Barry Hott's Bestselling Course is Back! 🚀
Create Winning Ads Consistently
May 19
course start
4+1
weeks
200+
marketers
Struggling to create high-converting ads that scale? Ad account begging for fresh creative, but don’t know where to start? Confused and misguided by tons of info on making good ads? People hate ads. In my live course, I’ll share the exact system I use to create ads people don’t hate. Join me and 200+ marketers to learn how.









“After this course my ads have improved to 11x ROAS.”
It has been really a game changer, and it's lovely not only for the client, but also for me to see those numbers changing and bringing value to the business.”
Account Director
Everything that I've learned in this course has been applied to everything that we've been doing going forward. Across the board, we saw dramatic, fast improvements.”
“If you find one ad out of this which is going to be winning, the course has already paid for itself tenfold!”
Stuck for creative ideas? Become an Ad Creation Machine.
Creatively exhausted? No ideas or inspiration? CEO’s bad idea? Meta Ads guru’s newest hack failed? Team confused by ad-making info overload? This course will transform you into an Ad Creation Machine.
I’ll show you how to start with empathy for the consumer: think how they think. Speak how they speak. Consume what they consume. The ads will write themselves.
You’ll learn my proven brainstorming techniques, including the simple yet powerful post-it note method. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to rapidly generate an abundance of (AI-Enhanced) ad concepts and iterations, ensuring you never run out of creative fuel.
“I’m struggling with making ads that scale.”
You can’t sleep because of how much time and money you’re wasting on creative production, polishing ads, but still, your accounts are underperforming. In “Building Ads with Barry” you’ll learn how to create ads that get attention and drive action from cold audiences.
Ads that don’t look or feel like traditional ads, making them more relatable and relevant to consumers. These are the ads people don't hate.
You’ll go from struggling with performance to building a variety of winning ads that can scale and work together effectively.
Media buying: There’s a lot of bad guidance out there.
My media buying brain is based on studying billions in ad spend and managing over $600 million personally. You’ll tap into my media buying brain LIVE - no gimmicks, no hacks, just deep-seated, yet simple principles.
You’ll uncover how the system works and how to get it to work better for you. I’ll show you exactly what I look for in ad accounts.
You’ll develop an understanding of WHY things work and don’t work. You’ll make confident decisions and apply changes in ad accounts to squeeze more performance for your business.
Sneak peek:
Creating Authentic Ads That Connect (Shot in 5 Minutes)
Here’s a lesson snippet from the course – I break down an emotional ad created with my dad for Tales.com (a family interview card game) in just 5 minutes. Watch how an unscripted conversation turned into a relatable ad that sparked incredible engagement and heartfelt comments. No fancy production, just authentic storytelling that connected with people.

Hey marketers, I’m Barry Hott
Remember when Facebook ads were only in the right column? That's when I started running ads. Since then, I've managed over $600 million in social ad spend for brands like AT&T, Toyota, Kraft, and Microsoft and more recently focused on direct-to-consumer social growth advertising, creative, and CRO for some of the biggest startup names in the world like: True Classic, AG1, Lumin Skin, Harry’s Razors, The Perfect Jean, Tushy and more!
Innovative approach to advertising through the concept of "Ugly Ads”.
Collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry, including launching the successful Lone River Ranch Water brand, which was acquired by Diageo.
As seen in ads for Harry's Razors, Hubble, Keeps, Nuts.com, Urbanstems, Lumin Skin, Wandering Bear Coffee, Flock Chicken Chips, and more.

