Hi Sarah,
Across the three creatives, there’s a consistent sense of warmth and intention: nature, play, empathy, space to grow. But the messaging feels like it’s circling around the value, rather than confidently landing it.
The school is clearly doing something different. The ads just aren’t quite saying that loudly or clearly enough to stop a parent scrolling.Here’s the test…
Imagine a parent scrolling at speed — phone in one hand, school tabs open in the other, head full of deadlines, diaries, and dinner plans. This is an ad that parents like — but will they remember it tomorrow? Would they get a sense of what only you offer? Or would it blur into the same reassuring-but-generic noise we’ve seen from dozens of schools? Because when messaging blends into universally positive language, it becomes emotionally agreeable… but not commercially distinctive.
That’s not a dig, it’s a pattern. We’ve analysed over 100 school ads running right now in the UK, and most sound eerily similar. Same phrases. Same format. Same promises.
So we built a simple test, just a mirror. A moment of reflection. If you passed your ad in the wild, would you know it was Great Walstead? Would a parent?
Great Walstead in the Wild
These are your current Meta ads. Let’s look at them through a parent’s eyes.
What’s Working
✅Visuals with strong identity: The forest imagery and campfire moments are atmospheric and memorable. They signal a school that values the outdoors, community, and freedom to explore.
✅Themes that resonate: “Helping children stay younger for longer” and “education becomes an adventure” are emotionally charged ideas for prospective parents – they just need more anchoring.
✅Cohesive tone: All three ads share a nurturing, down-to-earth, curious tone. That consistency helps build brand recognition.
What’s Getting Lost:
❌No clear proof: There are great ideas here – adventure, space to grow, leadership – but not enough evidence. What exactly makes Great Walstead so different for Year 7/8? What does “younger for longer” look like in practice?
🗣️Over-reliance on soft themes: There’s little here for parents looking for academic reassurance. The tone is nurturing, but doesn’t yet build confidence around outcomes, structure, or transition-readiness.
Without being too cringy - this causes something called paradox of choice. When every option looks the same, people don’t feel empowered. They feel overwhelmed. So they scroll past, not because they didn’t like what they saw, but because nothing stood out. If you're not subverting the pattern, you’re at risk of getting skipped over.