How to build a Carbon creative

6 things worth getting right, each shown with ads that ran on the developer network. Build to these, then send us the set.

Part 01

What a good creative looks like

01

Write the tagline first

On Cover the tagline is the biggest type and the only thing most people read. Draft three or four before you touch anything else.

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02

Then let the description do a different job

One tagline can carry a whole flight while the description changes underneath it. Say something new, not the tagline again.

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03

Say what they actually get

A number, a capability, an outcome. “Solutions”, “platform” and “seamless” give a developer nothing to picture.

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    Squarespacean outcome

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    Google Clouda quantity

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04

Name the problem, not the promo

The strongest openers describe something the reader is already dealing with. A price can be part of that claim; bolting a discount onto the end is different, and on two separate campaigns those were the ones that finished last.

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05

Refresh before it goes stale

The same creative wears out inside a quarter. We have watched an identical ad lose a third of its response between one flight and the next. New copy is the cheapest way to reset it, and new artwork works too. Plan the refresh rather than waiting for the numbers to sag.

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06

Keep the image legible

It renders at 130×100. A logo or a simple illustration on flat colour survives that; a screenshot or a sentence set inside the artwork does not. Choose for legibility, then spend your effort on the copy: in our tests, changing only the image usually made no measurable difference — though occasionally it did.

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    OVHclouda logo over a photo

More from the 260×200 unit

The standard format, running everywhere on the network. A 260×200 image renders at 130×100, beside up to 100 characters.

18 more examples

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    Unblocked84 characters

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    Redis76 characters

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    Stream97 characters

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Part 02

What to send when you’re ready

Send two or three images, each with its own description. Variations give us a baseline to learn from: we can see which one is winning early and put the weight behind it as the campaign runs.

The submission setten fields · one sheet

Your account manager sends the template that collects these; the New Unified Unit tab is where they actually get filled in. This is the summary, so you know what you are gathering before it arrives.

The standard unitThe first block on the sheet, and what gets you onto every placement.

  • Small Image260×200 · 300 KB
  • Iconoptional80×80 · 300 KB
  • Description100 chars max
  • LinkURL

Carbon CoverThe four ticked are the gate. Miss one and the ad falls back to the responsive unit; we fill the other two.

  • Large Image500×500 · 300 KB
  • Logo250×100 · 300 KB
  • Company Name30 chars max
  • Company Tagline / Ad Title45 chars max
  • Call to Action20 chars max
  • Background ColorHex value

A partial set still runs. We traffic each placement the version your creative supports, so nothing is at risk while you gather the rest. The only thing missing assets cost you is Cover. The tester says which version yours would get, and carries the guidance for each field.

Next

Check it before you send

Load your assets into the tester and we’ll render them in the real unit, flag anything production would reject, and tell you what’s still missing for Cover. Nothing uploads; everything stays in your browser.

Test a creativePlan a Campaign

Once a campaign is booked, your account manager sends a collection link where assets are submitted, reviewed and approved. Everything above is the pre-campaign guide. That link is where the final creative goes.