ExpressVPN ran a 90-day acquisition campaign on NEXUS to scale paid subscriptions among privacy-conscious users and streaming enthusiasts. The campaign prioritized users seeking secure connections, privacy protection, and access to geo-blocked content.
With a $783,000 budget, ExpressVPN efficiently captured high-intent subscribers while maximizing subscription revenue and return on ad spend.
Campaign Objective and Setup
The objective was to acquire premium VPN subscribers while positioning ExpressVPN as the go-to solution for privacy, secure work connections, and unrestricted streaming access.
Audience Targeting Strategy
NEXUS targeted SaaS Subscribers and AI Tech Users researching online privacy and digital security. Additional segments included SaaS Buyers and Marketing Tech, reaching both individual users and businesses seeking enterprise-grade protection.
Messaging and Market Positioning
Ad creatives emphasized advanced encryption, no-logs policies, independent security audits, and geo-unblocking capabilities. Messaging highlighted professional and entertainment use cases, appealing to remote workers, digital nomads, and streaming-focused users.
Campaign Execution
- Privacy-First Targeting: Engaged users actively researching cybersecurity, ensuring high subscription intent and strong feature adoption (84%)
- Streaming Integration: Highlighted Netflix and international content access, appealing to entertainment-conscious audiences
- Professional Security Positioning: Reinforced safe connections for remote work, digital nomads, and business users
Campaign Results
Over the 90-day period, ExpressVPN achieved:
- 125,000 new subscribers acquired
- $11,125,000 in subscription revenue
- $6.30 cost per acquisition
- 14.2× return on ad spend
- 67.3 million impressions delivered across privacy and security platforms
Observations
Targeting privacy-conscious users through security-first messaging and streaming benefits enabled ExpressVPN to scale subscriptions while maximizing customer lifetime value. The campaign demonstrates how premium SaaS brands can achieve high subscriber volume and revenue by aligning audience segmentation with professional and entertainment-driven user needs.
