Video ad hooks: 6 mechanics, with real examples

On Facebook and Instagram, nobody chooses to watch your ad. It appears in the middle of a feed, between a friend's video and a recipe, and the thumb keeps scrolling. The hook is what happens in the first seconds, and it decides whether the thumb stops.

The examples below come from ads I edited, for clients and for myself, in French. I show their hooks for the mechanics, not for results: every campaign depends on its offer and its market.

1. The question that touches a regret

"How many summers… have you been saying 'next year'?"

An ad for a pool builder. The picture shows children in paddling pools on a sun-scorched lawn. The question isn't about pools: it is about the summer you keep putting off, and everyone has said "next year".

2. The problem as lived, in the customer's words

"You turn up the heating… and you're still cold?"

An ad for a heat pump. The word COLD fills the screen, a person wrapped in a blanket holds a hot drink. No technical jargon: the viewer recognises themselves before knowing what is being sold.

3. The unexpected character

"Not even going to let me rot here like an old wreck?"

An ad for a car broker. The car is the one talking, with eyes, in a dark garage. The mismatch stops the scroll, and the message comes through the product's own voice.

4. The code of another universe

"Episode 13: the return of the customer. A kitchen fitter has been waiting for a customer for a very, very long time…"

One of my own ads, promoting my services: the story of a kitchen fitter desperately waiting for customers, told like the opening crawl of a space saga. Viewers recognise the code in a second, and humour does the rest. The series format also gives a reason to watch the next episode.

5. The result shown straight away

A before and after, a finished kitchen, a filled pool: you start with the ending. This works when the result is visible and spectacular. It needs real footage of jobs.

6. The face talking to camera

The owner, the tradesperson, on camera, asking a question or contradicting a common belief from the first sentence. It works particularly well for a local business, because it answers the customer's real question: who am I dealing with?

Three rules that apply to all

1. The hook reads without sound. Many people watch muted: on-screen text must carry the message alone.
2. One idea. A hook that tries to say everything says nothing.
3. Test several hooks on the same video. Keeping the body of the ad and changing only the first two seconds is the cheapest test there is. That is why I deliver several hooks per video.

What comes after the hook

The hook stops the thumb, it doesn't close the sale. You then need proof, an offer and a call to action. The full structure of a short video ad and how to write the script.

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Further reading: The Meta Ad Library, to see your competitors' hooks, and AI video or real filming.

Want hooks for your business? Book a 30-minute call. We look together for what will make your customers stop.