15 Mistakes Brands Make in Their First Commercial

Your first commercial is like your first relationship:
Full of excitement, wild ideas… and so many red flags you don’t even see until it’s too late.

You think you’re making the next Nike ad —
but end up with something that looks like a high school PowerPoint got left in a microwave.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Brands everywhere stumble through their first commercial like a giraffe learning to salsa.

Let’s break down the top 15 mistakes — so you don’t end up trending for all the wrong reasons.

Mistake #1: “Your first commercial isn’t a Marvel movie — stop trying to make it 3 hours long”

Let’s kick things off with a hard truth:
Your first ad doesn’t need a plot twist, a dragon, and Morgan Freeman’s voice.

I once saw a local bakery ad that started in ancient Egypt and ended with a cinnamon roll.
Four minutes in, I still didn’t know if they delivered.
Moral of the story?

Keep it short. Keep it snackable. Viewers have the attention span of a goldfish on Red Bull.

Mistake #2: “The Ice-Cold Open: Starting with your logo and… nothing else”

Why do brands love to start with a 5-second logo animation like we’re waiting for Pixar to show up?

People don’t care who you are until they know why they should care.
Start with the problem, the pain, the relatable moment.

Your logo can come later—after we’re emotionally compromised and ready to convert.

Mistake #3: “Boring narration: Like a PowerPoint had a baby with white noise”

Don’t hire a narrator who sounds like they’re reading bedtime stories to robots.
Your commercial isn’t a terms and conditions voiceover.

Case study: One SaaS brand hired a monotone narrator.
You could hear viewers exiting the page in real-time.
They re-recorded it with a conversational tone—and conversions spiked 41%.

Lesson: Talk like a human, not a warranty manual.

Mistake #4: “Trying to be funny… without actually being funny”

We love humor. But humor without timing is just… awkward silence.
One brand tried to be “quirky” and compared their app to a potato.
It made no sense. And now all I remember is potatoes. Not the app.

Pro tip: Test your joke on a real human. If they don’t laugh, your audience won’t either.

Mistake #5: “Corporate Buzzword Buffet: Where nobody understands what you do”

If your script includes phrases like “synergistic platform innovation” or “disruptive vertical integration,”
stop. Immediately. You sound like a stock photo learned English.

Good commercials = real language.
If a 10-year-old can’t explain your ad to their grandma, rewrite it.

Mistake #6: “Hiding the product like it’s a secret spy”

You wouldn’t go on a dating app and hide your face, right?
Then why is your product nowhere to be found in the first 20 seconds?

We need to see it. Use it. Love it.
This isn’t a scavenger hunt—it’s a commercial.

Mistake #7: “Overproduction without a purpose: AKA, the Michael Bay Syndrome”

Explosions, drones, slow motion, lighting effects…
All for a toothbrush.
Why?

If your budget is 90% special effects and 10% story, your viewers will remember the explosion—not the product.

Mistake #8: “No clear call to action: So what now?”

“Thanks for watching!”
Thanks for what?? Where do I click? What do I do??

Your audience needs a next step:
Shop now. Download. Sign up. Call Grandma.
Whatever it is—say it, show it, shout it.

No call-to-action = no sale. Just a pretty video floating in the internet void.

Mistake #9: “Assuming people already know what your product does”

Spoiler alert:
They don’t.

You’re the expert on your product. Viewers are not.
So when you say, “Powered by our patented X39 Quantum Core AI,”
people are like, “…cool, is that a sandwich?”

Break it down. Use motion design. Paint the picture.

Mistake #10: “Taking forever to get to the point”

If I have to wait 30 seconds to understand why this ad exists,
I’m gone. So is your customer.

Hook fast. Hook hard.
Make the first 5 seconds feel like the climax, not the elevator ride.

Mistake #11: “Too much ‘look at us,’ not enough ‘here’s what’s in it for you’”

It’s great that you won “Startup of the Year in Greater Boise.”
But your audience is thinking:
What problem do you solve for me?

Flip the script. Focus on them.
Benefits over bragging. Story over stats.

Mistake #12: “Using actors that look like stock footage ghosts”

You know the ones.
They smile way too much or They high-five over spreadsheets.
They have never felt a real emotion.

Use real people. Real voices. Real moments.
Even if your cousin Steve has no acting experience, he’s probably better than Mr. Spreadsheet High-Five.

Mistake #13: “Slow pacing: The cinematic NyQuil effect”

If your video feels like it was edited by someone underwater, you’re in trouble.

Fast cuts. Dynamic flow. Snappy motion graphics.
This isn’t a yoga class—it’s a pitch. Move like you mean it.

Mistake #14: “Trying to say everything, ending up saying nothing”

Your product does a lot. That’s great.
But shoving every feature into one video? That’s a recipe for confusion.

Pick one main message.
Laser-focus.

Mistake #15: “Copying another brand’s ad instead of creating your own voice”

You saw Dollar Shave Club go viral and thought, “We’ll do that too!”

Here’s the problem:
You’re not Dollar Shave Club.
You’re you. Your story is different. Your audience is different.

Find your own tone. Your own weird. Your own viral moment.
Imitation isn’t marketing—it’s karaoke with fewer tips.

Top Commercial Mistakes New Brands Always Make

Your first commercial is a chance to introduce your brand to the world.
Do it with clarity, confidence, and just enough weird to be memorable.

Avoid these 15 mistakes, and you won’t just make a video.
You’ll make a fan. A click. A customer. Learn how to make high-converting motion ads with powerful storytelling — new tips and tricks every week.

Need help turning your first ad from flop to viral firestarter? Got a wild idea? We make it move. Get in touch!