Anticipation = Engagement

This week, I'm sharing a video from a creator friend, Phil Cohen. It's a POV of him pressing a BMW logo that initiates a self-building car. On Instagram, it took off immediately - and now has 87M views.

First, let's admire Phil's creativity and technical ability. He's wildly talented and has mastered integrating CG elements into real-world environments.

But there's something simpler going on with this video that I think you can learn from and apply to your own: ANTICIPATION.

Within the first 2 seconds of the video, Phil sets the stage by pressing a button that magically transforms into a car tire.

As a viewer, that's all you need to know. In 2 seconds, there's 100% clarity on what's going to happen in the rest of the video: a car is going to magically build itself. You don't even need to recognize the BMW logo.

And that's the hook. You know what's going to happen, but you don't know how it's going to happen.

✨ Immediate clarity paired with curiosity is what keeps you watching.

Grabbing attention online has become synonymous with clickbait and shouting the loudest in a crowded room. So it's refreshing to see clear, creative storytelling score a win.

Phil's video is a perfect example of how a bit of narrative structure can turbocharge an already clever idea.

(I have a much longer post about utilizing anticipation HERE)