> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stefanbrain.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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# Develop more original hooks and turn one into an ad

> Use specific creative direction, a voice reference, and focused revisions to turn a hook bank into a complete script.

## Video walkthrough

<video className="w-full h-auto rounded-xl" controls preload="metadata" playsInline poster="/images/tutorials/covers/develop-original-hooks-and-ad-copy.png" aria-label="Stefan demonstrates developing original hooks and ad copy" alt="Stefan develops hooks and ad copy in Chat">
  <source src="https://stefanbrain.com/api/video/adaptive/tutorials/develop-original-hooks-and-ad-copy/full-frame-2026-09-23.mp4" type="video/mp4" />

  <a href="https://stefanbrain.com/api/video/adaptive/tutorials/develop-original-hooks-and-ad-copy/full-frame-2026-09-23.mp4">Watch Stefan's hooks and ad copy walkthrough</a>
</video>

[Watch on Loom](https://www.loom.com/share/ca4aad4759a2456d9bc4c907b5c9992a)

## The result you want

Build a bank of 20 hooks, push beyond the obvious ideas, and develop one into a script that sounds right for your audience.

Stefan's approach is to give the next round a clearer creative direction—not keep asking for “better copy.” Once you choose a hook, use a separate reference for voice and an outline for the story.

## Practical use cases

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Your hooks all sound alike" icon="sparkles">
    Explore different situations and story openings so you have more than headline rewrites to choose from.
  </Card>

  <Card title="The idea works, but the voice doesn't" icon="message-circle">
    Use a reference script for tone while keeping your own Product facts, audience, and offer.
  </Card>

  <Card title="The script takes too long to get going" icon="scissors">
    Cut repetition and slow setup without losing the hook or the point of the story.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Before you start

Have your Product details, intended audience, ad format, and a reference script whose voice you like.

Open [Chat](https://stefanbrain.com/chat), select the relevant Product, and attach your voice reference. Add any missing audience or offer details before asking for hooks.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Generate the first hook bank">
    Select the intended Product and explain the kind of ad you are writing. A conversational talking-to-camera ad needs a different opening from a static headline.

    Use the first batch to find promising directions:

    ```text wrap theme={"system"}
    Give me 20 distinct cold-traffic hooks for the selected Product, aimed at [audience]. These are for [ad format]. Use the Product details for the offer and facts. Vary the situations and opening approaches, not just the wording.
    ```

    Read for ideas you could actually develop. Ask: what story would follow this opening, and why would this audience care?
  </Step>

  <Step title="Give the next round a specific direction">
    If the batch feels familiar, change the creative brief. Stefan's follow-up asks for problem-aware openings built around unexpected situations, curiosity, and open loops.

    Use this to explore another 20 directions:

    ```text wrap theme={"system"}
    Let's do 20 more. Assume the audience is problem-aware. Get more unusual with the situations: interesting moments, high curiosity, and open loops. Keep the connection to the Product clear. Avoid repeating the first batch.
    ```

    An open loop gives the reader a reason to find out what happens next. It still needs an answer in the ad.

    Before selecting a hook, check any story, quotation, result, or Product claim it introduces. Replace invented customer experiences with material you can support.

    If an interesting premise contains an invented event, keep the creative direction and change the framing:

    ```text wrap theme={"system"}
    The situation in hook [number] is interesting, but that customer story did not happen. Keep the underlying tension and rewrite it as a question or scenario, without presenting it as a real testimonial.
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the speaker and supply a voice reference">
    Select one hook before asking for a full script. Specify who is speaking and how the ad should feel.

    A voice reference is not a source for your Product's ingredients, results, price, or offer. Tell Chat which part of the reference to use.

    Use this request to check the story before drafting:

    ```text wrap theme={"system"}
    Develop hook [number] as a conversational talking-to-camera ad from [speaker] for [audience].

    Use the attached script for voice and tone only. Its brand and Product are different. Use our Product details for the facts and offer.

    Outline the ad first. Show how the opening leads into the problem, the Product, and the CTA. Wait for my feedback before writing the script.
    ```

    Read the outline for a connected argument. If the opening creates curiosity about one thing but the body explains another, fix that connection now.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Draft, then make a focused cut">
    When the outline fits, turn it into complete spoken copy:

    ```text wrap theme={"system"}
    Write the full script from this outline in the voice of the reference. Keep the selected hook and our offer details. Return the complete spoken copy.
    ```

    Read it aloud. Mark repeated ideas, slow setup, and sentences the speaker would not naturally say.

    Use a focused revision to shorten the draft:

    ```text wrap theme={"system"}
    Shorten this to about [word count] words. Cut repeated setup and explanations. Keep the selected hook, the essential Product facts, the transition into the offer, and the CTA. Return the full revised script.
    ```

    Check the actual timing after the revision; a word-count request does not establish the final runtime.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Carry the selected version into production">
    Save the full script, not a collection of selected fragments. Keep the hook, body, and CTA together.

    When you move to another Chat or workspace, copy the finished text and bring the relevant references with it. Include the decisions the next step needs.

    For a production handoff with visual notes and assets, follow [Turn a reference ad into a script your editor can use](/knowledge-base/chat/write-and-generate-ads#create-one-complete-editor-brief).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

* [Give Chat the right context](/knowledge-base/chat/give-chat-the-right-context)
* [Review copy with Copy Chief](/knowledge-base/creative-strategist-research/review-copy-with-copy-chief)


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