Some clients I've recently worked with

























Some clients I've previously worked with


















Get Inspired!
“This was one of the best talks I’ve heard in a long long time”
“Barry is a legendary performance creative strategist and media buyer. He's obsessed with Meta and performance creative and crushing it, incredible thought partner. We have a lot of fun working together, and arguing about Meta and our creative, and making the most fun possible content, entertaining our audience and educating along the way.”
“Barry is the number one person who's really pushed me in my career to become a better CREATIVE STRATEGIST. If you're looking to get to that next level, regardless if you're a BEGINNER or you've been in the industry for A FEW YEARS or you're an industry VETERAN like myself, you are going to LEARN A TON from this course.”
“We've had lots of interesting and weird problems in Meta and TikTok. He and I have been able to really go deep, but also within a certain structure that helps us find the right answer.”
“Barry's a beacon of truth in a world in which there's so much noise, and he is someone that you should and can rely on.”
Special Guest Mentors

Chief Evangelist at Motion

Co-Founder at Adcrate
“Ads with the best ROAS right now are the ones created from this course”

“Barry is amazing. I get that he's known as the ugly ads guy - and sure, he's probably better at performance creative than anyone I know. But I also interacted with him on many other topics including general ad ops/strategy, on-site CRO optimization, general merchandising tactics/AOV expansion - he's good at all of them.”
.png)
Course Program
Everything you need to become
an Ad Creation Machine
STRATEGY
No BS Audience Research and Creative Strategy (AI-Enhanced)
Conduct audience research using the provided checklist and AI tools.
What you'll learn
The exact framework I use for mining customer reviews, quickly analyzing past performance, and gathering insights from competitors.
Brainstorming techniques for generating relevant ad ideas rapidly.
Identifying compelling hooks.
My scriptwriting tactics (AI-Enhanced).
Ad formats that convert.
What you'll do
Do audience research consistently. Get into the customer’s mindset. Start with empathy for the consumer:
- Think how they think.
- Speak how they speak.
- Consume what they consume.
- Ads write themselves.
Go rapidly from a blank page to an abundance of ad and iteration ideas using simple post-it note brainstorms.
Ask AI the right questions to get the best hooks and ad scripts.
Post-it note brainstorming session. Pick Barry’s creative brain based on $1 billion ad spend.
LIVE Session by Barry Hott
May 22, 2025 (12-2 PM EDT)
CREATIVE
Creating Ads People Don’t Hate
Create an ‘Ugly Ad’ in 60 Minutes: write the script using AI, shoot it on your phone, edit it on CapCut.
What you'll learn
How to set up your systems and workflow for creative operations.
My proven strategies for getting content from existing customers (better and cheaper than from creators).
How I Make Ads:
- The case for making ads that don’t look and feel like ads.
- How I script (using AI), shoot and edit “ugly” ads.
- Uglifying polished ads to be more authentic and relatable.
How I Edit Ads (important, even if you’re not editing them yourself):
- Hooks, headlines, and visual impact.
- Crafting clear and concise copy.
What you'll do
Build a robust creative process for your business.
Negotiate with and manage content creators effectively.
Shoot and edit “ugly” ads that are palatable, relatable, and relevant to the consumer.
Write potent, attention-grabbing messages quickly.
Edit ads (and give feedback) for instant relevance in a crowded feed.
Making students’ ugly ads better. How to produce 10x creative using AI.
LIVE Session by Barry Hott and Alex Cooper
May 29, 2025 (12-2 PM EDT)
MEDIA BUYING
How the System Works and Getting
the System to Work Better for You
Create a simpler version of your account structure and run a breakdown analysis.
What you'll learn
A deep dive into how the system operates.
Creating a simpler version of the account structure.
How I put guardrails on the system to prevent it from cheating.
Breakdowns: what they are and how I use them to better understand creative performance and unlock new creative ideas and hypotheses.
What you'll do
Create a simpler version of your ad account structure.
Control the system to ensure it doesn’t cheat.
Run a breakdown analysis.
Make data-driven iterations on both successful and underperforming ads.
AMA: Pick Barry’s Creative and Media Buying Brain Based On 1BN $ Ad Spend
LIVE Session by Barry Hott
June 5, 2025 (12-2 PM EDT)
PERFORMANCE
How to Optimize Performance
Build a scaling strategy for a successful ad account and define the cold audience for your product.
