1 / 8

Hook Score9/10

9/10

The hook works because it promises a 'secret' list from an authority figure, triggering curiosity in anyone interested in design.

Slide Text

Brands I keep an eye on as a Creative Director

Visual

Mirror selfie of the creator in an elevator, wearing a black blazer with a yellow bow tie.

All Slides

Carousel report cardCreative direction and brand design inspiration8 slides

@beyz_i carousel breakdown

Beyz🪩

Just love how they do their job #creativedirector #design #branddesign #brands #creativedirection

Effectiveness score

9/10

Exceptional

Views

146.3K

Likes

14.5K

Saves

11.3K

Engagement

18.6%

Hook

Brands I keep an eye on as a Creative Director

Goal

grow-following

Offer

none

CTA

none

View source

Caption

Just love how they do their job #creativedirector #design #branddesign #brands #creativedirection

Strategic Summary

This carousel leverages the creator's professional authority ('as a Creative Director') to validate a curated list of aesthetically pleasing brands. The massive bookmark rate (12.8x norm) proves it serves as a digital swipe-file for designers and marketers. By simply screenshotting well-designed IG feeds, it delivers maximum visual value with zero reading friction.

The Winning Formula

Authority-driven identity hook followed by a zero-text, high-aesthetic curated screenshot listicle optimized for saves.

What's working

•Slide 1 establishes immediate credibility ('as a Creative Director') while showing a put-together, chic selfie that visually backs up the claim.
•Zero text on slides 2-8 reduces cognitive load, allowing the visual aesthetic of the featured brands to speak for themselves.
•The selection of niche, highly aesthetic brands (Ffern, Olend, Alohas) makes the list feel exclusive, insider, and worth saving.

What's not working

•Lack of specific commentary on WHY these brands are good limits discussion/debate in the comments.
•No clear CTA or closing thought on the final slide; it abruptly ends, missing an opportunity to channel the viral reach into follows or newsletter signups.

Viral lesson

Curation is creation when filtered through a lens of professional authority; people will bookmark aesthetic lists as personal mood boards and swipe files.

Can a small creator replicate this? Highly replicable for any professional (marketer, stylist, developer) who can curate a visual 'swipe file' of top-tier industry examples.

Structural Formula (steal-the-format)

Structure pattern

1 authority-establishing selfie hook slide followed by N unedited screenshots of highly aesthetic competitor/aspirational Instagram profiles.

Copy formula

Subject I care about + identity/profession tag

What to swap (concrete remixes)

•Swap 'Creative Director / Brands' for 'Senior Dev / Open Source Repos' for a tech audience.
•Swap 'Creative Director / Brands' for 'SEO Agency Owner / Niche Blogs' for a B2B marketing audience.
•Swap 'Creative Director / Brands' for 'Interior Designer / Furniture Shops' for a home decor audience.

What NOT to copy

Don't copy the complete lack of commentary if you don't already have an imposing, visually stylish presence in your hook. If you are building an audience from scratch, text overlays explaining exactly *why* the designs are good would drastically improve retention and comments.

Aesthetics

Aspirational chic minimalism via curated dark-mode Instagram grid screenshots

design:professionaltypography:native UI sans serifvisual consistency:95/100attention grab:80/100

Color palette

blackcreamwarm redearth tones

What it conveys: It feels like an exclusive peek into a professional's private mood board, establishing an immediate sense of 'insider knowledge'.

Slide-by-slide forensics

hookmirror selfieconfident authorityworks:yesgrab:80/100aesthetic:85/100

Brands I keep an eye on as a Creative Director

Visual description

A mirror selfie taken in an elevator with a warm, slightly dim, metallic ambiance. The subject is a young woman wearing a black coat and a bold mustard-yellow silk bow tied at her neck. She is holding an iPhone with a muted green case, showing dark red manicured nails.

Scene setting

mirror-selfie in elevator

Visible people

young woman, dark hair, neutral makeup, mustard bow tie, black coat

Visible objects

iPhone with muted green casegold ringsblack leather shoulder bag strap

Predicted audience reaction

Immediate snap-judgment that she looks stylish enough to trust her taste.

Comments reacting to this slide

"what’s your Instagram please? ❣️"

Verdict: It perfectly anchors the abstract concept of 'brands' onto a tangible aesthetic persona, making the list trusted.

step in listscreenshotfestive luxuryworks:yesgrab:70/100aesthetic:80/100

fugazzifragrances FUGaZZI Fragrances Beauty, cosmetic & personal care FLAGSHIP STORES Gasthuismolensteeg 9, Amsterdam, Netherlands Shop Now

Visual description

Screenshot of an Instagram profile in dark mode. The highlight circles are solid warm red. The grid shows high-end perfume marketing, notably festive red-and-white striped gift packaging, sleek glass bottles, and a model in a black suit.

