When it comes to creative video ads, you need to do more than just get the ad in front of your audience. You need to grab and keep their attention throughout the video. With the average person being bombarded with around 10,000 ads online per day, you need something that’s going to make them stop in their tracks.
The success of your ad relies on your initial hook. You only have 1 or 2 seconds before the user will continue scrolling and move onto the next video. Therefore, your hooks need to come within these first couple of seconds in order to capture attention, encourage interactions, and drive conversions.
Before creating your ads, you first need to develop a deeper understanding of your customers and target audience. Understanding the psychology of your target audience can be a good place to start. Speaking directly to a specific emotion can connect with your audience on another level. Read more about using psychology in your ads here.
Just like with many other aspects of your ads, it’s important that you test, test, test. Hopefully you’ll already have a good understanding of your audience and the platform you’re advertising on, but there’s no way to know exactly how different types of hooks will perform unless you test them.
When it comes to video ads, you have three opportunities to hook your audience in. The first is through the visuals of the video, the second is in the written copy in the video, and the third is the video audio. In this blog I’ll go through each of these and discuss how to create the best hooks for your video ads.
Visual Hooks
The visuals are likely to be the first thing your target audience notices about your video ad. With people mindlessly scrolling through their feeds, a bold visual hook can be the difference between being watched or being ignored. That means the opening seconds need to be visually compelling enough to make them pause.
One of the first places to start is to consider the setting and location your video takes place. For example, a kitchen makes sense for cooking products, while a gym is perfect for fitness gear. Familiar settings make the ad feel natural and relatable, while using a relevant setting hooks in the right audience members who are genuinely interested in the product.
Another main element of the visual hook is the person in the video. This could be a celebrity or influencer or could just be a person who has something the viewer desires. For example, if your ad is set in a gym, using someone with a six pack could be a hook for those who are wanting to get fitter and wanting to develop a six pack themselves.
You could also consider using user-generated content (UGC). Raw, real footage from customers provides social proof and makes the video feel more authentic. When your audience sees someone who looks like them using or talking about a product, it builds instant trust, and in those first few seconds, trust is everything.
Colour plays a massive role here, too. Vibrant, contrasting colours naturally catch the eye. When everyone else is using neutral tones, a burst of bright pink, neon green, or electric blue can stop the scroll. This doesn’t mean every ad should be this bright, but a carefully chosen colour palette that contrasts with a user’s feed can make a big impact.
A powerful visual hook is a product demonstration. Instead of explaining how your product solves a problem, show it in action. Think about how you can present your product solving a real, relatable issue in an engaging way. Depending on the product, some product demonstrations could use a before-and-after visual hook. In this case, the more dramatic or satisfying the transformation, the better. For example, if your product is a tanning product like in the Coco & Eve ad below, show a transition from before and after using the product. Visual proof speaks louder than words.
Finally, if you want your hook to feel more human, try using handwriting fonts. There’s something about a scribbled note that feels more authentic than a clean, digital font. It creates an informal, intimate vibe, like a friend is giving you a personal tip, not a brand selling you something.
Written Hooks
Written hooks are the unsung heroes of ecommerce video ads. They flash across the screen in those crucial opening seconds and if done right, they can be the reason someone watches instead of scrolls. Whether you’re grabbing attention with stats, bold claims, or just making someone laugh, the words on screen need to stop viewers now.
List hooks are everywhere, and for good reason. People love structure. A hook like “3 ways to double your skincare results” or “Top 5 mistakes you’re making with your hair” is instantly digestible and creates instant intrigue. It’s a promise that if they stick around, there’s a quick, easy-to-digest set of tips coming their way. For example, Kitsch used a list hook in this solid shampoo bar video ad.
Stats, numbers, and facts also deliver an instant impact. They lend authority and credibility and appeal to the rational side of your audience. For example, “78% of people are brushing their teeth wrong” or “9 out of 10 people don’t use the right concealer for their skin” instantly frames your product in a compelling real-world context.
This type of hook may work even better when the stat or fact has an unexpected or uncomfortable twist, uncovering uncomfortable truths. For example, “You’re breathing in toxins every day” or “Your posture is destroying your back”. These catch people off guard, triggering curiosity and jolting people into continuing to watch the video.
Comparison hooks are another attention-grabber. Set up a contrast between your product solving a problem and an alternative product solving the problem. For example, “This £10 hack is better than your £200 serum” or “Before you buy another planner, watch this”. These make people rethink the tools or solutions they’re already using and opens them up to something better – your product. If they’re tired of wasting money or stuck in old routines, your hook presents a way out.
Another option is superlative hooks which emphasise the benefits of your product using words like “best”. For example, hooks like “The best decision you’ll make today”, or “The only tool you’ll ever need” tap into people’s desire for the best, most effective solution. If your product truly delivers, don’t be shy about saying it. For example, the use of “fastest” in this Riff Raff video ad.
