A founder story ad puts the person who built the product on camera to explain why it exists. It builds trust for young brands and differentiates products that look similar on a shelf.
This format only works with the real founder’s own footage. The founder stays exactly as filmed; what you adapt is the product shots, the captions and the end card, so the same story can run for several products or seasons.
Shot-by-shot structure
| Time | Shot | On-screen text | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3s | Founder to camera | “I started this because …” | Hook: a personal reason |
| 3–6s | Workshop or office B-roll | Where it is made | Authenticity |
| 6–9s | Product being made or packed | A real detail | Craft |
| 9–12s | Founder holding the product | What makes it different | Point of view |
| 12–15s | Logo end card | Call to action | Next step |
What to keep vs change in Clone Cut
| Keep unchanged | Change |
|---|---|
| The founder, their voice and words, unchanged | Product in the hand and on the table |
| Interview framing | B-roll backgrounds you own |
| Story order | Captions |
| Logo |
Existing people in your reference stay unchanged. Edits are limited to products, objects, backgrounds, logos and text.
Assets you need
- Founder footage filmed by your team
- Product and production photos
- A short, true origin story
- Logo
Sample brief
Use my founder interview clip as the reference and keep the founder and voice unchanged. Replace the product on the table at 9–12 seconds with my new candle from the attached photos. Caption at 6–9 seconds: “Poured by hand in Leeds.” End card with my logo and “New winter scents”.
Adapt the product name, captions and timings to your own reference. Our UGC ad brief template explains how to describe each shot.
Compliance notes
- Use only the founder’s own footage; do not create a founder who does not exist.
- Origin claims (handmade, local, family-run) must be true.
- Keep the founder’s statements as recorded.
Make only claims you can prove, disclose AI-generated content where the platform or law requires it, and never publish fake testimonials or endorsements.
How to use this template
Upload a reference you own or have licensed, plus your product images, logo and copy, in the video studio. Paste or adapt the sample brief, review the plan and credit quote, and confirm. Check the finished video in your Library before you publish. For the full method, see how to clone viral video ads.