ad with a comedy hook, motion design, a UI showcase and a clear call to action.
Dirty Paw: “Muddy paws, spotless seats”
Product ad for our own dog car hammock brand, with five hook variations. It will run with real ad spend, and we’ll share what we learn here.
What a batch includes
Edited, colour-graded and captioned 9:16 videos, each with its own opening hook, delivered by link and named so you can track them in Ads Manager.
How we work
From brief to ready-to-run ads in a week.
Fully remote. Briefs, feedback and delivery all happen online, so it works wherever your business is.
- 01
A short brief
A 10-minute questionnaire about your product, your customer and the claims you can honestly make.
- 02
Ideas and hooks
You see the concepts and opening hooks before anything is edited, so there are no surprises.
- 03
Production
We edit, grade and caption from your footage or product, then deliver by link.
- 04
Test and refine
You run them. We look at what people responded to, and the next batch builds on it.
Pricing
Start small. Keep what works.
Simple packages in rand. Retainers run month to month, with 30 days’ notice to cancel.
Test pack
To see if we’re a fit
R2,000 once-off
- 10 ad variations
- Different hooks, one core message
- Delivered in 7 days
- One round of revisions
Starter retainer
For steady new creative
R5,000 / month
- 8 new ads every month
- Hooks rotated to keep ads fresh
- A short note on what to test next
- 30 days’ notice to cancel
Growth retainer
For brands spending more on ads
R8,500 / month
- 15 new ads every month
- Monthly creative report
- Priority turnaround
- 30 days’ notice to cancel
You pay your ad spend directly to Meta or TikTok. We make the creative. Results depend on your product, offer, price and audience, so we don’t promise specific sales numbers. We’ll test, and review what changes.
“We think about cost per sale, not just how an ad looks.”
About Honeycomb
A filmmaker who also runs online stores.
Honeycomb is run by a South African filmmaker who learned the craft making YouTube videos: filming, composition, colour grading and storytelling.
We also build our own products, including Dirty Paw (a dog car hammock brand) and Motion (a fitness and habits app). That means we pay for our own ad tests and understand margins, not just edits.
Story first
Every ad starts with a hook and a reason to care.
Properly finished
Graded, composed and captioned with care.
Founder’s eye
We think in margins and cost per sale.
Fully remote
Briefs, feedback and delivery all online.
FAQ
Good questions, plain answers.
Do you need my footage, or do you film?
Either can work. Many ads can be made from footage you already have, product photos and screen recordings. If we need new footage, we’ll tell you exactly what to film on your phone.
Do you run the ads for me?
No. We make the creative and you run it in your own Meta or TikTok ad account, so you stay in control of your budget. We’ll suggest how to set up a simple test.
What if I don’t like the first batch?
You see the ideas and hooks before we edit, which avoids most surprises. Each package includes a round of revisions.
Can you guarantee results?
No one honestly can. Results depend on your product, offer, price and audience. What we promise is well-made ads, several real options to test, and a clear view of what to try next.
How do I pay?
Test packs are paid upfront. Retainers are invoiced monthly, in advance. We’ll confirm payment options when we send your quote.
Do you only work with pet brands?
No. We started with pet brands because we run one, but we work with South African e-commerce brands in most categories.
Let’s talk
Let’s talk about your brand.
Send us your store link. We’ll reply with one ad idea and a hook you could test, free and with no obligation.