Elias Rust wasn’t your average teenager. While most of his peers were scrolling through social media or playing video games, he was dissecting junk mail and analyzing marketing strategies. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why do some ads work, and others don’t?” That curiosity — combined with a sharp mind and an unrelenting drive — has shaped him into one of the most effective young marketing strategists in the game today.
At just 23 years old, Elias Rust, the founder of Rust Proof Marketing, has already managed over $5 million in paid ad spend across platforms like Meta, Google, Reddit, and YouTube. His specialty? Helping traditional, community-based businesses — from local restaurants and vintage flea markets to nonprofit organizations — thrive in the fast-moving digital world. Rust Proof Marketing isn’t about fluff metrics or vanity campaigns; it’s about results that speak for themselves.
The Road to Digital Mastery
Elias’s journey into marketing wasn’t a linear one. While many young entrepreneurs set out to start businesses in high school or college, Elias’s path was defined by his deep interest in consumer behavior and data-driven results. Growing up, he was always fascinated by how advertising shaped decisions and perceptions. By the time he reached his teenage years, he was studying how even the simplest direct mail pieces could be the difference between a product being successful or forgotten.
“I wasn’t in this to win awards. I was in it to make ads that actually make money,” Elias says, emphasizing his focus on delivering tangible, measurable outcomes rather than chasing industry recognition. His drive to continuously test and refine his strategies eventually led him to found Rust Proof Marketing, where he could zero in on his passion for one thing: paid ads.
Turning Local Restaurants into Local Legends
One of Elias’s standout achievements came when he helped Alvaro’s Tacos, a local Portland restaurant, turn a modest $250 ad spend into over $2,500 in revenue in less than 30 days — their most profitable month ever. The key to the success? Hyper-targeted Google Map Ads campaigns.
“If someone’s hungry and nearby, they should see your spot first on Google Maps. That’s how you win the lunch rush,” Elias explains. By crafting ads that targeted people within a specific radius of the taco shop, he drove traffic during peak hours, maximizing the restaurant’s return on ad spend and ensuring they stood out in a competitive market.
Elias’s approach isn’t about general awareness — it’s about smart targeting, dynamic creative, and results that businesses can quantify and act on.
Scaling Thrift Haven: A Vintage Market Phenomenon
Elias’s influence isn’t just limited to restaurants. He’s made a massive impact on community-based events, most notably with Thrift Haven, a vintage flea market in Oregon. What started as a small gathering with just a few hundred people and free entry has now grown into the state’s largest vintage market, pulling over 2,000 paid attendees per event. Thanks to Elias’s strategic ad campaigns, which combined compelling storytelling and targeted ads, the market has sold out consistently, creating a cultural moment in Portland’s retail scene.
“Virality’s cool, but I’d rather build something that sells out every single time. That’s what we did,” Elias says. By focusing on local customers, refining messaging, and using platforms like Instagram and Facebook, he positioned Thrift Haven as not just an event, but a must-visit experience.
Empowering Nonprofits with Digital Advertising
Beyond the business world, Elias is also dedicated to helping nonprofits reach broader audiences. One of his proudest achievements has been assisting organizations like Potomac Presbyterian Church in gaining access to the Google Ad Grant, a program that offers nonprofits up to $10,000 per month in free ad spend. With this grant, Elias helped the church significantly expand its reach, driving hundreds of attendees to events and boosting engagement.
“Nonprofits deserve pro-level marketing — especially when the ad budget’s already paid for,” Elias points out, highlighting how digital advertising can make a significant difference for community-based organizations that may otherwise be limited in their outreach.
Breaking Records for Events with Smart Ad Strategies
Elias’s expertise also extends to event marketing. His work with TheFiredJs and Back to the Basket, two popular event brands, led to some of their biggest turnouts ever. By using highly targeted Facebook and Instagram ads with clean creative and smart copy, Elias helped both brands see record-breaking attendance at their events.
“People don’t show up just because you post. You have to find them first — then hit ’em with something they feel,” Elias explains. It’s this level of precision and insight into human behavior that sets Elias apart from the competition. He doesn’t rely on generic ad templates or outdated strategies. Instead, he tailors every campaign to the audience it’s meant to attract, ensuring that every ad feels like it’s speaking directly to the right person.
The Prodigy Who Outperforms Agencies
While Elias’s age might suggest that he’s a newcomer to the world of digital marketing, his track record speaks for itself. He’s managed ad spend across a variety of industries, driving success in fields ranging from local boutiques and luxury services to music studios and job lead generation sites. Unlike traditional agencies, which juggle multiple services at once, Elias has honed in on one specific niche: paid ads.
“I don’t do everything. I do one thing, and I do it better than anyone else,” Elias says. His obsessive focus on perfecting pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns allows him to outpace even the most established agencies, achieving better cost-per-lead numbers and more significant revenue for his clients.
He adds, “It didn’t work because you didn’t have the right person running it,” referring to clients who come to him after other agencies failed to meet their expectations. For Elias, success is a result of constant testing, iterating, and refining, pushing each campaign to deliver more than the last.
A Young Visionary Who Delivers Results
Elias Rust’s approach to digital marketing isn’t about trendy buzzwords or chasing virality — it’s about building lasting success for businesses, events, and nonprofits. Whether he’s helping a taco shop fill its lunch rush or an event brand sell out every time, Elias’s paid ad campaigns are grounded in one simple idea: results that matter.
As a 23-year-old strategist, Elias isn’t just participating in the marketing world — he’s redefining it. His ability to deliver tangible, game-changing results has earned him a reputation as a prodigy in his field. With his laser-focused ad strategies, Elias is turning overlooked businesses into digital powerhouses and helping brands reach new heights.
If you’re ready to take your business or event to the next level, there’s one person who can make that happen: Elias Rust and Rust Proof Marketing. No gimmicks, no fluff — just pure, data-driven performance.
For more about Elias Rust and Rust Proof Marketing, you can follow him on Instagram @eliasthemarketer.
