Creative brief: untitled product Audience: Not given Angle: Not given Formats: Not given Deadline: Not given Winning script or reference Not given Hooks to test Not given Compliance notes Not given Usage rights Not given
How do you use this ad creative brief template?
Fill in the free brief builder at the top of this page, then export the brief as Markdown, PDF or plain text. Everything you type stays in your browser. The same tool is also at creative brief builder.
The sections below explain what to write in each field, in the order the builder shows them.
What goes in each field of a creative brief?
Each field answers one question the creator would otherwise have to ask you. Missing fields cost a round of revisions.
Product
What it is, the offer, and a link to the product page. Write the exact product name and size or variant, the price or offer if the ad mentions it, and anything that must be shown on screen, such as the label.
Audience
Who the ad is for and the problem they have. One sentence about a person in a situation is more useful than a demographic: "Commuters who forget to drink water at work" tells the creator what scene to build.
Angle
The one reason to buy that this ad leads with. One angle per brief. If you want to test two angles, write two briefs, so each ad makes one argument and the test result means something (see our creative testing framework).
Winning script or reference ad
Paste the script, or link the ad that already works. This is the field that matters most for performance ads. A creator remaking a proven script in new formats starts from evidence; a creator starting from a blank page is guessing.
If you have no winner yet, link a competitor ad that shows the structure you want and say which part to follow: the hook, the pacing or the product moment.
Formats
Which formats to make from the same script: UGC, podcast, drama, animation or brand film. Asking for several formats from one script is the quickest way to get ads that differ enough to test against each other.
Hooks to test
One hook per line. Each hook should be a different opening line or first shot for the same ad body, so the creator can cut one version per hook. Patterns to start from are in ad hooks.
Compliance notes
Claims that are allowed and not allowed, required disclaimers, and AI labels. List claims word for word: "Keeps drinks cold for 24 hours" is allowed; "improves your health" is not. If the ad uses AI-generated people or scenes, say how it must be labelled; our guide to AI ad labels on Meta and TikTok covers each platform's rules.
Usage rights
Who owns the ads, where they can run and for how long. Write it before work starts, not after the ad wins. The terms to cover (channels, duration, territory, edits, whitelisting) are explained in UGC usage rights.
Deadline
When versions are due. If you want a first version early to check direction, give that date too.
What does a filled-in brief look like?
Here is the worked example the builder uses:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Product | Insulated steel water bottle, 750 ml |
| Audience | Commuters who forget to drink water at work |
| Angle | Cold for 24 hours, so you finish it |
| Reference | Open on a warm plastic bottle on a desk at 3pm, cut to the steel bottle with ice still in it |
| Formats | UGC, Podcast, Animation |
| Hooks | "I stopped buying water at work" / "This is what 24 hours cold looks like" |
| Compliance | No health claims. Show the product label clearly |
| Usage rights | Creator owns the ad; brand gets full usage rights to run it |
| Deadline | Friday |
Copy-paste ad creative brief template
Copy this into a doc, replace each bracketed placeholder, and delete lines you do not need. It has the same sections as the builder's export.
# Creative brief: [product name, size or variant]
Product: [what it is, the offer, link to the product page]
Audience: [who the ad is for and the problem they have]
Angle: [the one reason to buy this ad leads with]
Formats: [UGC / Podcast / Drama / Animation / Brand film]
Deadline: [date versions are due; date for a first version if wanted]
## Winning script or reference
[paste the script, or link the ad that already works and say which part to follow]
## Hooks to test
1. [hook one: opening line and first shot]
2. [hook two]
3. [hook three]
## Compliance notes
Allowed claims: [exact wording]
Not allowed: [claims to avoid]
Required disclaimers: [text and where it appears]
AI label: [how AI-generated content must be labelled on each platform]
## Usage rights
Owner: [who owns the ads]
Where they can run: [organic, paid, creator's handle, other channels]
For how long: [duration]
Is a UGC brief template different?
A UGC brief template uses the same fields with more detail on the person and the setting. Add who is on camera (age range, style, voice), where the scene takes place, and how the product is handled.
If you are a creator pricing work from a brief like this, see the UGC rate card and contract template.
Can someone write the brief for you?
Yes. Anglr can run a full analysis of a brand and write the briefs; brands with winners start from their winners. Vetted AI creators then make every format from one script, every video goes through QC and compliance review before it goes live, and brands get full usage rights to run the ads. See Anglr for brands.
FAQ
What should an ad creative brief include?
At minimum: the product and offer, the audience and their problem, one angle, a winning script or reference ad, the formats wanted, hooks to test, compliance notes, usage rights and a deadline.
How long should a creative brief be?
One page is enough for a performance ad. If a field needs more than a few lines, link a separate document, such as the full script or the brand's claims list.
What is a UGC brief?
A UGC brief is a creative brief written for a UGC creator. It uses the same fields, with extra detail on the person on camera, the setting and how the product is shown.
How many hooks should a brief include?
Enough to run a real test: several hooks for the same script body, one per line, so the creator can make one version per hook and the brand can compare them.
Who writes the creative brief?
Usually the brand or its creative strategist. Some creator networks write it for the brand; Anglr can run a full analysis of a brand and write the briefs.