If you’re running traffic on Meta or YouTube, you know how important the hook is. 

If you can get them to stop, you can get them to watch. 

And if you can get them to watch, you can get them to click to the next step in the funnel. 

And once they’re at a stage, well, now they’re officially in your sales process.

And so, it becomes easier (not guaranteed) to turn them into a paying customer. 

But it all starts with the hook. The first few seconds of the ad. 

And sure, the visuals of an ad are very important, crucial even. But to get someone to stop in their tracks, it comes down to what is being said.

On top of what is being said, we also want to create intent in the hook as well.

Which is why I’m not a fan of those “viral hooks” that are super general (and super irrelevant to what we're selling). Because while they may stop someone in their tracks, they won’t create the required intention to watch, click, and ultimately, purchase.

And so, how do you get someone to intentionally stop their scrolling? 

At the core of it, you do it by presenting your message differently. 

That's not rocket science. 

Yet, if you take a look around, rarely do you actually see someone following this principle. 

Most of the ads our prospects see are a variation of what they've already heard, which is a big no bueno if we want to be greatly rewarded by the marketplace.

That’s why I’m a huge fan of contrarian hooks. 

Because they make it easier for us to be different in the marketplace.

And they’re also great for creating a “Wait, what?” or “Wtf?” reaction, which is one of my FAVORITE reactions to “cast” on prospects.

These hooks, when executed properly,y are worth their weight in gold, which you’ll see in this article.

What Is a Contrarian Hook?

Two variations:

1) Taking a current hot topic / trend of your market and going AGAINST that.

2) Taking a common belief people in your market have and going AGAINST that.

BUT.

You have to go against the trend / belief AND present it in a new or exciting way.

For example:

Saying “Do NOT invest in the S&P 500 if you want to get rich” is a WEAK contrarian hook.

Why? Because while, yes, it goes against the common advice, it’s also not new and exciting enough.

Remember the “perfect” reaction to a hook is “Wait, what?” or “Wtf?” while also being new, exciting, and believable.

Tapping Into Cognitive Heuristics

Cognitive heuristics are mental shortcuts that help humans make fast decisions and solve problems without using too much brain energy.

There are different forms of it, but let’s focus on “representativeness heuristics.”

This is where we make snap judgments about something (or someone) by placing it into a category based on its surface appearance.

Examples:

We see a vegetable, and assume it's healthy.

Coffee gives us energy.

Drinking milk gives you strong bones.

Diversifying your portfolio is a safe investment strategy.

Using hand sanitizer kills germs. 

Shampooing our hair keeps it clean.

Incognito mode keeps your browsing private.

Running helps us lose weight.

Reading books gives you knowledge.

Lotion moisturizes the skin.

Brushing our teeth is good for our oral health. 

Sunscreen protects us from the sun.

AND SO ON.

These are ultra BASIC “beliefs” humans have, and they don’t get "challenged" very often.

And these beliefs don’t just occur in basic everyday life.

They also occur specifically in our market, whether it’s health, beauty, fitness, finance, investing, supplements, self-help, relationships, and so on.

For every niche, there is a set of “beliefs” our prospects have about the problem they are experiencing, what the solution is, what can be one, what is true, etc. 

Our job is to “challenge” that common belief/advice IN THE HOOK (not necessarily in the entire ad).

But instead of just talking about it, let’s write some examples.

Amateur vs Expert Execution of the Contrarian Hook

“AVOID Ozempic or GLP-1s if you want to lose weight.”

“Do NOT invest in the S&P 500 if you want to get rich.”

“Throw your collagen powder in the TRASH if you want smooth and youthful skin.”

This is "amateur execution” of the contrarian hook. Why? Because if you look at the above hooks, they’re not that juicy. 

And they’re not that different either, are they? 

The people in these markets have already heard similar claims.

There is no excitement either. No “exotic” element. No sexiness. I can go on and on about why these hooks are “ok” but not worldclass.

Contrarian Hook Example 1 - Female Weight Loss

“Here is why counting calories is actually BLOCKING women over 40 from losing weight.”

If I count calories, I will lose weight. That’s the common belief. You can also switch counting calories to cardio, going to the gym, restricting carbs, etc.

Now, I don’t think the above hook is super juicy. It’s alright, but not worldclass.

So we can switch it to a common trend right now, which would be GLP-1s.

“Here is why GLP-1s are actually BLOCKING women over 40 from losing weight.”

I’ve struck it through because I don’t love this hook. 

Why? Because these peptides are riding such a positive wave right now. 

It's everywhere, in the news, celebrities are taking it, and it is helping people lose weight. 

And it’s fast, easy, and requires little to “no work,” which are some of the ingredients for a gangbuster product.

So if I were to go against Ozempic and similar products, here is how I would do it:

“GLP-1s for losing weight? While the number on the scale will often go down, what a lot of women don’t know is that it can actually BLOCK them from getting their dream slim figure.”

Or a slightly longer version:

“GLP-1s for losing weight? The results can often be fast and fantastic, but here is what they DON’T tell you about the hidden risks, and how it can actually BLOCK women from getting their dream body, a slim figure that will have husbands - yours and others - turning their heads at you. Especially once you slip back into that favorite piece of clothing of yours, because now it will be fitting you perfectly, showcasing the world your best, most confident self.  

See what we did there?

We didn’t necessarily deny the “success” of GLP-1s.

