Commons is a movement-powered finance app helping users take climate action by changing their spending habits. As greenwashing grows and performative sustainability clutters social media, Commons offers radical transparency, practical tools, and a commitment to collective change.
Kurve was brought in to grow a loyal user base without compromising the brand’s voice. Our goals included reducing cost per install (CPI), increasing sign-ups, and driving deeper engagement through card-linking—a key behavior that turns users into active participants in Commons’ mission to defund climate destruction.
We also set out to challenge the assumption that today’s audiences lack the attention span for depth. Instead of leaning on visual-first trends, we experimented with high-density, text-forward content focused on climate change, overconsumption, and sustainable living. These weren’t just ads—they were educational tools and calls to action aligned with Commons’ mission: encouraging users to “search before they shop,” discover sustainable brands, and join collective efforts to reduce consumption and carbon impact.
Our goal was to see whether thoughtful, text-rich messaging could drive not just installs, but meaningful understanding and long-term participation. We wanted to attract mission-aligned users who were genuinely motivated to change their habits.
The results helped validate our belief: attention spans aren’t shrinking—they’re selective. When the message matters, people read. In a paid media landscape dominated by hollow storytelling, we leaned into truth, education, and community-led experimentation to test what it means to market with integrity.
We brought this project to life by grounding everything in Commons’ unique value: it’s not just a climate-friendly finance app—it’s a platform that challenges harmful systems and empowers individuals to shift their habits and their money away from destruction. That conviction shaped our creative strategy and execution from day one.
Testing Creative Formats that Educate and Activate
We began by identifying a key differentiator: Commons users weren’t just looking for convenience—they wanted truth, clarity, and action. We tested a range of content formats across paid and organic channels, focusing on whether high-text, educational messaging could perform in a digital space dominated by flashy visuals and short-form video.
Instagram posts like “How to live more sustainably” quickly emerged as top performers. They were dense with tips, context, and brand accountability—formats that weren’t just scroll-stopping, but thought-provoking. We reworked these into short-form videos and carousel ads with varied backgrounds while keeping the message consistent. The impact was immediate: cost per install (CPI) dropped by 60–80% compared to initial benchmarks. Educational content, when delivered with clarity and purpose, was converting.
Repurposing Organic Hits into Paid Winners
We leaned into an agile feedback loop: testing content organically on Instagram first, then elevating the top performers into paid campaigns. Carousels became a high-performing ad format, allowing us to weave together practical tips, climate stats, and micro-stories under clear themes—like overconsumption, brand greenwashing, and corporate accountability.
A notable challenge arose when certain critical posts (e.g., those calling out major polluters) were flagged or blocked by Meta when boosted directly from Instagram. Our workaround: recreate the content directly in Meta Ads Manager. When uploaded natively, the same bold messaging passed review and drove strong performance—proving we could maintain Commons’ uncompromising voice while navigating platform limitations.
Using High-Text Visuals to Attract High-Intent Users
While most campaigns default to short-form video as the gold standard, Commons’ audience showed a different preference. Text-heavy, static carousels emerged as top performers. These assets spoke directly to user curiosity and critical thinking, often challenging assumptions or highlighting actionable insights—like how to spot real sustainability vs greenwashing.
We varied the visual presentation (landscapes, seasonal color palettes, minimalist graphics) to avoid creative fatigue, but the core message remained unchanged: here’s what’s wrong, here’s what you can do, and here’s how we can fix it—together. This format didn’t just drive installs—it filtered for high-intent users who resonated deeply with Commons’ mission.
Ultimately, our approach rejected conventional “performance marketing” norms in favor of integrity-driven experimentation. We proved that educational, mission-led content can outperform flashier formats when it meets users where they are—with honesty, relevance, and a genuine call to collective action.
Our work with Commons not only met our objectives—it helped prove that purpose-led marketing can drive measurable performance without compromising on values.
The turning point came with the launch of high-text carousel ads in July 2024. Initially, these didn’t dramatically lower our cost per install (CPI), but we quickly noticed a key shift: the cost per card connection—our most critical metric—dropped by 47.67%. That meant more users were not just installing the app, but actively engaging with its core functionality by linking their card and tracking sustainable spending.
As we refined the carousel strategy, introducing diverse topics and visual styles, CPI began to fall significantly, eventually reaching $1.70–$3—an 80% reduction from earlier benchmarks. These ads didn’t just work—they sustained performance, showing that when content is thoughtful, honest, and informative, people do engage, even in a scroll-heavy ecosystem.
We also found that repurposing top-performing organic posts into paid campaigns created a tight feedback loop of authenticity and impact. Bold content that named polluters and challenged greenwashing wasn’t a liability—it was a magnet. In a polarized media landscape, Commons attracted mission-aligned users who were ready to act.
This campaign was a success because it didn’t dilute the message to fit the medium. Instead, it proved that integrity-driven storytelling, paired with smart testing and execution, can outperform flashy tactics. For Commons, performance and purpose weren’t in tension—they were mutually reinforcing.
