The Gulf Hooks Bank: 30 Ad Openings (3-Second Hooks) to Stop the Scroll on TikTok and Reels

The takeaway: The opening is the first two or three seconds of an ad, and it decides whether a viewer keeps watching or scrolls. Here are 30 ready-to-use Gulf-dialect openings in 6 types: curiosity, problem, comparison, offer, personal experience and occasion. Adapt them to your product, test several openings of different types on the same message, and keep what actually stops your audience.

1. Curiosity hooks

1. "Why did nobody tell me about this before?"
2. "The secret every girl with great skin is using."
3. "This is the strangest thing I've bought this year… and the best."
4. "Don't keep watching if you don't like saving money."
5. "I saw this on TikTok and thought there's no way it works."

2. Problem hooks

6. "Tired of perfume that fades after an hour?"
7. "If your hair falls out in summer, hear me out."
8. "Every time I order online, it looks nothing like the photo… except this time."
9. "Jeddah's humidity ruining your makeup? Here's the solution."
10. "Your child won't eat? Try this."

3. Comparison hooks

11. "I compared it with a brand that costs three times as much."
12. "The difference between the original and the imitation in two seconds."
13. "Before and after just one week."
14. "I tried both… and this is the winner."
15. "Why pay more when this exists?"

4. Offer hooks

16. "This offer ends tonight."
17. "Buy one, get the second on us."
18. "Free delivery to every city in Saudi Arabia."
19. "The first 100 orders get a gift."
20. "A discount you only see at Eid."

5. Personal experience hooks

21. "I've been using it for a month, and here's my honest opinion."
22. "My mum was the one who recommended it."
23. "I bought it as a gift for my husband and ended up using it myself."
24. "I wasn't convinced… until I tried it."
25. "My morning routine in one minute."

6. Occasion hooks

26. "Ramadan preparations have started."
27. "A graduation gift they won't forget."
28. "You have to try this before your wedding."
29. "The winter perfume everyone asks about."
30. "Your suitcase isn't complete without it."

How do you use this bank?

Choose 5 openings from different types and pair them with the same message and closing. Track the percentage who watch the first 3 seconds and keep the best performers. Find the details in the testing matrix.

How do you adapt an opening for each platform?

The same opening needs a small change for each platform, because viewers reach it in a different setting: on TikTok among entertainment, on Snapchat among friends' stories, and on Reels among polished photos and clips. Keep the idea, change the pace and the first shot, and put the opening on screen as text on every platform.

• TikTok: an opening that feels like normal content, like someone talking to a friend.
• Snapchat: the product or offer in the first two seconds, at a fast pace.
• Reels: a striking image from the first frame, because viewers decide quickly.
• Also put the opening on screen as text for viewers watching without sound.

Snapchat has extra details on ad length and the shape of the opening, covered in our Snapchat ads guide for the Gulf.

What are the common mistakes when writing openings?

The most common opening mistake is starting with what matters to the advertiser instead of the viewer: the logo or store name instead of the problem or the product. Other mistakes are an exaggerated promise that disappoints within seconds, or a catchy opening unrelated to the rest of the video, so viewers stop and then leave without understanding the offer.

• Starting with the logo or store name instead of the problem or product.
• Exaggerated promises that disappoint viewers seconds later.
• An opening unrelated to the rest of the video.

How do you choose a hook by campaign goal?

Each hook type serves a different goal. Curiosity and problem hooks suit an audience that does not know you yet, while offer hooks suit people who have already seen your ads. Choosing the type by goal makes testing more precise, because you compare hooks aimed at the same stage.

App ads need openings built for installs; you will find them in our app-install ad guide.

How do you write a new hook from a winning one?

When a hook works, do not repeat it word for word until it tires. Keep the idea and change how it is said: the same problem in other words, the same question with a different face, or the same idea in another city's dialect. This extends the winning idea's life with fresh versions.

• Original hook: "Does your skin dry out in winter?"
• Rephrased: "Why does your skin flake every winter?"
• As a story: "I used to think all creams were the same…"
• As a comparison: "My old cream versus this one."

Frequently asked questions

Should I use these openings as they are? Use them as templates, and change the words to fit your product and your audience's dialect.

How many openings should I test per video? Several for the same message, then keep the best.

Do these openings work for English ads? The idea works, but rewrite the wording in English rather than translating it literally.

Should the hook be on screen or spoken? Both: say it clearly and write it on screen for people watching without sound.

Do hooks differ between Saudi Arabia and the UAE? Yes, in dialect and examples, so we write a version for each audience instead of translating literally.

Should I put the brand name in the opening? Usually not. The opening grabs attention with the problem or the benefit, and the brand name appears later in the ad and in the closing.

Can you write ready-made openings for my product? Yes. We write the openings inside the script in the dialect you need, and you approve them before production. You can also request a free sample video before paying.

Part of our approach to Scaling Ad Creative from 30 to 200 Videos per Month.