Guide
Problem agitate solve video ad: the problem, its cost, then your fix
A problem agitate solve (PAS) video ad names one problem, shows what it costs the viewer, then offers your product as the fix. Below you get the structure, an example script and hook lines.
In short
- A problem agitate solve ad names one problem, shows what it costs the viewer, then shows your product as the fix.
- A PAS video ad works best at 30 to 45 seconds. The example script below runs 40 seconds.
- It suits problems your buyer can already describe, like back pain at a desk or invoices that go out late.
- The most common mistake is agitating too long. About 8 seconds on the cost is enough.
- length of the example script below
- 40 s
- parts, from the hook to the ask
- 6
- the most time to spend agitating
- 8 s
What is a problem agitate solve video ad?
A PAS ad is a short video of one person talking to the camera. It moves in three steps: the problem, what it costs, and your product as the fix.
- The problem is one pain the viewer already has, said in their own words.
- The agitate part is two or three sentences on what that pain costs them this week.
- The solve part shows your product as the way out, with one proof point and one clear ask.
- PAS comes from direct-response copywriting. As a video ad it usually runs 30 to 45 seconds in a vertical 9:16 frame.
- The order matters. If viewers do not feel the problem in the first 10 seconds, they scroll away before the fix.
How to structure a problem agitate solve ad
Split 40 seconds into six parts. Each part has one job.
- Keep the agitate part to about 8 seconds. Any longer and the viewer feels lectured and swipes away.
- Give the solve part the most time, about 12 seconds, because it carries the product and the proof.
- Read your script aloud with a timer. At a normal pace of 130 to 145 words a minute, 40 seconds fits 87 to 97 words.
A problem agitate solve ad in 40 seconds
Six parts. The agitate part stays under 8 seconds.
Hook
0-3 s. The problem as a number or a scene
Problem
3-10 s. What they already tried
Agitate
10-18 s. What it costs them by Friday
Real cause
18-22 s. Why the old fixes failed
Solve
22-34 s. Your product and one proof point
Ask
34-40 s. The price and one action
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Example script: a 40-second PAS ad
This made-up example sells a desk timer. Each row is one part of the structure above.
PAS example script for a desk timer
97 words. Read at a brisk, natural pace, it runs about 40 seconds.
| Part | Time | What you say |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0-3 s | Your back hurts by three, and your chair cost four hundred dollars. |
| Problem | 3-10 s | You bought the ergonomic chair. You raised the monitor. You still stand up stiff. |
| Agitate | 10-18 s | So you stretch for a week, then stop. The ache is back on Monday. By Friday you are working from the sofa. |
| Real cause | 18-22 s | The chair was never the issue. Sitting still for four hours was. |
| Solve | 22-34 s | This timer clips to your screen and buzzes every thirty minutes. Stand, reach, sit. After two weeks, the afternoon ache is the first to go. |
| Ask | 34-40 s | It is nineteen dollars. Tap below and try it for a month. |
Part: Hook
- Time
- 0-3 s
- What you say
- Your back hurts by three, and your chair cost four hundred dollars.
Part: Problem
- Time
- 3-10 s
- What you say
- You bought the ergonomic chair. You raised the monitor. You still stand up stiff.
Part: Agitate
- Time
- 10-18 s
- What you say
- So you stretch for a week, then stop. The ache is back on Monday. By Friday you are working from the sofa.
Part: Real cause
- Time
- 18-22 s
- What you say
- The chair was never the issue. Sitting still for four hours was.
Part: Solve
- Time
- 22-34 s
- What you say
- This timer clips to your screen and buzzes every thirty minutes. Stand, reach, sit. After two weeks, the afternoon ache is the first to go.
Part: Ask
- Time
- 34-40 s
- What you say
- It is nineteen dollars. Tap below and try it for a month.
Hook lines for a PAS ad
Open on the problem, with a detail only someone who has it would know. Fill in the brackets with your own details.
- Your [problem] shows up by [time], and you already paid [amount] to fix it.
- You have tried [fix one] and [fix two]. It still [symptom].
- If [specific scene] happened to you this week, watch this.
- Example: Your back hurts by three, and your chair cost four hundred dollars.
