Pott Candles · Kova · 23 Sept 2026
What runs in each ad set, and what's missing
Short versionTomatoSeasonalEverything elseTestingDiversity by ad setHeld backPause listFor AilisChecks before launch
The short version
59 → 31
live ads now, and at launch (3 product ad sets + 2 concept tests)
28%
of Evergreen's last 7 days went to one ad (855) at 1.06x
9 + 9
new ads straight into product ad sets, plus 9 into two concept tests
11
new files held back as spares or duplicates
- The overfeeding already moved off Tomato. Ad 855, the Autumn unboxing video that graduated on 17 Sept, took £2,405 of Evergreen's last-7-day £8,476 at 1.06x (CPA £78). The same thing happened with Ad 707 on Tomato. Pause it with the restructure. The per-ad-set minimums are what stop this happening again.
- Keep 12 of the 37 live Evergreen ads. Those 12 took £4,936 of the last 14 days. The 25 to pause are mostly September ads Meta never really spent on, plus the losing Sea Salt hooks and three clear losers (855, 551, 858).
- Testing: you're right, pause all 22. It spent £1,055 in 14 days and most ads got under £30, so nothing was really tested. One exception: 875 earned CPA £44 on £440, so it moves into Seasonal. Testing restarts with two concept ad sets built from the new files.
- The quote cards: two go into Tomato, the rest are tested or held. Ten were made (8 Tomato, 1 Fig, 1 Rust). Tomato gets 77 and the designed review card, both matched word for word to Yotpo. Four others go into one quote test, and the rest are held. ⚠️ Six of the new quotes don't match our review export: confirm where they came from before they run.
- The two refill carousels and videos 26 and 27 fill the biggest gap in the account. On 15 Sept the refill mechanic had £21 behind it, and the value claim had never been made at all. They go to Testing as one concept and graduate into Everything else.
Minimums at launch (agreed 23 Sept)
| Daily budget | Each ad set's minimum | Guaranteed | Most any one ad set can get |
|---|---|---|---|
| £1,320 (today, relaunch 20%) | £264 | 60% | 60% |
| £1,820 (proposed, relaunch 20%) | £364 | 60% | 60% |
Tomato, Seasonal and Everything else all get the same minimum. Testing is its own ABO campaign at £50 a day per concept ad set, so £100 a day for the two below.
Tomato 8 ads
Keep the existing SUCCESS ad set and rename it Tomato. Three live ads stay, five new ones go in.
KEEPAd 483 · maker caption on the squashed-tomato Pott
14d £407 · 1.37x · CPA £34
Artisan madeText-box cardThe maker says it
CPA £34. Copy switches to season-neutral once Ailis approves.
KEEPAd 489 · Limited Edition three-wick
14d £477 · 2.22x · CPA £40
Artisan madeTitle-overlay staticCarries its own detail
CPA £40, 2.22x. The best Tomato ad right now.
KEEPAd 815 · Flora video, whitelisted copy
14d £85 · 2.92x · CPA £28
Artisan madePerson to cameraThe maker says it
2.92x on £85. Keep this copy of the Flora video, pause 551.
NEW"The smell is insanely gorgeous!"
The scentText-box cardA customer says it
The best-written quote card. The quote matches a real Yotpo review word for word.
NEW"The smell of this candle is otherworldly"
The scentReview cardReviews / rating
Designed review card. Matches a real Yotpo review. A different look from the text-box cards.
NEWTomato collection carousel (3 cards)
Seasonal dropCarouselAsserted only
The first Tomato carousel. Card 3 sells the Starter Pack, so check stock first.
NEWVideo 22 · Starter Pack unboxing + VO (14s)
RefillableProduct video + VOCarries its own detail
"Unmistakable greenhouse smell". Sells the Starter Pack, so check stock first.
