Free template

42 hook templates for ads: fill in the blanks and post

By the Storyhand Studio team

These hook templates for ads are opening lines with the specifics taken out. You drop in your product, your customer and your offer, and you get a first line that's ready for a video. There are 42 here, grouped by type: question, problem, surprise, offer, product and “you” lines.

This is a tool page, not a lesson. If you want to know why hooks work and see finished examples by industry, read our guide to video ad hooks. If you just need video ad opening lines right now, grab a pen.

How to use these hook templates

1. Pick two or three types that fit your ad. A sale suits an offer line. A new product suits a product or surprise line.
2. Fill every [BLANK] with something specific and true. “[Number] ingredients” only works if you put your real number in.
3. Say it out loud. Under about ten words reads in two seconds. Trim anything longer.
4. Pair it with your first shot. The opening line and opening picture should say the same thing.
5. Put it on screen too, as big text, for people watching on mute.

Keep claims honest. A hook that promises what the product can't deliver loses viewers and can break advertising rules. Beauty and health brands should check our notes on beauty ad claims rules before filling in any “result” blank.

Question and problem hook templates

Question lines

Ask something your customer is already wondering. Make it a question they'd answer “yes” to.

1. Still [annoying thing your customer does]?
2. What if [task] took [short time] instead of [long time]?
3. Do you know what's really in your [product type]?
4. When was the last time your [thing] actually [worked / felt / looked] [good result]?
5. Why does every [product type] [common complaint]?
6. Ever tried [your product] with [unexpected pairing]?
7. Is your [thing] [doing the annoying thing] again?

Problem lines

Say the annoying thing out loud, then promise the fix.

1. If your [thing] keeps [problem], watch this.
2. [Number] [weeks / tries / returns] later, I finally found a [product type] that [works the way you want].
3. Tired of paying for [thing] that [fails how]?
4. Nobody tells you that [common problem] starts with [simple cause].
5. Your [weekend / morning / budget] shouldn't disappear into [chore].
6. Stop [doing the hard way]. Do [the easy way] instead.
7. The worst part of [task]? [Specific pain]. Here's the fix.

Surprise hook templates

Lead with the most unexpected thing that's true about you. These work best when the first shot shows the surprise.

1. This [product] is made from [surprising material or detail].
2. We [do something unusual] for every single [order / customer].
3. You've been [using / storing / doing] [thing] wrong. Here's how we do it.
4. This took us [real time] to make. Watch it in [seconds].
5. Our [product] has [small number] ingredients. Here's every one.
6. Wait until you see what happens when [product] meets [thing].
7. Most [industry] places [common habit]. We don't.

Offer and product hook ideas

Offer lines

When the offer is the news, just say it. Only use real dates, real stock and real extras.

1. [Offer] ends [real date]. That's the ad.
2. [Product] is back. Last time it sold out in [real time].
3. Your first [visit / box / order] comes with [real extra].
4. Buy [product], get [real bonus] while they last.
5. New this [week / season]: [product name].
6. The [season] [product] you asked for is here.
7. Order by [date] and it [arrives / is ready] for [occasion].

Product lines

These hook ideas for product videos open on the product doing its job. They pair well with clips you film yourself; our product video shot list covers what to shoot.

1. Here's what's inside the [product] box.
2. Three ways to use [product] you didn't think of.
3. Watch this [product] [do its main job] in [seconds].
4. This is how [product] [fits / packs / pours / opens].
5. Meet the [product] for people who [specific habit].
6. One [product], [number] [uses / flavors / colors].
7. This is the [product] customers ask about first.

“You” lines that call out your customer

Talk straight to the person you want to reach. Describe them by habit or situation, not by place.

1. You don't need [big expensive thing] to [result].
2. You, [time of day], [relatable situation]. Same.
3. If you [specific habit], this one's for you.
4. You've got [number] minutes. That's all [task] takes now.
5. You asked for [feature]. We made it.
6. You're one [order / visit / click] away from [plain result].
7. [Type of person], you're going to want to see this.

Once you have a hook you like, drop it into row one of our video ad script template and fill in the rest of the ad.

Test two hooks, keep the winner

You won't know your best opening line until real people see it. Keep the whole ad the same and change only the first few seconds. Run both with the same budget and audience, give them time, and keep the one people watch longer. Write the winner down. The same template often works again next season with new blanks.

Fill in the hooks yourself, or get the whole ad done

A good hook is the start, not the finish. You still need the rest of the script, a voice, music, captions and an end card. Doing it yourself usually means a video generator app, a voice app, an editing app, a stock music library and a caption app. Published plans for each kind of tool commonly run from about $6 to $40 a month; one example stack of five monthly plans we priced in October 2026 came to about $116 a month, or about $1,392 a year, before extra credits. See what DIY video ad tools really cost.

With a flat price, the hook is part of the job:

• Spokesperson ad, $349: 25 to 40 seconds, a friendly on-camera presenter (or your own photos) in a natural, phone-filmed style, with a script that has an attention-grabbing opening, captions, music and a QR end card.
• Extra opening version, $49: want to test two hooks? Get a second version with a different opening.
• Quick promo, $199: 15 seconds of bold animated text with voiceover, music and your offer.

Every video includes one revision. See the Spokesperson ad, compare all options on our pricing page, or order your video.