Creative Strategy · Meta & TikTok · DTC

I turn research into creative that earns the scroll.

I'm Sorina, a creative strategist for direct-to-consumer brands. I dig into the category, the competitors and the audience first, then build the concepts, briefs and scripts that turn those insights into ads people actually stop for.

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Portrait of Sorina Ciucanu, creative strategist — 2 years in
creative strategy

$583K+ Ad spend behind the work shown here

6,849 Purchases driven by these ads

45.7% Best hook rate on a single creative

6 DTC brands partnered with

FOCL
✦
Sunny Within
✦
Sculpted Peaks
✦
Batch
✦
Hiker Hunger Outfitters
✦
Sonia Roselli
✦

01 / About

I am Sorina,

I've been a creative person my whole life, always the one drawing, building, or making something out of nothing.

It was in high school that I actually started creating for real, and photography was where it all began.

Then TikTok took off, and I fell in love with short-form content and the challenge of holding attention in seconds.

I started creating UGC content on my own and from there, it's history.

Photography
Short-form content
UGC
Creative direction

02 / Approach

Your creative
strategist.

That interest turned into a career. Two years in creative strategy now, working with DTC brands on Meta and TikTok.

I usually start by looking at what's out there, what competitors are saying, what our audience actually responds to, before I even think about a concept.

Then I get into the fun part: coming up with ideas and turning them into briefs, whether that's a static, a video, or a script for UGC. Once it's live, I dig into the data to see what's really working.

01
Research

What's already out there, what competitors are saying, and what the audience actually responds to, before a single concept exists.
02
Concept

Ideas built on the angles the research surfaced, shaped into positioning that a real person would recognise themselves in.
03
Brief & script

Turning concepts into production-ready briefs: statics, video, or full scripts for UGC creators.
04
Read the data

Once it's live, I dig into hook rate, hold rate, CTR and cost per purchase to see what's really working, then iterate on the winners.

03 / Clients

Brands I worked with

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04 / Selected work

Four brands, in detail

The thinking, the creative, and the numbers it produced. Every ad below links to the live post.

Case 01

FOCL

FOCL is a plant-powered wellness brand helping people sleep better, feel calmer, and unwind, without the crash or the hangover.

RoleCreative strategy
ChannelsMeta · TikTok
Focus2 products
Spend$393,763

We focused on 2 products

View the creative strategy board

Sleep Gummies

What worked: The highest-performing messaging focused on women navigating perimenopause and menopause, where sleep disruption was a clear and relatable pain point.
Our focus: We translated broad sleep issues into highly specific, everyday struggles that our audience immediately recognized.

Happy Gummies

What worked: An alcohol-alternative positioning outperformed broader relaxation messaging, particularly among women noticing they no longer recovered from drinking the same way.
Our focus: Reducing uncertainty around THC became the priority, positioning Happy Gummies as a predictable way to relax without feeling out of control.

Winning creative

Sleep Gummies

$73,749Spend
1,070Purchases
$68.92Cost / purchase
42.43%Hook rate
19.31%Hold rate
1.85%CTR (link)
$44.48CPM
$2.40CPC
2.11Frequency

What we think made this one stand out

A hook that sounded almost too good to be true for the target audience.
A clear focus on the end benefit, not just the sleep problem.
Because we ran it through a creator people already knew and trusted, the recommendation felt much more natural.
Footage from different stages of her life made the recommendation feel genuine.
A story built from elements we already knew resonated individually.

View the raw Ads Manager data

Meta Ads Manager row for the Sleep Gummies ad

Longest-running top performer

Happy Gummies

$320,013Spend
4,197Purchases
$76.25Cost / purchase
45.69%Hook rate
25.54%Hold rate
2.01%CTR (link)
$28.76CPM
$1.43CPC
2.11Frequency

What we think made this one stand out

We already knew the “know your dose” message was working, so we gave it a new format instead of starting from scratch.
The B-roll + text overlay format made it feel like a piece of content rather than an ad.
Because we ran it through a creator people already knew and trusted, the recommendation felt much more natural.
It started as an iteration and ended up becoming our longest-running top performer.

View the raw Ads Manager data

Meta Ads Manager row for the Happy Gummies ad

Other winning formats

Different formats, same strategic backbone.

Case 02

Sunny Within

Sunny Within is a wellness brand creating science-backed, liposomal supplements that support healthy aging and longevity.

We positioned Longevity as the hero product based on its strong sales performance.

RoleCreative strategy
ChannelsMeta · TikTok
Hero productLongevity
Spend$168,918

What worked: People had heard of NAD+ but mostly through expensive IV treatments. Positioning Longevity as “NAD+ without the IV” became our highest-converting angle.

Our focus: Lead with NAD+ to grab attention, then reinforce the product's value with liposomal absorption and 7 anti-aging ingredients in one daily pouch.

Winning creative

Longevity

$168,918Spend
1,510Purchases
0.92Purchase ROAS
42.02%Hook rate
22.12%Hold rate
2.33%CTR (link)
00:07Avg. watch time
$4.62CPC
1.58Frequency

What we think made this one stand out

Leads with NAD+, an ingredient we already knew customers were interested in, instead of pushing the product immediately.
Starts by educating the audience about different forms of NAD, creating curiosity before the sell.
Uses a strong hook, “Doctors won't tell you this”, to capture attention while the product is naturally introduced.
Keeps viewers engaged with constant movement and new information every 2 to 3 seconds.
Balances education + curiosity + social proof instead of relying only on product claims.

View the raw Ads Manager data

Meta Ads Manager row for the Longevity ad

Detail of watch time, hold rate, CPC and CTR for the Longevity ad

Other winning formats

The same insight, re-cut for where the audience already spends time.

Case 03

Sculpted Peaks

Sculpted Peaks creates hand-carved stone mountain sculptures that turn meaningful places and memories into timeless pieces.

RoleCreative strategy
ChannelsMeta · TikTok
Hero campaignFather's Day
Spend$20,599

What worked: The creatives that stood out were the ones that let the sculpture speak for itself. Showing the details, craftsmanship, and premium feel helped people understand the uniqueness of the product.

What we focused on: Starting videos with strong visual hooks that showcased the beauty of the sculpture, creating an emotional connection through the story and feeling behind each mountain.

Winning creative

Father's Day

$20,599Spend
72Purchases
1.77Purchase ROAS
32.61%Hook rate
25.43%Hold rate
1.47%CTR (link)
$20.92CPM
$1.43CPC
1.35Frequency

What we think made this one stand out

We opened with the sculpture right away, which made people stop and feel like they were watching a real moment instead of an ad.
The “you nailed it” hook added an authentic reaction feel, making it seem like a genuine opinion rather than a brand message.
The B-roll between the daughter and dad brought the story to life and made the emotion feel genuine.
The small details, especially the final handshake after putting the sculpture on the shelf, gave the video a memorable ending.
We built on a short-form format that we already knew worked well for the brand.

View the raw Ads Manager data