Ever watched a YouTube ad that had you so hooked you forgot to hit “Skip”?

I was analyzing some recent high-performing YouTube ads when something struck me: the most captivating ones weren’t using fancy new AI-generated scripts or cutting-edge psychology tricks. They were leveraging a copywriting framework that’s been quietly making millions since the 1990s

It’s like discovering that the hottest new chefs in town are all secretly using your grandmother’s recipe book.

When an ad begins with “This case will ruin your iPhone 16…” or “This caused more arguments than any product we’ve ever made…” – that’s not random. That’s strategic. That’s a master copywriter pulling strings that have been working for decades.

I’m talking about Michael Masterson’s “Great Leads” framework – a systematic approach to crafting the opening section of any sales message for maximum impact. In copywriting, the lead is the headline and initial paragraphs – that crucial hook that either grabs your audience or loses them forever.

What makes this framework so powerful? It’s the recognition that about 80% of an ad’s success comes from just the first 20% of the copy. Those opening moments are where the battle for attention is won or lost. As Masterson himself puts it, “You can’t sell to someone if they aren’t reading your copy.”

Read the whole article here.