NEWVideo 23 · "The most satisfying sound. Plonk!" (4s)
RitualShort loop (3-7s)Shown working
The refill dropping in, as a sound. New for Pott: nothing else sells the moment itself.Too much
Quote cards. Eight Tomato text-box cards were made, and two go in (77 and the designed review card). Meta puts almost all the money on one quote card in an ad set, so the other six would sit there unread. Four go into the quote test, the rest are held.
Easy fill (no shoot)
Value. Video 26's last line, "Buy your pot once, refill it forever", works as the end card on video 22. It's a re-edit, no new shoot.
Needs making (ask Ailis)
A Tomato customer talking to camera. The 707 family that carried summer was a still, and the only Tomato video with a person in it is Flora (a maker). Plus one Tomato gift piece for the 1 Nov gifting campaign, since Tomato stays through Christmas.
Seasonal 10 ads
New ad set: Rust & Amber plus Fig / Tonka / Autumn. Six live ads stay (875 graduates from Testing), four new ones go in.
KEEPAd 865 · "New Autumn Candles"
14d £458 · 2.74x · CPA £24
Seasonal dropTitle-overlay staticAsserted only
CPA £24, 2.74x. The best seasonal ad.
KEEPAd 852 · "Autumn Scents, available now"
14d £83 · 4.16x · CPA £14
Seasonal dropTitle-overlay staticAsserted only
4.16x on £83.
FROM TESTINGAd 875 · "NEW Autumn Candles, Limited Edition"
14d £440 · 1.53x · CPA £44
Seasonal dropTitle-overlay staticAsserted only
GRADUATES from Testing: CPA £44 on £440, the only Rust & Amber static that earned it.
KEEPAd 837 · Fig, "Rich fig. Dark woods."
14d £695 · 1.32x · CPA £53
Seasonal dropTitle-overlay staticAsserted only
CPA £53, 1.59x over 30 days. The only Fig ad left.
KEEPAd 882 · Amber refill demo
14d £485 · 1.36x · CPA £48
How it worksHow-to / demoShown working
CPA £49. The only live ad that shows a refill going in.
KEEPAd 885 · "PSA this is the best Autumn candle"
14d £88 · 2.01x · CPA £29
The scentText-box cardA customer says it
2.01x on £88. The Seasonal ad set's one customer text-box card.
NEWVideo 16 · founder opens the Amber sample (41s)
The scentPerson to cameraThe maker says it
Six months to perfect, ginger as the twist, refill shown going in. The strongest new asset. Check the "60 hours" burn time.
NEWVideo 15 · maker unboxes the Rust Pott (19s)
Worth keepingUnboxingThe maker says it
"You can keep this candle pot forever". The Seasonal ad set's only worth-keeping ad.
NEW"We just took this candle pot out of the kiln"
Artisan madeText-box cardThe maker says it
Replaces 862 as the Seasonal ad set's handmade ad.
NEWRust collection carousel (3 cards)
Seasonal dropCarouselAsserted only
Same shape as the Tomato carousel.Too much
Title-overlay statics ("NEW Autumn Candles, Limited Edition"). More than a dozen were made in September, 4 stay and 3 new ones are held. Also the 3-second cosy loops: five were made, and the two that ran got nothing.
Easy fill (no shoot)
None needed for launch. Video 16 (founder) covers the scent, the maker and the refill in one.
Needs making (ask Ailis)
Amber customer proof. Our review export (to 6 Sept) has no Rust or Amber reviews yet, so pull the first real ones from Yotpo now and turn two into cards. Also a Rust & Amber gift piece for November.
Everything else 4 ads
New ad set: Orangery, Sea Salt, the rest. Four proven ads, nothing new yet. The refill-education test is what graduates here.
KEEPAd 420 · Flora UGC, "Same Pott"
14d £591 · 2.06x · CPA £24
SubscriptionPerson to cameraA customer says it
CPA £24, 2.06x. The best CPA in the account.
KEEPAd 779 · Orangery, "ripe & fresh oranges"
14d £799 · 1.56x · CPA £50
The scentProduct video + VOAgainst the alternative
CPA £50, 2.04x over 30 days.