What you'll learn
How to test creatives:
- Naming conventions (boring but crucial).
- Why broad audience?
- Problem/solution testing for faster conversions.
- How I use the creative testing framework to learn and scale successful creatives.
Advanced Performance Analysis:
- Key metrics to track.
- The specific column view I use in Ads Manager.
- Making iterations on winners and losers.
What you'll do
Implement ad and file naming conventions without becoming too granular.
Use the creative testing framework and to:
- Understand what works and what doesn’t (and WHY).
- Look through the lens: What does the consumer feel when they see this?
- Build and implement a scaling strategy for a successful ad account.
- Create broadly functional and scalable ads.
- Make ads that resonate with cold audiences.
- Build a variety of ads that can scale and work together effectively.
Making iterations on students’ ads. Learning about creative diversity and volume from Dara.
LIVE Session by Barry Hott and Dara Denney
June 12, 2025 (12-2 PM EDT)
How it works:
Building Ads with Barry™ starts May 19 and runs for 4 weeks. Expect a best-in-class interactive learning experience with me and 200+ fellow marketers.
.png)
.png)
Stuck? I’ll help you get back on track.
You’re not learning alone. Join a vibrant community of 200+ marketers, growth leaders, and agency owners working together for 4 weeks to improve their ad performance.
Share your work with the community for feedback.
Ask me and my special guests specific questions about your ad creation challenges.
Stay accountable and make real progress.
Gain confidence to consistently create high-performing ads.
Learn by building ads.
Join us for video lessons, LIVE sessions, and assignments that unlock weekly. Apply what you learn directly to your ad creation and media buying practice.
4 weeks of high-quality video lessons and LIVE sessions with Barry.
4 deep-dive modules: Strategy, Creative, Media Buying and Performance Optimization (exclusive content not available on YouTube or anywhere else).
Instruction at each stage of the ad creation and media buying process.
Weekly feedback, discussions, and ad critique circles.
Create high-performing ads faster and easier with provided templates.
.png)
Let's wrap it up.
What you'll learn.
BEFORE THE COURSE
Struggling to create high-converting ads that scale.
Ad account begging for fresh creative, but don’t know where to start.
Confused and misguided by tons of info on making good ads.
AFTER THE COURSE
Generate winning ad concepts rapidly.
Create authentic, relatable ads that grab attention.
Scale your successful ads effectively.
Boost your ad account performance with confidence.
MARKETERS AND OWNERS
For Individuals
$1592
$1990
🔥 51 marketers already on board for the upcoming cohort!
45
d
12
h
44
m
29
s
you'll GET the FULL EXPERIENCE PACKAGE:
4 Weeks & 20+ hours of training with Barry Hott: LIVE workshops, interactive Q&A sessions, and exclusive recordings – starting May 19, 2025
LIVE guest teacher sessions with Dara Denney and Alex Cooper
Hands-On Projects: Get actionable feedback on your ad creative and ad account
Community: 200+ marketers working together to improve their ad performance
12-Month Access: Get all recordings and resources for a full year
Earned Certificate: Stand out on LinkedIn with a verified certificate
+$1,500 Worth of BONUSES: Billion Dollar Ad Account Audit Template, “Ugly Ads” Templates in Figma, Barry’s Foreplay Board, Barry’s Brainstorming Worksheet, Adcrate Notion Templates, Barry’s Custom Column View and Naming Conventions
Discounts: $200/month OFF FOXWELL FOUNDERS MEMBERSHIP FOR LIFE = $2400/year; 50% OFF FOREPLAY for up to 1 year for new customers = $594/year; 50% OFF CREATIVE OS for up to 1 year for new customers = $594/year
7-Day Money-Back Guarantee
AGENCIES AND BRANDS
For Teams
and other teams already onboard!
Don’t forget to write us with your promo code to get an extra 20 % off!
TEAM BENEFITS:
The Full Experience Program, plus a suite of exclusive bonuses!
A private workshop with Barry Hott ☄️, tailored to your team's specific challenges. We guarantee it will uncover at least one actionable ad concept or iteration that more than pays for the course!
Teams are seeing results: "The 2 ads with the best ROAS are ones created from this course."
Lifetime access to all course materials — teams rewatch and leverage the content for years.
Discounts of up to 30% for larger teams!
7-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Flexible payment options: Invoice, bank transfer, and extended terms up to 30 days.
Let's talk!
Barry Hott's Money-Back Guarantee
YES, you can get a full refund within 7 days of the course start.
Our return rate is incredibly low – less than 3%!
One more thing...
You'll Also Get +$1,500
Worth of BONUSES

