# Creative concept board template

> A creative concept board template: one card per ad idea with angle, buyer, hook, visual, proof and test plan, plus a board table and a filled-in example.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-07
- **Category**: Planning
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-templates/creative-concept-board-template

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A creative concept board is one card per ad idea and one table that lists them all. Each card holds the angle, the buyer, the hook, the visual, the proof and the test plan. Use it to pick which ideas get made and to brief your designer or editor.

## The concept card

```
CONCEPT: [name]   ID: [C-014]   Owner: [name]   Due: [date]

ANGLE: [the reason to buy]
BUYER: [one line]
EVIDENCE: [review, comment, sales call or past ad that points here]

HOOK OPTIONS
A: [ ]
B: [ ]
C: [ ]

FORMAT: [static / carousel / video 15s / UGC 25s]
STORYBOARD (3 to 5 frames)
1. [what we see / what we hear]
2. [ ]
3. [ ]

PROOF WE HAVE: [real number, review or demo]
CALL TO ACTION: [ ]
CLAIMS CHECK: [anything that needs proof or a disclaimer]
REFERENCES: [links to 2 or 3 ads with the feel we want]
HYPOTHESIS: [if we ..., then ..., because ...]
SUCCESS RULE: [metric and target]
```

## The board table

Keep one table above the cards, so everyone sees the whole plan.

| ID | Concept | Angle | Format | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-014 | Café vs home | Save money | 15s video | Approved |
| C-015 | The 3-step pour | Ease | Carousel | Idea |

Use five statuses: Idea, Approved, In production, Live, Learned.

## A filled-in example

Say you sell cold coffee concentrate at INR 449 for 10 cups.

- **Concept:** Café vs home.
- **Angle:** Save money without giving up the taste.
- **Buyer:** People who buy a café cold coffee most workdays.
- **Evidence:** Say your reviews often mention how much buyers used to spend at cafés.
- **Hooks:** A: "INR 180 at the café. INR 45 at home." B: "I stopped buying coffee on the way to work." C: "Do the maths on your daily coffee."
- **Format:** 15-second video, pour shot first.
- **Claims check:** The INR 180 must be a real price near you. Do not name a café.

The maths on the card: INR 449 / 10 = INR 44.90 a cup. Twenty workday cups cost INR 3,600 at INR 180 and INR 898 at home. The gap is INR 2,702 a month.

## Tips

- Keep the board short. Ten ideas that are ready beat forty that are not.
- Every card needs evidence, not just taste. Evidence can be a review, a comment or a sales call.
- Write the hypothesis on the card. The [ad testing hypothesis template](/templates/ad-testing-hypothesis-template) shows how.
- After launch, log the result in the [creative testing tracker](/templates/creative-testing-tracker-template).
- Stuck for angles? Start with the [30 ad angle examples](/templates/ad-angle-examples). An [ad concept](/glossary/ad-concept) is an angle plus the format and the idea you will shoot.
- Collect references as you go. See [how to build a swipe file](/guides/how-to-build-a-swipe-file).

We make Marxx. Its [competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking) includes a Chrome extension that saves ads in one click. It works on the Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn ad libraries, TikTok Creative Center Top Ads, Pinterest and Google search. Use it to fill the references line.

## FAQ

### What is the difference between an angle and a concept?

An angle is the reason to buy. A concept is the angle plus the format and the idea you will make.

### How many concepts should be on the board?

As many as your budget can test. Plan the number of tests first, then fill the board to match.

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