Sometimes you don’t need a new video. You just need a better hook.
That’s exactly what happened with one of our clients — a skincare brand running steady Meta ads with decent results. With one change, we turned their best-performing ad into a top converter.
The setup
The ad was already working:
Solid product demo
Clean UGC with creator speaking to camera
Clear CTA: “Get yours today”
But performance started to dip. ROAS was flat, and cost per purchase kept creeping up.
The original hook
The ad opened with:
“I’ve been using this serum for a month now…”
It wasn’t bad — but it wasn’t grabbing attention either. Too soft. Too slow.
The change
We kept everything else the same. Just changed the first 3 seconds to:
“You’re wasting money if your serum looks like this”
It hit harder. Created curiosity. Felt urgent.
The result
CPP dropped by 38%
CTR increased by 44%
ROAS improved by 1.5x
Same audience, same spend, better scroll-stopping power
Why it worked
It hit a pain point fast
It called out a common mistake
It created contrast and visual curiosity
It made the viewer feel like they might be missing something
Takeaway
The first 3 seconds make or break the rest. Don’t settle for a soft intro just because the ad is already doing okay. Test new hooks — even on old content — and you might unlock a major win.
Want to avoid the five most common video ad mistakes?