Scene setting

Instagram profile UI

Visible people

man in black suit smilingwoman in black dress looking up

Visible objects

perfume bottlesred and white striped gift boxesmartini glasses

Products on screen

Fugazzi Fragrances

Other text elements

•944 posts
•74,6K followers

vs prior slide

style:nocopy:noenergy:flat

Style: Shifts abruptly from real-life selfie to an app screenshot.

Story: Delivers the first item promised in the hook without any textual preamble.

Predicted audience reaction

Viewer zooms in to read the bio and scan the grid aesthetic.

Comments reacting to this slide

"Looooooove Fugazzi"

Verdict: It delivers high-density visual inspiration immediately.

step in listscreenshotsurreal high fashionworks:yesgrab:75/100aesthetic:90/100

alohas ALOHAS Timeless fashion, on demand. Designed in Barcelona. alohas.com

Visual description

Instagram profile screenshot of fashion brand ALOHAS. Highlights show stylized fashion objects. The visible grid features a surreal holiday shoot with an oversized lobster, a child model in beige knitwear, and a red ballet flat on a silver platter of food.

Scene setting

Instagram profile UI

Visible people

child with curly red hairyoung boy in beige knit matching set

Visible objects

oversized cooked lobsterred leather ballet flat shoesilver food cloche

Products on screen

ALOHAS clothing

Other text elements

•621 posts
•1,3 M followers

vs prior slide

style:yescopy:yesenergy:flat

Style: Maintains the exact same dark-mode Instagram UI layout.

Story: no progression — repeats the prior beat

Predicted audience reaction

Admiration for the unusual, high-effort editorial photography.

Comments reacting to this slide

"Love Alohas marketing"

Verdict: It shows unconventional fashion marketing, validating the creator's eye for creative direction.

step in listscreenshotmodern utilitarianworks:yesgrab:70/100aesthetic:85/100

olend_backpacks ÖLEND Ölend The perfect tool for the modern explorer Shop Now

Visual description

Instagram profile screenshot of bag brand Ölend. Highlights are purely white circles with isolated product shots. The grid features large, puffy ruched tote bags in black, burgundy, yellow, red, and blue, styled on models and furniture.

Scene setting

Instagram profile UI

Visible people

lower legs of a model wearing black heelstwo women in jackets on a city street

Visible objects

black puffy handbagburgundy puffy shoulder bagcolorful puffy bags on a metal rackround striped coin purse attached to bag

Products on screen

Ölend puffy bags

Other text elements

•1.637 posts
•558K followers

vs prior slide

style:yescopy:yesenergy:flat

Style: Maintains dark mode IG screenshot format.

Story: no progression — repeats the prior beat

Predicted audience reaction

Adding trendy, sculptural bags to their mental or literal wishlist.

Verdict: The products are highly distinctive and trend-relevant, driving aesthetic inspiration.

step in listscreenshotmoody romanticismworks:yesgrab:85/100aesthetic:95/100

ffern.co Ffern Ffern | Artisan Eau De Parfum Small batch, organic, natural perfume. Made in the UK. Blended for the names on our ledger only. Sign up 👇 ffern.co/ig

Visual description

Instagram profile screenshot of perfume brand Ffern. Highlights show detailed botanical illustrations. The grid focuses on a moody, natural cottagecore aesthetic: a woman in a green coat near water, a person writing at a candlelit desk, and a simple perfume bottle stacked on river stones.

Scene setting

Instagram profile UI

Visible people

woman in dark green hooded waterproof coatwoman in chunky knit sweater side profile at desk

Visible objects

perfume clear glass bottle with white labelstacked grey river stoneslit beeswax candle on desk

Products on screen

Ffern artisan perfume

Other text elements

•891 posts
•915K followers

vs prior slide

style:yescopy:yesenergy:rising

Style: Maintains dark mode IG screenshot format.

Story: no progression — repeats the prior beat

Predicted audience reaction

Strong resonance with the highly specific, artisanal storytelling visible in the grid.

Comments reacting to this slide

"Ffern’s marketing and creative direction is insanely good"
"Ffern & Ghia for me"
"Ffern marketing is great but the perfume does not smell good."

Verdict: It is the most talked-about brand in the comments, proving its inclusion was a strong hook for the audience.

step in listscreenshotcozy elevatedworks:yesgrab:65/100aesthetic:80/100

lamarel_official lamarel Design & fashion We don't do collections, we do basics. designed in Switzerland | made in Portugal Nüschelerstrasse 1, Zürich, Switzerland shoplamarel.com

Visual description

Instagram profile screenshot of clothing brand lamarel. The highlights feature retro typography. The visible grid shows cozy, beige aesthetic shots: a stacked pile of folded chunky knit sweaters, and toddlers wearing matching adult-style loungewear in grand European interiors.

