2024 is coming to an end, and it’s time to leave behind the worn-out phrase, “New Year, New You.” It’s so overused that audiences just scroll past. What once caught attention now feels stale. For brands, this means rethinking ad strategies that previously performed well, as they might not resonate in 2025.

During Q5, when consumers remain in a buying mindset post-holidays, there’s a huge opportunity for revenue growth. Ad costs drop as CPMs decrease, letting brands maximize budgets and reach a wider audience. This blog will cover effective tactics for overcoming banner blindness and making high-converting ads that stand out this Q5.

The Reason Why Q5 is SO Important

Q5 is the extended period after the holidays, running from late December through January. This season is critical for marketers, especially the ones that work for health, wellness, fitness, finance, B2B and other self improvement verticals. Purchase intent is higher as people focus on resolutions, self-improvement, and fresh starts.

Right after Christmas, consumers transition from the holiday mode to focusing on their New Year’s goals and resolutions, making it a great time for business to reach those audiences. Plus, ad costs drop as CPMs decrease, allowing brands to maximize budgets and reach a wider audience. This creates a prime window for industries like fitness, wellness, financial services, B2B, healthy eating and telehealth.

Q5 isn’t limited to these industries, though. Any brand can take advantage of this period by aligning messaging with consumer goals. A thoughtful Q5 strategy can not only unlock high engagement and drive meaningful results across various niches but also acquire new customers while CPMs are low.  

The Science Behind Banner Blindness

Banner blindness is a phenomenon where users ignore ads, often due to overexposure or predictability. On platforms like TikTok and Meta, users quickly scroll past content that looks too much like an ad, especially when it uses familiar language. 

The concept of “banner blindness” was first introduced by Dr. Jan Panero Benway and Dr. David M. Lane in 1998. Their research revealed that users tend to ignore banner ads on websites, even if they contain information that could help users achieve their goals. This effect is especially pronounced when users are focused on completing a specific task, as their attention bypasses these ads almost automatically. 

“New Year, New You” is one of the quotes that you see everywhere during Q5. After years of repetition, it’s a predictable, overused message that users instinctively tune out. If you want your creatives to stand out in a crowded market, then don’t use it and move to proven tactics that will work for crafting high-converting ads. 

Use Hooks Related to This Special Season

Whatever you do, don’t waste your creative energy on anything “new year, new ___.” You’ve seen it. Your customers have seen it. We can do better! To overcome banner blindness, brands should use hooks that are fresh, specific, and benefit-focused.

This approach works especially well in industries that see high demand in Q5, like fitness, wellness, financial services, and telehealth. Fitness and wellness brands can offer motivation for health goals. Financial services may appeal to consumers seeking a fresh start financially. Telehealth and mental health services can attract audiences focusing on overall well-being. 

But… What if you’re not part of those niches? Don’t worry. We have some proven hooks that may work for you as well. 

Tip #1: instead of using some cliché “New Year, New You”, use the year “2025”.

  • “2025 is your year”
  • “Mind, body, soul aligned in 2025”
  • “Healthier than ever in 2025, thanks to [Brand/Product].”
  • “2025 is for sustainable wellness – [Brand/Product] makes it easy.” 
  • “My 2025 glow-up starts with [Brand/Product].” 
  • “Who else is making 2025 their healthiest year with [Brand/Product]?” 
  • “2025 is the year of self-care – [Brand/Product] is my go-to.” 
  • “Only investing in wellness for 2025 – [Brand/Product] made the cut.” 
  • “New year, new habits – [Brand/Product] keeps me consistent in 2025.” 
  • “Wellness in 2025 starts now – [Brand/Product] is transforming my routine.”

Tip #2: Focus on a benefit/solving a pain point. 

  • “Save time and money in 2025 with [product].” 
  • “2025 is the year I finally made life easier with [product].” 
  • “Is [product] worth it in 2025? Let’s find out!” 
  • “Need affordable [product type] in 2025? Watch this!” 
  • “How to get [service] faster in 2025.” 
  • “Get [value prop] in 2025 – here’s how.” 
  • “Thinking about [product] for 2025? Start here.” 
  • “How I made time for wellness in 2025 with [product].” 
  • “2025 goal: Better habits, made easy with [product].” 
  • “Tired of [pain point]? 2025 is the year I fixed it with [product].” 
  • “Here’s the best way to stay consistent in 2025.” 
  • “Dealing with [pain point]? I used [product] to help in 2025.” 
  • “Life hack: Start 2025 right with [product].” “My 2025 glow-up starts with [product].” 
  • Why I switched to [product] in 2025 – and you should too.” 
  • “Trying to stop [worse alternative]? 2025 is the time to switch.” 
  • “2025 wellness tip: [product] made all the difference.” 
  • “Still struggling with [pain point]? 2025 is the year to fix it.” 
  • “My 2025 routine? Easier with [product].” “Stop doing [worse alternative] – switch to [product] in 2025.”

Tip #3: Use “This year” instead. This option is also valid if you want to escalate the ad after this holiday season. 

  • “This year, I finally made life easier with [product].” 
  • “Want better habits? This year, I’m using [product].” 
  • “This year, I’m all about wellness – [product] makes it simple.” 
  • “Tired of [pain point]? This year, I found the solution with [product].” 
  • “This year, I switched to [product] – and I’m not going back.” 
  • “I’ve been struggling with [task], but this year, [product] changed that.” 
  • “Need a boost? This year, [product] is my go-to.” 
  • “This year, I’m only buying products that work – [product] delivers.” 
  • “This year, I finally solved [pain point] with [product].” 
  • “It’s 2025 – and this year, I’m staying consistent with [product].”

