Ad-venturous

Ep 46: Memes Are a Language. Most Brands Don’t Speak It


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Memes aren’t random. They’re a language. And most brands are speaking it completely wrong.


In this episode of Ad-venturous, Aves breaks down how memes actually drive performance—from relevance to revenue—and why what looks “easy” on the surface is one of the hardest things to get right in creative strategy.


Because the brands winning with memes aren’t just being funny. They understand who they’re talking to, how that audience communicates, and how to translate that into content that converts.


Aves gets into:

  • Why most brand memes fall flat (even when they follow trends)
  • The concept of “meme language” and how it changes by audience
  • How to research what your customers actually find funny
  • Where to find high-quality meme inspiration (beyond just copying TikTok)
  • A simple framework for turning memes into performance-driven ads
  • When to tap into cultural moments—and when to ignore them


00:00 Memes that drive millions in revenue

01:45 What a meme actually is (and isn’t)

04:30 Why most brands get memes wrong

07:15 Know your audience or your memes fail

10:20 Meme language by persona (Gen Z vs Millennials)

14:00 Where to find meme inspiration (Pinterest, TikTok, comments)

18:30 Turning memes into ads that convert

22:00 Matching message → meme format

25:00 When to use cultural moments (and when not to)

28:30 The simple framework for high-performing memes

31:00 Why memes are so cost-efficient in paid ads


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Ad-venturousBy DTC Podcast Network