Scene setting

Instagram profile UI

Visible people

two toddlers in oversized denim and long sleeve tees in historic roomtwo toddlers in dark brown matching tracksuits standing near brass elevator doors

Visible objects

stacked pile of cream knit sweatersstuffed teddy bear held by child

Products on screen

lamarel basics

Other text elements

•2.906 posts
•127K followers

vs prior slide

style:yescopy:yesenergy:falling

Style: Maintains dark mode IG screenshot format.

Story: no progression — repeats the prior beat

Predicted audience reaction

Appreciation for the 'mini me' styling and minimalist copy.

Verdict: It adds a different flavor (minimalist basics/childrens apparel) to the overall mood board.

step in listscreenshotintimate lifestyleworks:yesgrab:70/100aesthetic:85/100

joseph.atelier JOSEPH ATELIER Joseph Atelier Christmas Collection: 14.12.25 - 6pm worldwide shipping designed in berlin, made in portugal

Visual description

Instagram profile screenshot of brand Joseph Atelier. The grid displays casual, intimate lifestyle photography: an illustrated advent calendar with a bicycle, an overhead shot of a couple holding hands on a spiral staircase, and a woman lounging in bed wearing an oversized graphic tee.

Scene setting

Instagram profile UI

Visible people

man and woman on wooden spiral staircase spanning floorswoman lying face down on white bed linens wearing white long sleeve tee

Visible objects

advent calendar illustration featuring a bicyclewhite bedding pillows

Products on screen

Joseph Atelier clothing

Other text elements

•1.576 posts
•230K followers
•@josephine_joseph & @terribletil

vs prior slide

style:yescopy:yesenergy:flat

Style: Maintains dark mode IG screenshot format.

Story: no progression — repeats the prior beat

Predicted audience reaction

Relatability to the more informal, 'effortlessly cool' Berlin vibe.

Comments reacting to this slide

"Agree w Joseph atelier"

Verdict: It successfully captures a trendy, casual sub-aesthetic that resonates with younger creatives.

step in listscreenshotglamorous dramaticworks:partialgrab:80/100aesthetic:85/100

meshki MESHKI Clothing (brand) We are an Australian brand with a mission to empower people worldwide to be confident, ambitious & unstoppable, dressed head to toe in MESHKI. www.meshki.com.au

Visual description

Instagram profile screenshot of clothing brand MESHKI. The grid is sleek and glamorous: macro shot of dangling pearl/gemstone earrings, a woman in a low-cut sparkling blue evening gown indoors, and a black-and-white editorial shot of a woman playing tennis in a full glamorous gown.

Scene setting

Instagram profile UI

Visible people

woman in sparkling blue backless gown posing in a luxury closetwoman playing tennis backward in a glamorous dress and heels (B&W)

Visible objects

dangling chandelier stone earringstennis racketshelves with luxury handbags

Products on screen

MESHKI clothing and accessories

Other text elements

•15,5K posts
•3,9 M followers

vs prior slide

style:yescopy:yesenergy:flat

Style: Maintains dark mode IG screenshot format.

Story: no progression — repeats the prior beat

Predicted audience reaction

Appreciation for the transition into high-glam editorial contrast.

Comments reacting to this slide

"MESHKI!!!!"

Verdict: While the brand resonates, placing it on the last slide with absolutely no 'thank you' or CTA fails to convert viewer attention into ongoing engagement with the creator.

Commerce intent

intent:40/100framework:wishlistapparelfragranceskincareaccessories

Buy-intent phrases (from comments)

•Recommend Lore
•Looooooove Fugazzi
•Ffern & Ghia for me

Objections (from comments)

•Ffern marketing is great but the perfume does not smell good.

Comment ethnography

tagging:save share loopaudience-match:95/100viral signal:none

Professional marketers and design enthusiasts exchanging brand notes and validating each other's tastes in a supportive, 'insider' manner.

Comments that characterize the audience

"Ffern’s marketing and creative direction is insanely good"
"The creative directions are impeccable ✨ love ur content"
"Agree with all of these! out of all of the brands we’ve been seeing alot of Ffern and Meshki. Def would say they are on the top of the watchlist"

Pain points revealed

•Needing inspiration for specific niches (gastronomy)

Aspirations revealed

•Discovering under-the-radar aesthetic brands before they go mainstream
•Improving their own marketing/creative direction skills

Create content like this for your brand

Add a card, onboard your brand, and generate the first creative workflow for free.