Candid Co. - Proving It Really Works

Candid Co. was competing in a noisy direct-to-consumer orthodontics space against heavy hitters like SmileDirectClub. The product worked. The friction was belief and price.

At $1,150, the barrier was not awareness. It was trust.

I led production across organic and paid social with a single mandate: remove doubt and justify the investment.

The strategy centered on proof over polish. Real customers. Real transformations. Real cost comparisons. Instead of leaning on glossy claims, we focused on tangible outcomes and a clear contrast with the significantly higher cost of traditional orthodontic braces.

I brought customers in for a dedicated video and photo shoot, working directly with the client to secure location, manage logistics, and shape the narrative around each transformation story. Once production wrapped, I led design, motion, and A/V teams to translate the footage into a full-funnel content system, social stills, short-form video, and TV spots designed to drive both credibility and performance.

The result: a 27 percent lift in service inquiries over the course of the campaign.

The bigger takeaway was strategic. In high-consideration categories, performance marketing only works when the creative earns belief first.

This campaign proved that when you remove skepticism, conversion follows.