Meta is finally giving us more insight into what’s actually working in our ads, and it’s long overdue. They just rolled out a new reporting feature called “Top Creative Themes,” which gives you a clearer picture of what types of messaging and visuals are performing in your account.

Instead of relying on gut feel or manually digging through hundreds of ads, you can now see which creative “themes” (like “Freedom,” “Luxury,” or “Trust”) are resonating with your audience, and where you might be wasting budget.

What’s Happening

Meta just added a new reporting view inside Ads Manager called Top Creative Themes. Here’s what it does:

• Breaks down performance by theme: Instead of just reporting on ad copy or creative types, Meta now groups your ads into larger themes (like “simplicity,” “confidence,” etc.) so you can see which ones are driving the most clicks, conversions, and engagement.
• Highlights which themes you’re relying on: You’ll see how much of your spend is allocated to each theme, so you can understand where your creative dollars are really going.
• Compares your performance to your industry: Meta will also show you how your themes stack up against high-performing themes in your niche. If your competitors are killing it with “vitality” messaging and you’re stuck on “budget-friendly,” this helps you pivot fast.
  

How It Affects You

Creative has always been a huge driver of performance on Meta, and now you finally have real data to back that up. Here’s why this matters:

• You can stop guessing what works. Now you’ve got a roadmap of which themes are driving performance.
• If you’re overspending on underperforming themes, this shows you exactly where to shift budget.
• Comparing your creative strategy to top industry themes gives you clear opportunities to improve your messaging and stay ahead of your competition.
  

This is especially useful for brands with high creative output or those running large-scale campaigns with a wide variety of messaging.

What You Should Do Next

Now that you’ve got the data, it’s time to use it. Here’s where to start:

• Audit your top-performing themes: Go into Ads Reporting and check which themes are getting the most engagement, clicks, or conversions. Are you leaning too hard into one theme? Are your best themes underutilized?
• Adjust your creative strategy: Use the winning themes as the foundation for your next batch of content. If “simplicity” is winning, double down. If “luxury” is flopping, it’s time to cut.
• Test new themes based on industry benchmarks: If your competitors are seeing success with “security” or “trust,” try incorporating those into your next campaign. Meta is giving you a cheat sheet here; use it.
• Start tracking shifts regularly: Themes will change over time. Don’t set it and forget it. Check this monthly or quarterly to stay on top of creative trends before your performance dips.

This update is one of the better ones we’ve seen from Meta in a while. It’s real insight, and it can actually change how you run your ads.

If you need help reading the data, reworking your creative strategy, or just want a second set of eyes, get in touch. We’ll help you squeeze more out of every ad you run.