KEEPAd 869 Hook 2 · Sea Salt UGC
14d £630 · 1.82x · CPA £48
Worth keepingPerson to cameraA customer says it
CPA £48, 1.82x. Beat Hooks 3 and 4, which get paused.
KEEPAd 821 · Sea Salt, written in the sand
14d £138 · 2.73x · CPA £34
Worth keepingTitle-overlay staticAsserted only
2.73x on £138.Too much
Nothing. This ad set is thin, not crowded.
Easy fill (no shoot)
An Orangery quote card from a real review. There are 36 Orangery reviews on Yotpo, so it only takes a photo and a verbatim quote. The refill-education winner graduates here after 7 days.
Needs making (ask Ailis)
Anything handmade or made by the maker for these products. Nothing in this ad set says it (the Tomato and Seasonal ones do). A short maker clip for Orangery or Sea Salt is enough.
Testing 2 concept ad sets, 9 ads
Pause all 22 current Testing ads (875 is copied into Seasonal first, with the same post ID). Then build one ABO ad set per concept at ~£50 a day for 7 days. Judge the concepts against each other, not the ads inside one ad set.
Concept A · Refill explained → graduates into Everything else
NEW"How to refill your candle" carousel (5)
How it worksCarouselShown working
Card 3 is the hot-water trick, which answers the most common complaint in low-star reviews. Card 5 leans on "throw away".
NEW"What is a refillable candle?" carousel (6)
RefillableCarouselCarries its own detail
Card 5 opens on "less waste". Lead with "costs less over time" instead. Card 3 has a lowercase "give".
NEWVideo 26 · "The last candle you'll ever need to buy" (29s)
ValueProduct video + VOShown working
The first ad in the account to make the VALUE claim: "Buy your pot once, refill it forever."
NEWVideo 27 · "You do not need to buy a new candle every time" (7s)
How it worksHow-to / demoShown working
Hot-water clean-out, then the refill goes in. Short and to the point.Concept B · Customer quote cards → the winning quote goes to its product ad set
The quote card is a proven format (the 707 family), so this test finds the best quote, not whether the format works. That matches Ailis's 9 Sept point about testing hook variations evenly. Run only the quotes whose source is confirmed.
NEW"Divine even unlit"
The scentText-box cardA customer says it
Verified Yotpo quote.
NEW"I love how I can just buy refills"
RefillableText-box cardA customer says it
The only quote card that argues the refill rather than the smell. Source not found (see checks).
NEW"Making the whole hall smell amazing"
The scentText-box cardA customer says it
Source not found (see checks).
NEW"Smells exactly like a tomato vine"
The scentText-box cardA customer says it
Source not found (see checks).
NEWFig: "Obsessed with this candle"
The scentText-box cardA customer says it
Brings Fig into the test. Source not found (see checks).Diversity by ad set
The same checklist as the content-diversity report, cut by ad set and counted on the launch roster. Counts are ads, because none of the new ones have spend yet.
What each ad set says (claim)
The brand-messaging claims. A dot means that ad set never makes the claim. Shaded means 40%+ of the ad set makes it.
| Tomato | Seasonal | Everything else | Testing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refillable | 1 | · | · | 2 |
| Value | · | · | · | 1 |
| Worth keeping | · | 1 | 2 | · |
| Artisan made | 3 | 1 | · | · |
| Ritual | 1 | · | · | · |
| The scent | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Seasonal drop | 1 | 5 | · | · |
| Subscription | · | · | 1 | · |
| How it works | · | 1 | · | 2 |
| A job it does | · | · | · | · |
| Gifting | · | · | · | · |
| Ads | 8 | 10 | 4 | 9 |
What it looks like (form)
Casey's "organic white text box" is its own row, so the stacking shows.
