Space Photography Ecomm – Meta Ads
ROAS: 1.8x
Revenue: $432,000
Ad spend: $240,000
Period: 7 months
Background
Global e-commerce brand selling space photography posters — high-quality images of space printed as wall posters.
The business operated internationally using local print partners in multiple countries, allowing:
- faster delivery
- no customs duties
- localized fulfillment
The acquisition strategy was intentionally designed to operate close to break-even, with profitability driven by retention and repeat purchases rather than first-order margin.
Business Model & Challenge
This was not a typical high-ROAS e-commerce setup.
Key challenges:
- global scaling across multiple markets
- fluctuating demand depending on seasonality and local events
- managing performance in a near break-even acquisition model
- coordinating paid ads with promotions and email marketing
At this level of spend, the focus shifts from “winning ads” to budget allocation, timing and operational efficiency.
Markets & Budget Allocation
Campaigns were run globally, with budgets actively shifted between regions:
- United States (~70% of total spend)
- United Kingdom
- France
- Canada
- Australia
- Mexico
- United Arab Emirates
Performance was monitored on a country-by-country basis.
Budgets were dynamically reallocated depending on:
- local holidays and events
- seasonal demand
- short-term performance trends
For example:
- when demand dropped in the US during major events or seasonal slowdowns
- budget was shifted to other regions where demand was stronger at that time
This allowed the account to maintain overall performance despite local fluctuations.
Promotional Strategy
Astro operated on a structured promotional calendar.
- Almost every month included a 5–6 day promotional window
- Promotions were tied to:
- national holidays (e.g. July 4th, Veterans Day)
- global events
- seasonal occasions
- national holidays (e.g. July 4th, Veterans Day)
Each promotional window included:
- dedicated Meta Ads creatives
- adjusted messaging across campaigns
- coordinated email campaigns sent to the customer list
Paid ads and email marketing were aligned to maximize short-term demand during these high-intent periods.
Campaign Structure
Catalog-Based Campaigns (core revenue driver):
- Product catalog ads as the primary sales channel
- Segmentation by:
- product categories (e.g. panoramas vs posters)
- geographic markets
- product categories (e.g. panoramas vs posters)
- Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns (ASC)
- CBO-based catalog campaigns
Product-Focused Campaigns:
- Dedicated campaigns for top-performing products
- 2–3 bestsellers generated a significant share of total revenue
- These products were continuously promoted with refreshed creatives rather than rebuilding funnels
Creatives
- Static ads
- Video ads highlighting:
- space imagery
- scale and visual impact of posters
- space imagery
- Video was used to enhance product perception, while catalog ads drove the majority of conversions
Creative refreshes were aligned with:
- promotional windows
- seasonal themes
- product-specific pushes
Advertorial Testing
Additional testing included advertorial-style landing pages:
- educational or story-driven content around space imagery
- lower CPC compared to direct product pages
- used primarily to warm traffic and support prospecting
Demographics
- Age targeting consistently set to 25+
- No over-segmentation beyond necessary market splits
Results
- Ad spend: $240,000
- Revenue: $432,000
- ROAS: 1.8x
- Period: 7-month international Meta Ads project
Why This Case Matters
This project was not about chasing high ROAS.
It was about:
- managing large international budgets
- operating within a near break-even acquisition model
- coordinating paid ads with promotions and retention
- making real-time budget allocation decisions across markets
Takeaway
This case demonstrates enterprise-level Meta Ads management: international scaling, dynamic budget allocation, promotional coordination, and performance control in a global e-commerce environment.