If you want to break through the noise, consider taboo or controversial hooks. These touch on topics that are rarely spoken about. They’re bold, raw, and direct. For example, “Let’s talk about money anxiety”, or “No one wants to talk about adult acne, but here’s the truth”. These topics are rarely touched in ads, which makes them instantly interesting. Use this strategy to spark debate, provoke emotion, or challenge the status quo. Although these can be risky, they create curiosity and emotional investment which draws people in.
FOMO (fear of missing out) hooks also play well in ecommerce. Lines like “You’ve only got 24 hours left to grab this deal” or “We’ve already sold out twice, don’t miss out again” creates urgency (without being pushy) and drives immediate action. The key to FOMO hooks is authenticity. Don’t fake scarcity or urgency as your audience will be able to tell and will lose trust in your brand.
For price-sensitive shoppers, price-focused hooks work wonders. “Only £9.99” or “Get 50% off when you buy 3 or more” appeals directly to budget-conscious users and helps anchor your product’s value. Pair this with a time-sensitive phrase like “Today only” or “This week only” to increase urgency.
Another powerful angle is social proof. Quotes from happy customers or endorsements from influencers, especially when shown as written reviews, can stop viewers mid-scroll. “This changed my life” or “I can’t live without it” hits differently when it’s coming from someone who seems relatable and credible.
To make any of these hooks more effective, always speak directly to the viewer. Use “you” to create an immediate sense of relevance, or “I” to bring in relatability. “You’re not using your shampoo right” or “I didn’t believe it either until I tried it” make it feel like a conversation rather than a pitch.
An approach to written hooks that I often like to take is running 3 different ad creatives per ad set. One of these creatives would test a written statement hook, one would test a written question hook, and the third would test another type of written hook like a list or price hook. This allows you to see what type of written hook your audience responds best to so you can lean into that type of written hook in future iterations.
No matter which tactic you use, remember: keep it clear, concise, and focused on one idea. Your viewer is scrolling fast, so your message needs to hit immediately. Stick to short phrases, punchy formats, and time-sensitive language that encourages immediate engagement. Your viewer doesn’t have time to read a paragraph, they need to get the message in a second or two.
Audio Hooks
Finally, the first few seconds of audio in a video ad can completely change how viewers engage. Just like visual and written hooks, your spoken words or other audio must instantly grab attention and spark curiosity. While visuals stop the scroll, it’s the voice they hear that can be the make or break to whether they keep watching. And with attention spans shorter than ever, that first sentence you say needs to hit hard.
Let’s start with questions. Why do they work so well? Because our brains need answers. Asking a direct, relatable question immediately activates your audience’s brain and gets them thinking. A well-placed question like “Do you actually know what’s in your skincare?” or “What if you’ve been doing this wrong your whole life?” creates a gap your audience subconsciously wants to close. It makes them pause, think, and ideally stay to find the solution to their pain point.
Another powerful angle is personal experience hooks. Opening your ad with a personal anecdote, like “I was embarrassed to go out without makeup, until I found this”. builds trust and builds a human connection. Storytelling instantly connects emotionally and helps the viewer see themselves in your shoes, showing your brand understands and relates to their audience.
Tease your audience with curiosity hooks. For example, cliffhanger intros like “I didn’t believe this at first but it actually worked” or “This one habit changed everything”. With these hooks, you’re not giving the answer yet, you’re just creating a sense of mystery and hinting at a secret solution to their pain point. The goal here is to keep the viewer watching to find the answer to the cliffhanger.
As well as curiosity hooks, you could also go for a more straightforward problem-solution hook. This approach also teases a solution but is more direct in highlighting the initial pain point. For example, “If you’re tired of wasting money on gym memberships you never use, try this instead”. This quickly gets to the heart of the issue, validates the viewer’s frustration, and clearly leads into presenting your product as a solution.
Another variation is the suspense hook. These start with tension, then promise a solution. For example, “If you make this one mistake, your skin barrier might never recover, but the fix is surprisingly simple”. This builds concern, adds urgency, and encourages viewers to stick around for the resolution.
You can also get playful with reverse psychology hooks. Openers like “Don’t buy this unless you’re ready to change your life” or “You probably won’t like this” triggers people’s natural resistance to being told what to do, often making people lean into the ad rather than scrolling past. Just use these sparingly so they don’t feel gimmicky.
Negative hooks are also worth experimenting with. These address a common mistake or problem your audience faces. “Stop wasting money on moisturisers that don’t work” or “Why your laundry still smells after washing” taps into fear, frustration, or dissatisfaction, followed by your product presented as the fix.
Like with written hooks, audio hooks also require simplicity. Keep your language short, sharp, and focused on one key idea while speaking clearly and confidently. And if possible, include time-sensitive language to drive urgency like “today”, “only this week”, and “before it’s gone”.
Summary
Don’t let your target audience scroll past your ads, never to return. Combine visual, written, and audio hooks to stop their scrolling, engage them throughout the video, and ultimately drive conversions.
Want to take your video ad creative hooks to the next level? Simply get in touch to see how I can help boost your ad revenue.