| Tomato | Seasonal | Everything else | Testing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text-box card | 2 | 2 | · | 5 |
| Review card | 1 | · | · | · |
| Title-overlay static | 1 | 4 | 1 | · |
| Carousel | 1 | 1 | · | 2 |
| Person to camera | 1 | 1 | 2 | · |
| Unboxing | · | 1 | · | · |
| Product video + VO | 1 | · | 1 | 1 |
| How-to / demo | · | 1 | · | 1 |
| Short loop (3-7s) | 1 | · | · | · |
| Lifestyle scene | · | · | · | · |
| Ads | 8 | 10 | 4 | 9 |
Why she should believe it (proof)
Read "Asserted only" first: those ads make a claim with nothing behind it.
| Tomato | Seasonal | Everything else | Testing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A customer says it | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Reviews / rating | 1 | · | · | · |
| The maker says it | 2 | 3 | · | · |
| Shown working | 1 | 1 | · | 3 |
| Carries its own detail | 2 | · | · | 1 |
| Against the alternative | · | · | 1 | · |
| Press | · | · | · | · |
| Asserted only | 1 | 5 | 1 | · |
| Ads | 8 | 10 | 4 | 9 |
- Nobody says "gifting" anywhere. That's fine until 1 Nov, when it gets its own campaign. The gift creative needs briefing now: Tomato and Rust & Amber pieces, written for the male buyer who shows up in December.
- Nobody says "press" anywhere. The Ideal Home placement (held since Feb) has still never been used.
- Seasonal leans on "seasonal drop" + title overlays + asserted only. Four of its ten ads are the same announcement card. The founder video (16) and the kiln card are what give it a reason to believe.
- Everything else is the thinnest. Four ads, two products, with no maker and no review card. It needs new material more than either product ad set does.
Held back 11 files
Not bad work. Each is a duplicate of something going live, or a spare for when a live ad tires.
HOLD"NEW Autumn candles have arrived"
Seasonal dropTitle-overlay staticAsserted only
Same idea as 865/852/875, which already carry Seasonal. Swap in when one of them tires.
HOLD"New Autumn scents, Limited Edition"
Seasonal dropTitle-overlay staticAsserted only
As above.
HOLDVideo 18 · "Autumn candles have arrived" (6s)
Seasonal dropShort loop (3-7s)Asserted only
A title-overlay static that moves.
HOLDVideos 17 / 19 / 20 · 3-second cosy loops
Seasonal dropShort loop (3-7s)Asserted only
Three near-identical loops. The live ones that look like this (883, 884) got £91 and no purchases. Use them as Story fillers.
HOLDVideo 21 · lighting the Rust Pott (19s)
Seasonal dropLifestyle sceneAsserted only
A lifestyle scene with no words, which says nothing a static doesn't.
HOLDReview card: "divine even unlit"
The scentReview cardReviews / rating
The same quote as image 76, which goes in the quote test.
HOLDMaker: "SO happy with how these have come out"
Artisan madeText-box cardThe maker says it
Same idea as 483. It's the replacement when 483 tires. Typo: "Isle of Wigh".
HOLDVideo 24 · "Refilling my Pott with my all time favourite"
RitualShort loop (3-7s)A customer says it
Same moment as video 23. Hold as the second version.
HOLDVideo 25 · "One of the most delicious smelling candles"
The scentShort loop (3-7s)Reviews / rating
A review card that moves. Source not found.
HOLD"Smells exactly like a tomato vine and is really strong"
The scentText-box cardA customer says it
The 6th Tomato quote card. Source not found.
HOLD"I love tomatoes so when I saw this"
The scentText-box cardA customer says it
The 7th. Typos "dissapoint", "exacty". Source not found.Pause list 25 Evergreen + all 22 Testing
Evergreen ads to pause on launch day, after their replacements are live. Together they spent £5,221 of Evergreen's last 14 days.
