Personalized ads on Meta’s platforms are an essential tool for small-business owners and creators, allowing them to reach people with relevant interests in an affordable and effective way.

But the problem is, when given a choice, most people opt out of personalized ads.

We needed to move the conversation away from data sharing, and show people that personalized ads are a way for them to find great ideas that they never knew existed. Ideas that are perfectly tailored to them. Ideas that would have never been found if not for personalized ads.

We cast four unique businesses as real examples of the kind of (slightly) life-changing ideas found on Meta’s platforms, and featured some of the real business owners within the Personalized Ads in our film.

For their customers, we looked for everyday people who could surprise the viewer with how they move, and were able to both act and lip-sync. We cast different demographics to represent a variety of people and individual interests – from a vegan woman with a sweet tooth on her commute and a self-conscious dad wearing saggy jeans, to an eco-conscious man looking for the perfect sponge and a pair of Gen Z twins in search of both squid and manicures.

For our supporting characters, we street-cast an ensemble of dancers to perform original choreography inspired by dance-memes on Meta’s platforms.