The 3-second rule is wrong. I tracked watch-time on 200 AI ads and here's what I found.
Everyone says "hook in 3 seconds." I dug into the data on a bunch of campaigns I've run, and the real cliff is at 1.2 seconds. If your first frame doesn't earn the next frame, nothing else matters.
Things that worked in frame 1:
A face mid-expression (not neutral, mid-laugh or mid-surprise)
Text overlay with a number ("I lost $4,200 doing this")
Unexpected object placement (product in a weird location)
Things that failed:
Logo intros (instant skip)
Wide establishing shots
Slow zooms
The first frame is the entire ad. Everything after is just delivery.
Curious what frame-1 tricks others have tested?
u/Thoughtleader_ — 18 hours ago