| Ad | 14d spend | Purch. | ROAS | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ad 855 | £2,405 | 31 | 1.06x | Took 28% of Evergreen's last 7 days (£2,405) at 1.06x, CPA £78. It did 2.68x in Testing and fell apart when moved over |
| Ad 551 | £1,266 | 25 | 1.16x | 0.68x over the last 7 days on £953. The same video stays live as 815 |
| Ad 858 | £268 | 4 | 1.22x | CPA £67 |
| Ad 869 H4 | £516 | 10 | 1.37x | Lost to Hook 2 (1.37x vs 1.82x) |
| Ad 889 | £102 | 3 | 0.71x | 0.71x |
| Ad 874 | £84 | 2 | 1.44x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 883 | £65 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 834 | £58 | 0 | 0.00x | 0.45x over 30 days. 882 is the refill demo that works |
| Ad 890 | £49 | 1 | 2.69x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 844 | £49 | 0 | 0.00x | 1.23x over 30 days, none in the last 14 |
| Ad 879 | £38 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 866 | £35 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 877 | £35 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 869 H3 | £32 | 0 | 0.00x | Lost to Hook 2 |
| Ad 366 | £31 | 0 | 0.00x | Meta stopped spending on it. Video 26 makes the Starter Pack case |
| Ad 835 | £30 | 2 | 2.55x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 880 | £22 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 836 | £22 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 862 | £22 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread. The Rust Pott kiln card replaces it |
| Ad 846 | £21 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 840 | £19 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 863 | £17 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread. Video 15 makes the keep-it-forever case |
| Ad 845 | £13 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 838 | £13 | 1 | 2.40x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
| Ad 872 | £9 | 0 | 0.00x | Unread after 10+ days (under £100). Same idea as an ad that stays |
Feedback for Ailis
- Thank you, this round fills the biggest hole we had. The two refill carousels and the two refill videos are the first real "how it works" and "what you save" ads Pott has run.
- Fewer quote cards next time. Ten came in, and each ad set can only really use one or two, because Meta picks a single one and starves the rest. Two or three per round, each with a different point (the scent, the refill, the pot), is plenty.
- Fewer "New Autumn Candles" title cards and 3-second loops. We have enough of both for the season.
- What we need next: (1) a customer talking to camera about Tomato, (2) the first real Rust & Amber reviews turned into cards, (3) a short maker clip for Orangery or Sea Salt, (4) gift pieces for Tomato and Rust & Amber ready by 1 Nov, (5) the Ideal Home feature as an ad.
- Can you confirm where these quotes came from? 79, 80, "Tomato - Scent", "Tomato - Scent (2)", "Lifestyle", the Fig card, and the review in video 25. If they're from Instagram comments or DMs, that's fine: we just need to know they're real.
Checks before launch
- Quote sources. Matched to Yotpo word for word: 77, 76 and both "Reviews - Tomato" cards. Not found in our export, which only runs to 6 Sept: 79, 80, both "Tomato - Scent" cards, "Lifestyle", the Fig card and video 25. They may be newer reviews or social comments. None of these runs until its source is confirmed.
- Typos. 81: "Isle of Wigh". What-is-refillable card 3: lowercase "give". "Tomato - Scent (2)": "dissapoint", "exacty". If that last one is a real comment, leave the typos in, since it's their words.
- Tomato Starter Pack stock. It was down to 5 per size on 22 Sept. Video 22 and card 3 of the Tomato carousel sell it. Check stock or point them at the refillable candle page.
- "Every refill will last for 60 hours" (video 16). Check it against the Standard refill's stated burn time.
- The waste line. What-is-refillable card 5 opens on "less waste". Pott's rule is benefit first, so change it to "costs less over time and means you can enjoy your vessel forever". How-to card 5 ("never throw away an empty jar") is framed as a benefit, so it's OK.
- Build details. Pre-set the Triple Whale url_tags. Copy the MAIN ad set's attribution_spec. Copy with the same post ID when moving 875 and the Evergreen keepers. The next ad number is 917.
Kova · Built from live Meta data (act_552116272670678, pulled 23 Sept 2026), the Yotpo review export (2,405 reviews to 6 Sept), Gemini scene logs for all 13 videos, and a visual pass over every image. Claim, form and proof tags follow pott brand-messaging.md 5b and the content-diversity taxonomy. Tags on new assets are hand-assigned from the creative and are provisional until the copy is written.