10 hook formulas that stop people scrolling past your ad

The first 2 seconds of a motion ad do 80% of the work. If your hook doesn't stop the thumb, nothing that comes after matters. Here are four of the ten hook formulas from our free hook pack — each one battle-tested on paid social.

1. The Pattern Interrupt

Start on something visually or contextually wrong. A luxury watch dropped in a glass of coffee. A whispered voice-over on a fitness ad. The brain flags "this doesn't belong" and buys you another 3 seconds of attention.

Real example: A skincare brand opens with a close-up of a fried egg. Voice-over: "This is what your skin barrier looks like at 6pm." CTR: 3.1%.

2. The Named-Enemy Hook

Call out the specific thing your viewer is already frustrated with. Not "tired of bad skincare?" — that's generic. Try "tired of serums that pill under sunscreen?" Specific enemies feel like the ad was made for one person.

3. The Number Drop

Open on a single, jarring number on screen. "2.4×." "€3." "11 seconds." No context yet — the viewer stays to find out what it means. Works best when the number is genuinely weird (not "50% off").

4. The Mid-Sentence Cut

Start the ad as if it's already halfway through a thought. "…and that's when I realized we were losing money on every order." Viewers can't help finishing the sentence themselves, so they watch to find out how it started.

The other six formulas

There are six more — the Cost Frame, the Time Compression, the Physical Absurdity, the Insider Reveal, the Micro-Testimonial, and the Question Loop — each with example scripts and shot lists. They're in the free PDF below.