Army Marketing Secrets, Attention Equation, Morning Brew's Playbook

Hello there,

This week we're diving into how the US Army cracked the recruitment code with Fortune 500 marketing tactics, new research that reveals the exact text overlay formula to boost ad clicks by 127%, the genius growth strategies behind a $75M newsletter empire, and a psychological product hack that's powering some of the fastest-growing brands ever.

How the US Army Built a Recruitment Powerhouse with DDB

After a scandal disbanded their old marketing arm, the US Army made a radical move: they hired marketing executives from Johnson & Johnson, opened an office in Chicago, and partnered with DDB to operate like a Fortune 500 company. The result? They hit recruiting goals four months early and achieved what most militaries globally can't. The behind-the-scenes look at how they did it reveals lessons any organization can steal.

The Text Overlay Formula: Boost Ad Clicks by 127%

New research analyzing 8,200+ social media posts reveals the exact formula for text overlays that maximize engagement. The findings are specific: text should cover 24% of frame on X, 11% on Instagram, positioned away from center for videos but centered for images. Getting this right led to 127% higher click-through rates on Facebook. The researchers even built a free tool to check if you're doing it correctly.

Morning Brew's $75M Secret: The Referral Program That Changed Everything

Morning Brew went from a dorm room PDF to 4 million subscribers and a $75M exit by mastering one thing: making readers want to share. Their referral program drove 100% growth, but the real magic was the "3 E's" formula—Educate, Entertain, Engage—that made sharing feel natural. The tactical breakdown of their content strategy, subject lines, and monetization playbook is a masterclass in newsletter growth.

The Guilt-Removal Formula: How Gruns Hit $300M Run-Rate

Gruns gummy vitamins reached $300M run-rate by weaponizing psychology: they took something people loved but felt guilty about (eating gummy bears) and flipped it into something responsible (taking vitamins). This "guilt-removal" formula is showing up everywhere—from enterprise AI that turns boring work into creative direction to consumer products that give permission for indulgence. The framework for applying this to your product is brilliantly simple.

That's a wrap on this week's gems! What struck us most about these stories is how they all combine data with psychology—whether it's the Army understanding what motivates Gen Z, precise research on text placement driving engagement, Morning Brew creating content people can't help but share, or Gruns flipping guilt into virtue. The best marketing blends hard data with deep understanding of human nature.

Hope one of these sparked some fresh thinking for your projects. If any of this resonates or challenges something you've been working on, we’d genuinely love to hear your take!

See you next week!

Team ‘Luru