Zapier | Commercial with David Banks

The ad opens with a boss congratulating two employees for results so impressive he assumes they must be magicians. The pair hesitates, then starts explaining the automations they built with Zapier. As they speak, simple animated workflow elements float beside them. Their calm explanation quickly escalates into a surreal, spell-casting style duel made of hand gestures and visual effects. The boss stands frozen, overwhelmed, until the ad ends with the line: “It’s not magic. It’s Zapier.”

The Formula (That Works at Any Budget)

Painful Truth = Results So Good, They Seem Impossible
The boss can’t imagine how his team delivered such strong numbers, so he defaults to believing it must be magic. Zapier positions itself as the real reason behind the “impossible” performance.
→ Lesson: Show your product making customers look extraordinary by solving problems faster than expected.

Visualization = Automation as a Simple Flowchart
The ad visualizes the workflows as clean, floating diagrams instead of code. This makes automation look simple and approachable.
→ Lesson: Illustrate what your product enables, not the technical layers beneath it.

Single Punchline = “It’s not magic. It’s Zapier.”
The final line answers the opening question. What looked like magic is actually automation.
→ Lesson: Build a setup that your brand name cleanly resolves.

Humor Breakdown

The humor comes from the escalation. A normal office conversation slowly turns into an exaggerated, silent battle between coworkers “casting” automation gestures at each other. The deadpan response from the boss makes the surreal moment even funnier.
→ Lesson: Start with something familiar and escalate into something bizarre. The contrast creates comedic lift.

Final Verdict

Zapier turns a complex topic—automation—into something visual and entertaining. By showing workflows as magic-like abilities, the ad reframes automation as power, not complexity. It keeps the tone light while clearly demonstrating value. The kicker? It builds the entire concept around a common workplace phrase: “Are you magicians?”

BRAVE-o-Meter Score:
B: 9 | R: 9 | A: 8 | V: 9 | E: 9
BRAVE – 8.8/10

Watch the full ad & learn more
Website: Zapier.com
LinkedIn: Zapier on LinkedIn

(See what BRAVE means in our collection)

Understanding the B.R.A.V.E. Scoring System

The B.R.A.V.E. scoring system uses AI to deliver an unbiased evaluation of top-of-the-funnel B2B brand ads. It measures potential impact, memorability, and effectiveness by assessing five key components of a video ad or commercial. This system gauges an ad's capacity to drive brand recall and enhance salience, ensuring that creative work not only captures attention but also leaves a lasting impression.

What B.R.A.V.E. Stands For:

Each letter represents a key factor in determining an ad’s success:

  • B — Boldness: Is the ad original, creative, or daring? Does it break away from generic B2B marketing, or is it just another forgettable corporate video?
  • R — Relevance: Does it connect with a real buyer pain point? Is it addressing a specific frustration or need, or just listing product features?
  • A — Attention: Does it grab and hold attention in the first few seconds? Is it visually or tonally engaging, or easy to skip?
  • V — Vibe: Does it create an emotional response—laughter, recognition, or surprise? Or does it feel like just another corporate info dump?
  • E — Effectiveness: Will buyers remember the brand when they need a solution? Does the ad make an impact that lasts beyond the moment?

How It’s Applied to B2B Video Rating

Each video is scored 1 to 10 in all five categories, based on how well it meets the criteria. The total score (out of 50) is then divided by 5 to give a final B.R.A.V.E. score out of 10.

For example:

  • An ad scoring B-8 | R-9 | A-7 | V-6 | E-8 has a total of 38/50.
  • The final B.R.A.V.E. score is 7.6/10.

Why It Matters

B2B ads often struggle with being bland, forgettable, or ineffective. The B.R.A.V.E. system ensures they are judged by their ability to break through, connect with buyers, and drive action.

Simply put: If your ad isn’t B.R.A.V.E., it’s invisible.

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