Ads in the Wild: Fortiva Credit Card — Gmail Sponsored Ad to Prequalification Funnel

Here is Fortiva Credit Card (Master Card) running a sponsored placement in Gmail's Top Picks section.

The campaign is running through Google Performance Max with affiliate tracking parameters layered on top of standard UTM values.

The ad copy: "Up to $1,000 limit. Apply today, even with poor credit. Instantly prequalify, unsecured credit card." The offer is aimed at people with poor credit and the copy says so directly.

Opening the email shows a product shot of two Fortiva Mastercards, the same headline and subhead from the teaser, and an "Apply Now" button.

"Apply Now" clicks through to apply.myfortiva.com/pre/

Two things shift here. The CTA softens to "See if you prequalify" - a lighter ask than "Apply now" which you clicked to get here.

And the headline becomes "A more rewarding card for everyday purchases," with 3% cash back rewards featured below the fold. The poor credit framing from the ad and email is gone.

I Would Change: The "See if you prequalify" button is an outline style — thin border, dark text, white fill. It doesn't stick out at all on the page. The primary CTA on a page like this should pop - typically with a solid filled button.

"See if you prequalify" opens the application form. Fields: name, address, email, mobile number, date of birth, social security number, annual gross income. Trust signals at the top: reports to all three credit bureaus, accepted at 40 million locations.