Scroll-Stopping Openers
Curiosity Spike
Exploits the information gap effect. The brain can't rest until it closes an open question, so the viewer cannot scroll away.
A curiosity spike drops a single, precisely shaped piece of incomplete information that the brain cannot ignore. It exploits the information gap — the distance between what the viewer knows and what they suddenly need to know. The gap is small enough to feel close, but wide enough that scrolling away feels like leaving money on the table.
Why This Works
George Loewenstein's information gap theory explains why: curiosity is not a desire for knowledge — it's an aversion to not knowing. The brain treats an open question like an itch. It allocates attention involuntarily until the gap closes. A well-placed spike makes scrolling away feel physically uncomfortable.
In Your Ads
Use this when you have a genuinely surprising insight, result, or piece of data. The spike works best at the very first moment — before context, before credentials, before anything. One incomplete revelation. Then withhold.
When This Breaks
When the gap is too wide ("Something incredible happened..."), it feels clickbaity and trust collapses. When it's too narrow, there's nothing to close.
Example
"There's a 3-second pattern hidden in every ad that outperformed yours last quarter." The viewer needs to know what the pattern is.
When To Use It
Use Curiosity Spike when your primary goal is stopping the scroll. This technique works in the first moments of a video ad, where you have roughly 2-3 seconds to earn the viewer's attention. It's the difference between being watched and being ignored.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
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