Finding a competitor's winner is the easy half. The useful question is what you do with it, and the answer is not "screenshot it and send it to a designer".
Step 1: Find something actually proven
Do not clone the newest ad. Clone the one that survived:
What is [competitor]'s longest-running ad?
An ad live for four months has passed a test that no amount of creative judgement replaces.
Step 2: Make sure your brand is saved
The clone needs to know who you are to be any good. If you have not already:
My brand is [your website]. Save it.
That pulls your logo, colours, product and positioning, so the output looks like you rather than like a generic template.
Step 3: Clone it
Clone that ad for my brand.
What you get back is a new image built on the same structure: the same layout logic, the same hook shape, the same offer placement. What you do not get is their copy, their photography or their logo, because that would be their asset, not an ad.
Step 4: Push back on the first version
The first output is a draft, not a deliverable. Direct it:
Make the headline shorter and lead with the guarantee instead of the discount.
Try a version with the product on the left instead of centred.
Two or three rounds is normal and takes less time than writing the brief would have.
Where the line is
Copy the structure, never the assets. The hook shape, the layout, the offer mechanic and the format are patterns, and patterns are not owned by anyone. The photograph, the exact wording and the logo belong to that brand.
This is not a legal edge case, it is the difference between learning from a competitor and passing off their work as yours. The first is how every industry improves. The second gets your account actioned.
FAQ
Is cloning a competitor's ad legal?
Copying the structure of an ad is standard practice across advertising and is not protected. Copying their copy, images or trademarks is not. Clones are built to rebuild the structure with your own assets and original copy.
Will it look like a template?
It looks like your brand, because it uses your saved logo, colours and product. The competitor's ad supplies the structure, not the styling.
What if I do not like the result?
Direct it and regenerate. Being specific about what is wrong ("headline too long", "wrong emotion") produces a better second version than starting over.
Can I launch the clone straight away?
Yes. A cloned creative can go live on Google, TikTok or Meta from the same chat. Look at it first.