Where to put b-roll and captions
Keep your face on screen for the lines where viewers decide whether to trust you. Use b-roll where a picture explains faster than words.
- Your face works best on the hook, the real cause and the ask, because those lines decide whether the viewer believes you.
- While you agitate, show clips of the fixes the viewer already tried. A picture shows the problem faster than a sentence.
- While you present the fix, show your own product clips, so the viewer sees what they would buy.
- Burn the captions into the video, so it still makes sense with the sound off.
- Keep the captions near the middle of the frame. Reels, TikTok and Shorts all put buttons and names along the edges.
B-roll while you agitate
A clip of look-alike products plays while you talk about the fixes the viewer already tried.
Common problem agitate solve mistakes
Most weak PAS ads fail in the middle. The problem is vague, so the agitate part has nothing to push on.
- Agitating for 20 seconds loses people. About 8 seconds is enough, and the rest of the time belongs to the product.
- Naming three problems in one ad blurs all of them. Use one problem per ad and make a separate video for each of the others.
- Leaving out proof makes the fix sound like a promise. Give one number, one timeframe or one sentence from a customer.
- Skipping the real cause makes your product look like the fourth thing to try. Say in one sentence why the old fixes failed.
When to use a problem agitate solve ad
PAS works when the buyer knows the problem but has not found the fix yet.
- It suits everyday pains people can name, like back pain at a desk, a dog that pulls on the lead or invoices paid late.
- Online shops can use it for any product that replaces a daily annoyance.
- Service businesses can use it when clients usually come to them after trying two other fixes.
- Skip it for a brand-new type of product. If nobody feels the problem yet, the agitate part sounds like fake drama. A demo works better.
Where a PAS ad works
| Platform | Best use | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels and TikTok | Paid ad | The hook has to make sense to a stranger who has never heard of you |
| YouTube Shorts | Unpaid post | Swap the hard sell at the end for a pointer to the link on your channel |
Platform: Instagram Reels and TikTok
- Best use
- Paid ad
- Tip
- The hook has to make sense to a stranger who has never heard of you
Platform: YouTube Shorts
- Best use
- Unpaid post
- Tip
- Swap the hard sell at the end for a pointer to the link on your channel
Making a PAS ad with Cutroom
Cutroom edits the video for you. You film yourself saying the script in one go, and you get a finished vertical ad back.
- You upload one video of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- Cutroom adds captions timed to your voice, a headline at the start and b-roll over the words it matches.
- If you upload your own product clips, Cutroom uses them before free stock clips. To put a clip on one sentence, you highlight those words.
- You get a 9:16 MP4 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. A 30-second video costs 110 credits.
- Your first video is free, no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
Questions people ask
- How long should a problem agitate solve video ad be?
- 30 to 45 seconds. The example script on this page runs 40 seconds and 97 words. Shorter ads lose the agitate part or the proof. Longer ads usually agitate too long, and viewers leave before the product shows up.
- What does PAS stand for in marketing?
- Problem, agitate, solve. You name a problem, make the viewer feel what it costs them, then present your product as the solution. It is an old copywriting formula, and it works the same way in a short video ad.
- How much agitation is too much in a PAS ad?
- Anything over 8 to 10 seconds in a 40-second ad. Keep it to two or three sentences about what the problem costs this week. A long list of everything that could go wrong makes the viewer feel sold to.
- What is the difference between PAS and a before and after ad?
- PAS starts from the problem, and a before and after ad starts from the result. PAS spends its first 18 seconds on the pain. Use PAS when the pain is easy to describe and the result is hard to film.
- Does a problem agitate solve ad need b-roll?
- Yes, in two places. Show the fixes the viewer already tried while you agitate, and your product while you present the fix. Keep your face on screen for the hook, the real cause and the ask.
- Is there a tool that edits a PAS video ad for you?
- Yes. Cutroom turns one video of you talking, up to 3 minutes long, into a 9:16 ad with captions, a headline at the start and b-roll. A 30-second video costs 110 credits, and your first video is free.
- When is problem agitate solve the wrong format?
- When the viewer has never felt the problem, or when you sell a treat rather than a fix. Nobody needs to be agitated into buying a candle. A demo or a founder story works better there.
Film the six parts in one go and let Cutroom edit the ad. Your first video is free.