Hormozi’s Ads Are Impossible to Ignore (Here’s Why)

What's up, Marketers! This is Aazar.

This newsletter is about leveling up your paid growth marketing skills by analyzing the best brands' paid strategy, tactics, positioning, and value props.

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• Sharing what I've learned

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• And I analyze & compare the best ads on the internet (this issue)

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If there’s one person who fits the line “Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him,” it’s Alex Hormozi.

He doesn’t just know marketing. He lives it.

Most people know him for his books, podcasts, and bold frameworks.

But behind the scenes, his team is running paid ads for Skool, quietly crushing it.

And just like him, his ads are impossible to ignore.

These ads are built on deep psychology, sharp storytelling, and scroll-stopping hooks.

The kind of ads that make you pause, watch, and think: “Damn, I need to try this.”

So today, I’m breaking down Hormozi’s Skool’s best-performing ads, why they work, and what you can borrow for your own campaigns.

Let’s dive in.

Ad #1 – The “Lemons Into Lemonade” Hook

What stands out

• No talking head, it opens with action.

• He’s tossing lemons, slicing them, melting chocolate, and making dessert.

• Voiceover tells a completely different story about trying Skool.

• The contrast feels fresh, not like a typical “make money online” ad.

Why it works

• Pattern disruption: Most ads start with words. This starts with action.

• Incongruence effect: Visuals don’t match the narration, and that mismatch makes you lean in.
  Dual coding: Your brain gets the message two ways (visual + verbal), which makes it stick.

• Payoff: At the 3-second mark, the “lemons into lemonade” line ties it all together. Smooth, satisfying, and memorable.

What you can learn

• Don’t just “tell” your story, show it. Even if the visuals aren’t literally related, they can amplify curiosity and attention.

• Start with action, not explanation. Movement grabs the scroll.

• Payoffs matter. Tease curiosity in the first few seconds, then resolve it in a way that feels rewarding.

This ad is just smart storytelling layered on top of simple visuals. That’s why it works so well.

Ad #2 – The “Cold & Lonely Business” Hook

What stands out

• Opens with the line: “It was cold and dark and lonely in my business…”

• The visuals match perfectly. She’s in a cold, dim setting.

• The scene sets an emotional tone right away.

• You don’t just hear the struggle, you feel it.

• And later, the scene shifts perfectly well to suit the emotions.

Why it works

• Embodied cognition: The cold visuals make the “cold and lonely” line real, not abstract.

• Emotional anchoring: Starting with pain hooks you. Your brain wants to know the resolution.

• Contrast principle: When Skool is introduced, the mood shifts from dark → light. The relief feels stronger because the struggle was dramatized first.

What you can learn

• Don’t be afraid to dramatize the pain point. Use metaphors, environments, or visuals that make the struggle tangible.

• Lean into contrast. If you want your solution to feel bright, show the darkness first.

• Your story doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be felt.

This ad works because it makes you experience the problem before presenting the solution. That’s classic storytelling. And it’s why people watch till the end.

Ad #3 – The Literal Metaphor Hook

What stands out

• Opens with him literally climbing out of a trash can.

• He says: “My life used to be trash…”

• The metaphor is blunt, funny, and hard to ignore.

• From the first frame, you know this ad won’t be boring.

Why it works

• Contrast bias: Actual trash exaggerates the “before” state, making the “after” feel even bigger.

• Pattern disruption: Nobody expects an ad to start with a dumpster shot. Scroll-stopping by default.

• Humor + relatability: Extreme metaphor, but real sentiment. Many feel stuck in “trash” jobs.

• Lifestyle payoff: When he says, “Now I can wake up at 10 a.m. and still get paid…” the visuals flip to freedom and fun. The contrast is great.

What you can learn

• Take your before/after story and exaggerate it visually. Hyper-literal often beats clever.

• Use humor. A little absurdity makes your ad sticky.

• Strong contrast = strong impact. The bigger the gap between the pain and payoff, the more compelling the story.

This is a classic “show, don’t tell” hook, and that’s what makes it unforgettable.

Ad #4 – The “Mom Hook” Ad

What stands out

• Opens with a mom feeding her baby.

• Nothing staged. Just a raw, everyday moment.

• The baby looks straight into the camera while eating.

• Too human and too real to scroll past.

Why it works

• Mirror neuron effect: Babies trigger an instinctive pause. Faces, especially kids', pull attention fast.

• Relatability bias: Moms instantly connect. Non-moms still watch because it feels natural and unpolished.

• Community framing: Her story isn’t “make money,” it’s “don’t feel isolated.” Skool is framed as belonging, not just software.

What you can learn

• Use natural, everyday moments in your ads. They feel more authentic than polished shoots.

• Lean into identity hooks. Calling out a role (like “mom”) makes the ad resonate deeply with a specific audience.

• Community > product. Sometimes, selling connection is more powerful than selling features.

This ad is simple but genius. The relatability keeps you. And the community angle sells you.

Ad #5 – The “Poop-to-Profit” Ad

What stands out

• Opens with: “Make $64,000 per month picking up dog poop.”

• Visuals show coins dropping out as a dog poops.

• Absurd. Ridiculous. Impossible to ignore.

• You have to stick around just to see if it’s real.

Why it works

• Absurdity bias: The claim is so extreme your brain can’t ignore it.

• Specific math: $64k/month sounds crazy. Until they show 900 × $69. Suddenly, it feels legit.

• Stacked proof: They show chess, beekeeping, martial arts, AI. One crazy story becomes part of a bigger trend.

• Curiosity gap: If poop pays, what could your passion make?

What you can learn

• Start with an outrageous hook. Don’t play it safe. Make people stop, even if it feels a little weird.

• Use specific numbers to back up bold claims. Specifics build trust where generalities don’t.

• Showcase range. One wild example is good, but stacking multiple niches (poop, chess, AI, etc.) makes the opportunity feel endless.

This ad wins because it takes something gross and turns it into gold. Literally. 

And it proves the bigger point, if people can profit from poop, then anyone can start a Skool.

Big Takeaways from Hormozi’s Skool Ads

• Start with an action or something unusual to grab attention.

• Use contrast: show the pain first, then the transformation.

• Relatable, everyday moments beat polished production.

• Absurd hooks work when backed with specific proof.

• The real sell is community, not just software.

• Visual metaphors make abstract ideas instantly clear (lemons, trash, poop → transformation).

• Specific numbers and math make wild claims believable.

• Identity hooks (“mom,” “DJ,” “entrepreneur”) create instant connection with the right audience.

• Humor + exaggeration keeps ads memorable without losing credibility.

• Simple stories, told well, beat complicated explanations every time.

Thanks to our partners who support this newsletter.

Happy Growing with Paid Social,

Aazar Shad

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