Lux Living - Creative Strategy Guidelines

Extracted from Meta Ads Audit (Feb 15, 2026) and performance data.
These guidelines should inform all creative generation across the ad-automation-platform.

1. Placement Performance Hierarchy

Data from the Waterloo ad set (53 leads, $342.60 spend - best performer):

Key Insight: Vertical-first creative (Stories/Reels) delivers leads at nearly half the cost of Feed. Feed drives the most volume (~69% of spend) because of inventory depth, but the lowest CPL comes from immersive vertical formats.

Creative Priority:

1. Design vertical-first (9:16) then adapt to other formats
2. Ensure every ad set has at least one Stories-optimized creative
3. Video/motion content for Reels placements
4. Static + carousel for Feed placements

2. Format Specifications by Placement

Stories & Reels (9:16 - 1080x1920)

• Lowest CPL placement - prioritize this format
• Full-bleed imagery, no safe zone violations
• Text overlay in center 60% (avoid top/bottom 250px for UI elements)
• Video: 5-15 seconds, front-load key message in first 3 seconds
• Strong visual hook - property hero shot or lifestyle moment
• Swipe-up/CTA alignment with lead form

Feed (1:1 or 4:5)

• Highest volume placement - needs strong variety
• 1:1 (1080x1080): Works across Feed + Marketplace
• 4:5 (1080x1350): Optimal Feed real estate, takes more screen space
• Text-safe: headline overlay works well here
• Carousel option: Show multiple rooms/features of a property
• Thumb-stopping first frame is critical (4.22% CTR baseline)

Marketplace (1:1 - 1080x1080)

• Marketplace-native: resembles a product listing
• Property exterior as hero image
• Price/location overlay performs well
• Clean, uncluttered composition

3. Creative Mix Requirements

The audit identified that creative data was unavailable at the ad level. These guidelines establish the creative mix that should be maintained going forward.

Per Ad Set Minimum (5 creatives)

Format Distribution Target

• 40% Static images (hero shots, twilight, interiors)
• 30% Video/motion (cinemagraphs, reveals, walkthroughs)
• 20% Carousel (multi-image property tours)
• 10% UGC/testimonial style

4. Copy Strategy (Data-Informed)

Geographic-First Messaging

The data shows massive CPL variation by geography:

• Inner South (Waterloo): $6.46 CPL
• North Sydney: $29.19 CPL (4.5x more expensive)
• Macquarie Park: $42.95 CPL (6.6x more expensive)
• Epping: $43.15 CPL (6.7x more expensive)

Implication: Copy should lead with location appeal and lifestyle, not just the property name. The location IS the selling point for high-performing areas.

Copy Rules

Copy Themes by Performance Tier

Proven (Waterloo-style - CPL <$10):

• Location-lifestyle led: "Luxury Living in [Suburb]"
• Specificity converts: include starting price, completion date, or unique feature
• Aspirational but grounded: real benefits, not just adjectives

Testing (CPL $10-20):

• Problem-solution: "Tired of renting in [area]?"
• Social proof: "Join 50+ families who chose [property]"
• Scarcity/urgency: "Only 3 residences remaining"

Experimental:

• Question-led: "What does luxury look like in [suburb]?"
• Benefit-first: "Wake up to harbour views every morning"
• Number-led: "3 beds, 2 baths, 1 incredible location"

CTA Mapping

5. Visual Style Guide

Photography Direction

• Twilight/Golden Hour: Primary hero treatment for exteriors. Warm interior glow through windows, blue-hour sky gradient. This is the signature look for luxury real estate.
• Bright & Airy Interiors: Natural light, staged furniture, lifestyle warmth. Modern or minimalist staging styles preferred.
• Lifestyle Moments: People enjoying the space - couple on balcony, family in living room. Backs to camera preferred (aspirational, not specific).
• Detail Shots: Fixtures, finishes, views. Close-up quality details that signal luxury.

Color Palette

• Warm whites, soft greys, navy (brand sophistication)
• Gold/amber accents (twilight warmth, luxury signaling)
• Deep blues (twilight sky, trust, premium feel)
• Green accents (landscaping, lifestyle, freshness)

Composition Rules

• Property as hero, not text
• Text overlays: max 20% of image area (Meta's old 20% rule still best practice)
• Clean negative space for text placement (top or bottom)
• Human elements at 1/3 scale (environmental, not portrait)

6. Platform Workflow Mapping

These guidelines map to the existing creative workflows in the ad-automation-platform:

Recommended Creative Production Flow

1. Source property photos (exterior + interior + detail shots)
2. Run exterior_transformation (twilight hero)
3. Run interior_staging (modern style, with lifestyle person)
4. Run multi_format_resize on hero shots → 1:1, 4:5, 9:16
5. Run twilight_reveal on exterior → 5s video for Reels
6. Run copy_on_image on 9:16 hero → Stories creative with CTA text
7. Run art_director on each creative → QA + copy variants
8. Brand voice check on all copy variants

7. Performance Benchmarks

From the current data, these are the benchmarks creative should be measured against:

Kill/Scale Rules for Creatives

8. Retargeting Creative (NEW - Not Currently Running)

The audit identified zero retargeting campaigns. This is a critical gap.

Retargeting Audiences

1. Website visitors (last 30 days)
2. Lead form openers who didn't submit
3. Video viewers (75%+ completion)
4. Page engagers (last 60 days)

Retargeting Creative Rules

• Different messaging than prospecting (they already know you)
• Testimonial/social proof heavy
• Urgency/scarcity messaging
• Specific property details (they've shown interest)
• Expected CPL: 40-60% lower than prospecting ($3-5 target)

Retargeting Copy Templates

• "Still thinking about [Property]? Only [X] left."
• "Your dream home in [Suburb] is waiting."
• "[Property] - Book your private viewing this weekend."
• "See what residents are saying about [Property]."