Barry Hott's Billion Dollar Ad Account Audit Template
VALUE: $300

Adcrate Notion
Templates
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
VALUE: $500

Barry Hott's “Ugly Ads”
Templates in Figma
VALUE: $300
.jpg)
Barry Hott's Brainstorming Worksheet
VALUE: $300
.jpg)
Barry Hott's Foreplay Board
VALUE: $300
.jpg)
Barry Hott's Essential Custom Metrics
VALUE: Priceless!
For example, last week, I literally sat down and just casually talked about one of our products. This simple ugly ad is already outperforming our polished content with almost three times the click rate and about three to five times higher conversion rate. That's insane, right? We're now digging into the breakdowns from week three to see exactly which audiences are responding because honestly, that data is gold.”
People keep asking me:
“is your course for me?”
So, I wanted to answer that for everyone before it's too late:
YES, absolutely! If you're an expert media buyer or creative, you stand to gain the most.
You're probably responsible for millions of dollars of ads. The course pays for itself with just ONE unique nugget and should net you massive wins at scale for a long long time.
Adcrate makes amazing performance ads and we had the entire team join to grow their expertise.
Experts like Dara Denney and Anze Markovic have taken the course, and you should too.
If you're an expert, I don't know how you could miss this opportunity to learn additional perspectives, skills, and tricks from someone with different expertise than you.
YES. You will learn how to challenge your media buyers and creatives to think better and bigger, and to focus on the metrics that really matter to your business. You will also learn how you yourself (YES, YOU!) can contribute ads quickly and with a massive ROI. This is a no-brainer.
Probably! If you're already familiar with making ads or media buying, this will give you an incredible baseline to build from and you won't have as many bad habits to unlearn.
If you've never done any of this stuff and want to learn media buying basics, I don't think this is the best course to learn those, buuut, it would lay the mental groundwork really nicely.
For other basics, I strongly recommend Dara Denney's YouTube channel.
NO! While e-commerce is definitely covered, the core principles and strategies taught in this course are broadly applicable across various industries and advertising goals.
I used these same principles to scale Lone River Ranch Water from zero to an acquisition by Diageo in just 1 year and that wasn’t DTC at all!
Whether you focus on lead capture, B2B marketing, e-commerce, app installs, CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods), or anything else, the fundamental understanding of how to create effective performance ads and optimize media buying will benefit you.
The course focuses on the why behind successful ads, not just the how. This means you'll learn how to think strategically about your campaigns, regardless of your specific niche. The learnings are designed to be adaptable and can be applied to any advertising scenario where you're looking to maximize ROI. The focus is on principles, not just tactics, so you can apply them to whatever you're advertising.
In this course, I cover the intersection of performance creative and media buying unlike anywhere else.
If you've ever enjoyed anything I've said on any of those platforms, I can't see how you won't find at least something in this course that will pay for itself.
If you're involved in ads that spend more than $10k/month, even just 1 takeaway from the course could cover the cost of the course itself in a month.
If you're involved in ads that spend more than $10k/day, even just 1 takeaway from the course could pay for itself in minutes.
That's not even including the thousands of dollars worth of bonuses and discounts (more valuable than the cost of the course).
Yes, duh. If you’re unsure, go check all the testimonials from happy students!
Okay, let's talk ROI. Because I know that's what you really want to know.
If you're spending or involved in creating ads that spend serious money ($10k/month or more) this course is a no-brainer. It's an investment that will pay off big time, not just for one person, but for your entire organization. Here’s how:
