# Hooks, styles and settings

The hook is the whole ad. Most viewers decide inside 1.5 seconds, and no amount of
production quality rescues a weak opening beat.

## Style → hook → setting

The style the user names is a *hint* that shapes two picks. Carry their words forward.

| Style | Hook leans | Setting leans | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| **unboxing** | First-reveal, anticipation, hands-first | Home, desk, bedroom — personal space | A showroom setting kills it; it must look like their actual room |
| **review** | Verdict-first, a claim to defend | At a table, face-forward, natural light | Must not imply real ownership — see the truth gate |
| **tutorial** | Problem-first, "here's how I…" | Wherever the task happens — kitchen, desk, bathroom | The product must visibly do the thing being taught |
| **testimonial** | Before/after, transformation | Neutral, well-lit, face-forward | Highest synthetic-testimonial risk. No invented results |
| **demo** | Capability-first, "watch this" | Clean, product-focused, uncluttered | Show the mechanism, not the packaging |
| **hyper-motion** | Kinetic, no talking head, fast cuts | Studio or abstract | Needs a product that reads at speed; fails on small detail |

## Proven hook patterns

These templates come from ImagineArt's own creator pipeline and have measured performance.
Fill the variables from the user's product and audience.

| Pattern | Template | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| **Count list** | `{count} ways to {outcome} (that no one tells you)` | High CTR. Keep the count odd — 3, 5, 7. Best for tactical content |
| **Retrospective** | `I wish I knew this before {milestone}` | Nostalgia plus relatability. Strong for advice and category education |
| **Pattern interrupt** | `Stop doing {habit} if you're a {persona}` | High scroll-stop rate. Avoid sounding preachy |
| **Truth bomb** | `Nobody tells you {uncomfortable_truth} when you {action}` | High share rate. Keep it honest, not cynical |
| **Contrarian** | `{contrarian_claim} — and I'll prove it` | Drives comments. **At most one per batch** |
| **Day in the life** | `What a {timeframe} as a {role} actually looks like` | High completion rate, pairs well with b-roll |

## Choosing without a questionnaire

When the user has already described the product and style, **don't present the whole picker
list and ask them to scan it.** Name the one or two entries that match what they said, and
let the picker confirm. A flow that asks six questions loses people before the generation.

## Setting: match use, not aspiration

The most common setting mistake is choosing the most expensive-looking option. Match where
the product is genuinely used:

- A kitchen gadget belongs in a lived-in kitchen with other things on the counter
- A laptop stand belongs on a real desk with cables visible
- Skincare belongs in a bathroom, not a spa

Slight mess reads as real. Perfect staging reads as an ad, and the whole point of the
format is that it doesn't.

## Cost discipline

Duration and resolution both multiply cost, and variations multiply it again. When someone
asks for "a bunch of versions", quote the rough cost **before** generating, not after.