Many are intrigued by the latest trends or aspire to emulate major brands. At Hook Point, we guide individuals away from merely chasing trends or imitating brands. Instead, we emphasize the importance of discovering robust storytelling frameworks that can compellingly convey their message to a broad audience. Occasionally, a brand will astonish us by pinpointing the ideal storytelling framework and mastering its nuances. Suddenly, everything falls into place, leading to viral success. The reality is, they are not just following trends; they have stumbled upon a winning formula.
A great example of an effective format right now is the "Man on the Street" content. Immi Ramen has nailed this with its series @ramenonthestreet. The setup is absurd: a mascot dressed as a ramen noodles packet roams the city, asking strangers deep questions about life, relationships, and meaningful memories. The juxtaposition of the silly costume and heartfelt stories makes for captivating content. For instance, check out this video with 2.2 million views:
Ramen on the Street
Let’s break down why this video is so engaging. It comes down to the performance drivers—specific elements in videos that really ramp up their success.
Performance Driver One - The Hook: The stranger opens a curiosity gap by saying, “for something to happen to someone like her…” This makes us wonder, "What happened?" and keeps us watching to find out.
Performance Driver Two - Storytelling: We learn about the stranger’s backstory with her cousin, their dreams of moving to London together, and the sad news of her cousin's death. Her story pulls us in, making us eager to hear the ending.
Performance Driver Three - Pacing: Well-timed b-roll footage during key moments helps us understand the personalities involved and deepens the emotional impact, more than just keeping the camera on the stranger’s face.
Performance Driver Four - Viewer Connection: At a particularly sad moment, the host sensitively asks if the stranger wants to keep discussing it. This considerate gesture humanizes the video and gives the audience a moral perspective, especially when the stranger says, “It’s important to talk about the people you’ve lost because it keeps them around.”
Finally, the video wraps up with a touching tone shift. The stranger finishes with a quote: “Linger in the doorway. You can’t linger all night, but it’s okay to take a second to look back, just in case.” This perfect ending makes you want to rewatch and share the video.
This format isn’t about selling ramen noodles. It’s about building trust and credibility with an online audience through memorable, enjoyable, and even heart-rending content that people want to watch, like, and share.
Now that’s a trend worth following.
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