- If you spend $10,000/month on ads: Even ONE solid takeaway from this course – a new angle, a better creative strategy, a more efficient media buying tactic – could easily improve your results by 10%. That's $1,000 in savings or extra revenue per month. The course pays for itself almost immediately.
- If you spend $100,000/month on ads: A 2% improvement is $2,000 per month. Imagine finding several insights! The course becomes a massive ROI generator.
- If you spend $1,000,000+/month on ads: Even a tiny 0.5% improvement is $5,000 per month. And let's be honest, with the level of detail and strategy in this course, you're likely to see much bigger improvements. We're talking tens of thousands of dollars in potential gains.
Look, if you're spending serious money on ads, getting your whole team on board with this course is a no-brainer. It's an investment that will pay off big time, not just for one person, but for your entire organization.
That's not even including the thousands of dollars worth of bonuses and discounts (more valuable than the cost of the course).
Oh, and remember: less than 3% of students asked for a refund! That’s crazy low!
Great question! Honestly, sending the whole team is the best move. Think about it:
If just one person takes it, they come back all fired up with new ideas, but then they have to explain everything to everyone else. That takes time and can lead to misunderstandings.
But if the whole team takes it together? BOOM! Everyone is on the same page, speaking the same language, and ready to roll. You get:
- Unified front: Everyone understands the strategy and why we're doing things a certain way.
- Faster implementation: No need to explain things over and over. Just put the new ideas into action.
- Better collaboration: When everyone has the same knowledge, teamwork gets way smoother.
- Massive scalability: Your whole organization levels up its ad game at once.
Plus, imagine the discussions! Your team will be bouncing ideas off each other, building on what they learned, and coming up with even better strategies.
Look, if you're spending serious money on ads ($10k/month or more), getting your whole team on board with this course is a no-brainer. It's an investment that will pay off big time, not just for one person, but for your entire organization.
The course starts May 19 and runs for 4 weeks. It includes:
- 4 main LIVE sessions (Thursdays, 12-2 pm EDT)
- Several in-depth LIVE workshops with guest teachers (topics and dates will be announced starting January). - Self-paced materials – video lessons, checklists, and much more.
Building Ads with Barry will be one of the most comprehensive and exciting courses you've ever taken!
- Main LIVE sessions: About 10 hours
- Additional activities: Another 10 hours over the 4-week course.
- Total: 20 hours
You can complete everything or choose the elements most relevant to you.
Yes, all LIVE sessions are recorded and you'll have access to them for 12 months.
The course is designed for marketers and business owners. No technical or programming knowledge required – this is a business/marketing course. A basic understanding of digital advertising is helpful, but don’t worry – before the course starts, you’ll receive supplementary materials covering all the fundamentals.
The course is led by Barry Hott, a leading expert in digital advertising with extensive experience in scaling successful ad campaigns.
Email us at barry@buildingadswithbarry.com for a custom quote for your company, including volume discounts. You can pay via invoice. Contact us to learn more!
Yes, you'll receive a tax-compliant invoice.
Yes! You can pay for the Full Experience package on two interest-free installments. First installment due today, second installment one month later.
Yes, we offer up to 50% discounts for low-income regions. Email us: barry@buildingadswithbarry.com
You can get a full refund within 7 days of the course start date.
You can pay directly with a credit card or digital payment, or e-mail barry@buildingadswithbarry.com to request an invoice for a bank transfer.
Still have questions?
Become an Ad Creation Machine.
The Course Starts May 19!
I don't know what you're waiting for!
45
Days
12
Hours
44
Minutes
29
Seconds