🛑 Steal This 1 Hook (It Crushes)

Hey friend,

I’ve noticed a trend lately in videos that really capture attention and get views from the start. We’ve started to leverage it for clients and have seen some insane results from it, so I figured you should know so you can run with it as well.

Ever notice those TikToks where someone walks up, cameras shift from the street to a person, and boom, it stops your scroll? I’m talking about the now-famous street‑style zoom‑in hook. Think clips like “What do you do for a living?” or “What’s your business dream?” they’re simple, human, and undeniably scroll-stopping.

Let’s dive into why these work and how you can leverage them for your next ads.

First Some Examples

• Daniel Mac is one of the creators who really comes to mind when it comes to this hook. He starts his videos by walking up to people in cars and asking what they do for a living. He’s amassed now 10 million+ followers from running this same hook over and over again:

itsdanielmac

3M followers

View more on Instagram

• Another page I’ve seen is the School of Hard Knocks. This creator goes up to people on the street and asks how they’ve become successful:

Why This Format Works

But why does it work? There are a few main components, which help:

• Instant curiosity trigger: People naturally want to know who that person is and what they’ll say.

• Authentic feels: No scripts, no polish, just real life and real emotion. (Fun note though: a majority of these videos actually are pre-planned!)

• Relatability + aspiration: Viewers imagine themselves in that same moment, or are inspired by the dreams expressed.

• It has “Stakes”: “Stakes” are what we define as a feeling of risk. Being in public and filming for most people = raising the “stakes” at play. Some of these creators lean further into it by having security or others try to step in and make them leave (like the above IG video).

You don’t have to leverage celebrities or successful businessmen/women for this tactic though…

What You Can Do Today

Here’s how you can capitalize on this 1 hook efficiently:

1. On-the-street customer clips with product
   Ask someone using your product: “Why do you love [Product]?” or “What’s that you have on?” Keep the camera low, zoom in quick. Let their genuine reaction do the talking.

2. On-the-street customer clips showing pain point
   The Tushbaby founder does a great job of doing this, where she goes up to people struggling to carry their babies, then gives them her product and shows how great the solution is + their reaction. I’ve actually bought this product for a friend because I knew just how much of a relief the product would give them. (Example video)

3. Team zoom-ins
   Even internally, you can repurpose it. Have your team filmed: “What’s a quick win your product delivered?” Edit with street-style motion to feel spontaneous.

4. Replicate/supercharge with UGC
   Invite customers to submit similar clips. Reward the best ones with a discount or shout-out.

It’s a fairly simple hook to replicate, but it just works! Give it a try in your next round of videos and watch that scroll stop rate skyrocket.

That’s it for this week.

Back in your inbox soon.

- Tony.

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