But we “flipped” it and said it may not give them the TRUE OUTCOME they want (a slim figure).

We keep it somewhat open ended because some women want to lose fat around their belly, others around their thighs or arms. You can go super narrow on the type of weight loss, but it’ll have less of a “mass market” appeal or scale.

The second (longer) version is more specific. And more "primal." Actually, I got a bit carried away (lol) and almost turned into a full lead, not just a hook. But still, this style works, if it’s delivered correctly.

And then from there, there are plenty of ways we can continue going against GLP-1s. 

We can talk about the risks, how the weight will come back, how you will lose weight in the “wrong places,” how this affects women over 40, their hormones, how it tanks your metabolism, how it gives women this “starved” look, how it doesn't actually give you the true confidence every time you look in the mirror because of XYZ reasons, and so on.

I can go on and on. There are SO MANY ways to turn the above hook into a banger ad.

Contrarian Hook Example 2 - Men’s Dating

“What if I told you that coming off as *slightly* creepy will actually HELP YOU get women?”

This is a wild one, I know. But hear me out. The #1 “fear” guys have in this niche is “coming off as a creep.” So when they hear something like the above line, it’s like “Wait what?” 

What we’re essentially doing is taking something the guys in the market don’t want (coming off as creepy) and using that word in the hook. 

Then in the next few lines, you go into how a lot of guys are afraid to show INTENT (having a man-to-woman interaction). And how these guys MISTAKE this intent for “being creepy” which is not true at all. 

And then you go into saying how showing your “intent” shows confidence and courage, which will automatically make you seen as more attractive to the women they talk to.

You can also switch from “creepy” to “nice guy” which is another huge sticking point for guys in the market.

“Most men think being a “nice guy” is what stops them from getting the girl they want, but what if I told you the nice guy actually DOES get the “best” girl? Here’s how...”

There are so many ways you can go against the grain in this niche. 

Another hook could be:

“Just get off the dating apps and meet women in real life, right? I don’t think so. Here’s the exact 9-word opener that automatically “filters” for the type of women YOU want instead.”

A lot of the “common advice” is telling guys to get off the apps and go meet girls in real life.

Coffee shops, the library, grocery stores, etc.

Not bad advice. But also, not great at stopping the scroll.

So you could also open with:

“Here’s why meeting girls at coffee shops is actually a terrible idea if you want a long-term girlfriend.”

It’s so easy to flip this once you get the hang of it, especially when you know what’s going on in your market, what’s being said, the trends, and what people are promoting.

Contrarian Hook Example 3 - Feminine Balance

Below is a hook I came up with for a feminine hygiene brand:

“Here’s why you should NEVER eat pineapple if you want your kitty to smell good”.

The reason this works is because it goes against the most common advice AND the trend.

The “trend” is the pineapple gummies that a lot of brands are promoting right now. 

And the common “advice” is to drink pineapple juice before meeting your boyfriend or 

girlfriend. 

This is what people “believe” and you’ll see it on TikTok, social media, forums, etc. 

So first we’re being contrarian and going against that.

And just like that, we’re off to the direct response races, explaining how it’s not pineapple doing the “magic," it’s actually bromelain.

Of course, there is way more that goes into transitioning from a contrarian hook to a great ad that scales. I’m not going to share or focus on entire ads. This article is hooks only.

Contrarian Hook Example 4 - Gut Health 

“This is a tomato. Think it’s good for you? Think again.”

I remember GundryMD running this for months at the start of their VSL a few years ago. 

It’s quite simple. Almost a little too “basic.” But still, a great contrarian hook. Especially when it’s coming from a Doctor in a white coat 😁

When I looked at their ad library today (Aug 2026), I didn’t see any magnificent contrarian hooks. 

But one I did like was: “Have some olive oil before bed? And your sleeping partner will LOVE you for it.”

Again, it’s not really contrarian, but it has that “Wait what?” feeling to it, which I like.

Contrarian Hook Example 5 - Financial/Crypto 

Here’s a BANGER hook from an offer I used to work on:

“My old high school buddy, a 32 year old college-dropout idiot, uses “yield farming” to outperform the world’s best hedge funds.”

Then the next line goes into “I can’t even believe I’m saying that...” to handle the obvious objection that comes up from hearing something like that.

This offer did multiple 8 figures, and in my opinion, one of the best offers in the last decade.

There is a HUGE contrast, and if you saw the visuals on this ad, and how it’s being presented, you’d immediately see why it “caught” millions of people, and made them stop the scroll.

Now, I will say, this hook itself is slightly less “contrarian.” It’s leaning more towards that contrast (‘dropout idiot’ vs ‘best hedge funds’).

BUT, the rest of the ad is very much contrarian, going against ‘mainstream financial advisors’ and more. So that’s why I included it.

I also included it because it has that “Wait what, wtf?” feel to it. Which again, is exactly what you want at the start of an ad to get attention and stop the scroll.

The Hook Is Contrarian, Not The Entire Ad 

You don’t need to make your entire ad or sales argument around the contrarian take. 

You could (if it makes for a great mechanism). But it’s not a requirement.

What we’re really doing here is stopping people in their tracks by being different.

And by saying something that’s slightly "outrageous.”

How you transition from the hook into a compelling ad is up to you. 

And it’s something every great advertiser, copywriter, marketer knows how to do.

Namaste.