A snack company is proposing a larger budget for another year of always-on campaigns. Past performance for ads using only product images with blank backgrounds met benchmarks, but the company is seeking better lower-funnel performance. What should the media planner recommend as a creative strategy?

To improve lower-funnel performance, the media planner should recommend featuring products with lifestyle imagery. Lifestyle imagery helps consumers visualize how the product fits into their lives, creating a stronger emotional connection and driving purchase intent. This directly addresses the goal of better lower-funnel performance compared to product-only images, which are more effective for awareness. Two-minute snack tip videos, while engaging, are better suited for upper-funnel awareness or consideration, not direct lower-funnel conversion. Adding hashtags increases visibility but doesn't fundamentally change the creative's impact on purchase intent. A Premiere Spotlight takeover is a media buying strategy for broad reach, not a creative strategy to enhance lower-funnel conversion.