How To Use The “Friend Formula” In Your Ads

After studying Hungryroot's hybrid meal delivery service, which combines personalized groceries with simple 10-20 minute recipes, I can see exactly why this ad script is a success.

Let's break down each section so you can steal these techniques for your ads.

Watch the ad here: How To Use The “Friend Formula” In Your Ads

"As a mom that doubles as the family chef, I used to dread dinner time.”

This opening creates instant connection with overwhelmed parents while setting up a transformation story.

This hook is trying to catch the right people while making everyone else self-select out.

The phrase "doubles as" is doing heavy psychological lifting here. When someone says they "double as" something, they're essentially saying that they are being forced to do two jobs that should require different people.

The structure "I used to..." automatically makes your brain wait for "but now..." This creates an open loop that keeps people watching to see how the story ends.

"I used to spend hours every week planning meals, making grocery lists, and running to the store.”

This breaks down the problem into specific steps that waste time, making viewers realize how much effort they're actually spending.

Most people don't think about meal planning as taking "hours." They just do it automatically.

But when you list out all the steps - planning, list-making, shopping - suddenly they're calculating the real time cost.

The three-step breakdown makes each viewer mentally check off. This makes the problem feel three times worse than they initially thought.

Map out every annoying micro-step your customers currently go through. Don't just say "project management was hard." Say "I used to spend hours every week updating spreadsheets, chasing people for updates, and creating status reports.”

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"Now everything is planned for me, and I get healthy groceries and personalized recipes delivered right to my door.”

This creates maximum contrast by showing the exact opposite of every problem mentioned in the previous section.

"Everything is planned for me" eliminates all the mental work. Notice the passive language; she's not doing anything, it's being done FOR her. This sounds effortless and magical.

"Right to my door" means she doesn't have to go anywhere or do anything. The solution comes to her safe space.

"Healthy" and "personalized" address the two biggest concerns: "Is this junk food?" and "Will this work for my family's needs?"

Address quality concerns upfront with words like "premium," "expert-backed," "personalized," or "tailored.”

“With Hungry Root, I can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes. Plus, all of the recipes are backed by nutrition experts and tailored to fit any dietary needs.”

This eliminates the two biggest remaining objections - speed and quality concerns.

"20 minutes" is the perfect promise. It's fast enough to feel impressive but not so fast that it sounds fake. If they said "5 minutes," you'd think it's processed junk.

"Backed by nutrition experts" gives authority without being intimidating. It's not just convenient food. It's expert-approved, convenient food.

"Any dietary needs" makes everyone feel included. Whether you have allergies, preferences, or picky kids, "any" suggests this works for your specific situation.

And that's exactly why I decided to call this newsletter "How to Use the Friend Formula"

Because when I first watched this Hungryroot ad, I didn't even realize I was being sold to until the very end.

It felt like my neighbor telling me about something amazing she discovered, not a company trying to get my money.

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