CTV Creative Fatigue: When to Refresh Your Ads

Creative fatigue hits at 8-12 frequency or 6+ months. Refresh: end card $2-5K, B-roll $5-12K, new concept $15-35K. 3+ rotation gets 32% higher conversion.

Even great creative wears out. The same ad shown too many times loses impact. Recognizing and addressing creative fatigue maintains CTV performance.

What Is Creative Fatigue?

Creative fatigue occurs when:

  • Viewers have seen your ad multiple times
  • Response rates decline
  • The ad no longer captures attention
  • Performance metrics drop despite consistent media

It’s not that the ad is bad. It’s that it’s been seen too much.

Warning Signs of Fatigue

Primary Indicators

MetricFatigue Signal
Verified visit rateDeclining week over week
Conversion rateDeclining from baseline
Completion rateSlight decline (harder to detect)
Branded searchPlateauing or declining

Secondary Indicators

  • High frequency (8+ per household)
  • Campaign running 6+ months unchanged
  • Same creative across all segments
  • Declining cost efficiency (CPL rising)

Pattern Recognition

Fatigue typically shows:

  • Initial performance (months 1-2): Strong
  • Mid-campaign (months 3-4): Stable
  • Fatigue onset (months 5-6): Declining
  • Deep fatigue (months 6+): Significant decline

Frequency and Fatigue

Frequency = average times each household sees your ad

FrequencyStatus
3-5Building recognition
5-8Optimal range
8-12Watch for fatigue
12+Likely fatigued

High frequency accelerates fatigue. If you’re hitting 10+ frequency, creative refresh is urgent.

Refresh Strategies

1

New End Card: $2-5K

Timeline: 1-2 weeks. Change CTA, phone presentation, logo animation, tagline. Keeps core creative, updates final impression.

2

New Opening: $5-10K

Timeline: 2-3 weeks. Change first 5 seconds, opening hook, new B-roll intro. Recaptures attention where it matters most.

3

B-Roll Refresh: $5-12K

Timeline: 2-4 weeks. Keep core message and audio. Replace supporting footage. Same message feels new.

4

New Concept: $15-35K

Timeline: 6-8 weeks. Complete new creative: storyline, visual approach, emotional angle. Required every 18-24 months.

Refresh Timing

Proactive Schedule

Refresh TypeFrequency
End card updateEvery 6 months
Opening/B-roll refreshAnnually
New conceptEvery 18-24 months

Reactive Triggers

Refresh immediately if:

  • Verified visit rate drops 20%+ from baseline
  • Frequency exceeds 12
  • Same creative running 8+ months
  • Performance declining 3+ consecutive weeks

Creative Rotation

Running multiple creatives extends lifespan:

Two-Creative Rotation

  • Creative A and B alternate
  • Each reaches lower frequency
  • Fatigue delayed
  • 32% higher conversion than single creative

Three+ Creative Rotation

  • Greater variety
  • Lower per-creative frequency
  • Enables testing
  • Requires higher creative investment

Rotation Strategy

BudgetRecommended Creatives
$25K/month2
$50K/month2-3
$100K+/month3-4

Testing During Refresh

Use refresh as testing opportunity:

A/B Test Approach

  1. Run fatigued creative (A) alongside new creative (B)
  2. Equal impression split
  3. Measure performance difference
  4. Phase out underperformer

What to Test

  • Different emotional angles
  • Different hooks
  • Different calls to action
  • Different differentiation points

New concepts that test well become your next primary creative.

Budget for Refresh

Plan creative refresh into annual budget:

Annual Media BudgetCreative Refresh Budget
$300,000$20,000-30,000
$500,000$30,000-45,000
$750,000$40,000-60,000
$1,000,000+$60,000-80,000

This covers:

  • One major refresh or new concept
  • Two minor refreshes
  • Testing variations

Preventing Fatigue

Frequency Caps

Limit impressions per household:

  • 2-3 per day maximum
  • 8-10 per week maximum
  • 25-30 per month maximum

Caps extend creative lifespan.

Audience Rotation

Rotate targeting to reach new households:

  • New zip codes
  • New behavioral segments
  • Conquest audiences

Fresh audiences haven’t seen your creative.

Platform Diversification

Different platforms = different audiences:

  • Hulu viewers differ from Tubi viewers
  • Platform mix reduces same-person frequency

Measuring Refresh Impact

After launching refreshed creative:

Week 1

  • Confirm delivery
  • Monitor completion rates
  • Watch for technical issues

Weeks 2-4

  • Compare verified visit rates to previous creative
  • Monitor conversion rates
  • Assess audience response

Month 2+

  • Calculate performance improvement
  • Determine if additional refresh needed
  • Plan next refresh cycle

Success Metrics

MetricGood Refresh Result
Visit rateReturns to or exceeds baseline
Conversion rateStable or improved
CPLStable or improved
Branded searchStabilizes or grows

For complete creative strategy, see the CTV creative guide.

References