Your UGC Guide for NY and Q5

UGC is now essential for ad creatives that convert, and it will continue in 2025. UGC feels authentic, telling a story around real experiences and opinions. It matches the type of content users see in their feeds, avoiding banner blindness. Customer testimonials, honest product reviews, and videos of real users create a sense of social proof, especially effective for health, wellness, and finance brands in Q5.

B2B and financial verticals especially gain an advantage with UGC. While UGC is a requirement for most consumer-facing brands, most B2B and financial brands think it won’t work for them (we can say confidently it does). This opens an opportunity while the competition rolls out their 102nd blue animated product video ad.

For this upcoming year, you need to focus on UGC and create content that is relevant to your audience. 

Here are some ideas:

  • Before/After Transformations Focused on New Year Goals: Highlight how the product helps users achieve their New Year resolutions. Creators can document progress over days or weeks, showcasing tangible results that make benefits easy to see. Fitness brands, skincare, and financial services can illustrate how their offerings create a visible difference, making it easier for customers to envision similar results for themselves. It would also be a great idea to compare the previous year vs the one coming and showing a transformation. 
  • “Day-in-the-Life” Content for Routine Integration: Demonstrate how the product fits into a typical day, making it relatable and showing ease of use. Day-in-the-life videos work exceptionally well in wellness, lifestyle, and B2B products focused on self-improvement, as they connect the product to a user’s daily activities. This approach is ideal for New Year-driven motivation, as audiences look for practical tools to reach their goals.
  • Your creator can start their video with something like “Here is a day in my life, XX edition. One of my goals for this year is to [action] and I’m achieving it with [brand/product] ”. 
  • Personalized testimonials: testimonial content from real users sharing specific pain points and results resonates deeply, especially when audiences are setting new intentions. Wellness, finance, and fitness brands can leverage story-driven reviews that authentically address customer goals. These testimonials establish trust and position the product as a solution, helping drive conversions for New Year’s campaigns. 

These content types make products more relatable and engaging. By focusing on authentic UGC, your brand can effectively bypass banner blindness and reach a motivated Q5 audience. 

Dos/Don’ts for your New Year Ads  

So first, let’s explore some Do’s and Don’ts of holiday advertising. For 2025, strong hooks, UGC and native-style are key to craft high-converting ads. 

DO’SDON’TS
✅ Running video ads? Make your sell in <3 secs on video ads (<6 seconds on TikTok) 🚫 Bury the lede. Got a sale? A seasonal best-seller that’s going fast? Say it before they can scroll. 
✅ Start with an attention grabbing headline🚫 Use a boring hook that fails to drive action (even if the action is just to keep watching your video).
✅ Use UGC (Don’t have any? We can help.)🚫 Use overly stock-y footage people won’t relate to. 
✅ Use native-style text to fit in with the rest of the viewer’s timeline🚫 Use super polished text styles that make it clear the user is watching an ad.  
✅ Feature trending music that’s allowed for ad use 🚫 Feature elevator music. 

Proven Ad Templates for Q5

During a holiday season like Q5, competition is wild. We see thousands of ads everyday but not all of them make you stop scrolling. The right ad feels like a message in a bottle written just for you, especially if you’re looking to reach a goal, like many do during Q5. 

We’ve already seen some Do/Don’ts for your Ads, so now let’s focus on using a proven Ad template that will avoid banner blindness in 2025. 

2024 vs 2025

Use this easy template if you want to highlight something you did differently in the previous year and in this year, focus on the solution you found (the product). Here is an example: 

BDQs

Use this template to guide potential customers through their Buyer Decision Questions (BDQs) in a way that taps into their New Year motivation. During Q5, many are thinking ahead to their goals for 2025—whether it’s better health, financial improvements, or personal growth.

Make sure to ask the right questions in your creative: What are your 2025 goals? How can this product make a difference for you in the new year?.

Here are some practical tips:

  • Answer BDQs directly: Explain how your product can help them gain specific benefits, whether it’s “staying fit,” “boosting productivity,” or “achieving financial stability.”
  • Use UGC and Social Proof: Showing real user experiences builds trust and gives proof of effectiveness – always showcase how your product will help them to reach their goals for the new year. 
  • Explore list-based formats: Frame your video with “3 Reasons Why” or “Top 5 Benefits for 2025,” which are engaging and informative.

Press/Testimonials

Use this template to provide social proof and validation, helping your audiences feel confident in their purchase decisions. Remember that in Q5, many consumers focus on self-improvement goals for the new year, making authentic testimonials particularly powerful. Show how real people are successfully using your product to support their New Year’s resolutions.

Here’s how to create high-converting content using this template:

  • Highlight relevant testimonials: Choose testimonials that align with your audience’s specific Q5 goals, like weight loss, financial growth, or fitness improvements. This builds trust and resonates with their mindset.
  • Incorporate Press Mentions and Social Proof: Feature any press mentions or accolades, adding a layer of credibility that helps overcome buyer hesitation. You can also highlight your products achievements from the previous year. For example: “Ranked #2 Best Supplement in 2024 for [press]”

Start Building High-Converting Video Ads Now

Q5 is just around the corner and there is a lot of work to do. At Primer, we help our partners develop winning ads and scale by handling the process for you, including creative strategy, design, production, reporting, and media buying. If you need an extra hand for this busy season, just give us a call. 

Your Growth Marketing Team: Partnering with Primer means we take care of everything—strategy and planning, production, reporting, and optional media buying—to achieve your growth objectives. You can focus on your business while we deliver the results.

Creative On-Demand: Access a subscription-based marketing creative platform to request UGC, videos, images, and landing pages crafted by top marketing creative strategists and designers who understand what drives conversions.

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