Creative5 min read
Write a hook that converts
The first 1.7 seconds decide whether the rest of your ad exists.
A hook is not a headline and it is not a tagline. It is a pattern interrupt — a visual or verbal move that makes the viewer think, briefly, that the ad is not an ad. The goal of the hook is exactly one thing: to buy the next three seconds.
The four hook families
- Contrarian claim — "Stop drinking electrolytes before bed." Works when the category has a default habit.
- Specific outcome — "I cleared my skin in 14 days with this $12 tube." Works when you can film the receipt.
- Confession — "I was skeptical because my sister sold it to me." Works for UGC because it telegraphs honesty.
- Visual demo — product doing the thing in three seconds flat, no narration. Works when the result is obvious on camera.
What breaks a hook
Brand logos in the first frame. Music that sounds like a commercial. A studio-lit product shot before you have earned it. The viewer has been trained to identify ads within milliseconds — every "ad signal" in your opening second raises skip probability.
Write five hooks before you touch the rest of the script. The body of the ad is almost interchangeable; the hook is not. If you cannot find a sharp one, the creative is not ready.