# Why your fresh herbs die in the fridge

**Edition:** DTC & E-commerce · **Angle:** Problem → solution · **Vertical:** Home & kitchen · **Length:** 20s, 9:16 · **Best on:** Gemini Omni Flash

> A home cook pulls a slimy bag of cilantro from the fridge, explains herbs need water at the stems and air at the top, and shows a bunch still green days later in a herb keeper.

Online: https://gethookchain.com/library/why-your-fresh-herbs-die-in-the-fridge/

## Example product (fictional)

- **Brand:** Verdell
- **Product:** A clear herb keeper with a water reservoir and vented lid that fits in a fridge door
- **Audience:** Home cooks 28–50 who waste fresh herbs every week

## Creator

- **Archetype:** Family home cook, late 30s
- **Look:** Woman, 39, Black, curly hair in a puff wrapped with a patterned headwrap, dark-brown skin, gold hoop earrings, mustard apron over a white tee
- **Setting:** Warm family kitchen with butcher-block counters, a fridge, potted basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light

## Variables

| Variable | Example | What to put |
|---|---|---|
| `{{PRODUCT_NAME}}` | Verdell Herb Keeper | Your product's name |
| `{{DAYS}}` | 12 | Honest days-fresh count |
| `{{PRICE}}` | $24 | Price |

## Timeline

| Beat | Time | Title | On-screen text |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOOK | 0–3s | Slimy cilantro | $4 of cilantro, dead in 2 days |
| DEMO | 3–10s | Water low, air high | Water at the stems. Air at the top. |
| PROOF | 10–16s | Still green | Day {{DAYS}} 🌿 |
| CTA | 16–20s | Stop binning herbs | {{PRODUCT_NAME}} · {{PRICE}} |

## 1. HOOK · 0–3s · Slimy cilantro

**Line:** "Every time. Two days."

**On-screen text (add in edit):** $4 of cilantro, dead in 2 days

**Audio:** Fridge hum, squelchy plastic, no music

**Shots**

- `0.0–3.0s` **MCU** — Slimy herb bag held to lens, grimace

**References:** creator, setting

### Gemini Omni Flash (recommended)

```text
Vertical 9:16 handheld selfie video in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. A 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, pulls a plastic bag of wilted, darkened, slimy cilantro out of the open fridge, holds it up to the lens between two fingers and makes a disgusted face. Slight handheld shake, cool fridge light on her face mixed with warm daylight, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16. She says: "Every time. Two days." No captions or on-screen text.
```

- **duration:** 3 s
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **resolution:** 720p · 24 fps
- **audio:** always on — normalise to −14 LUFS in the edit
- **image urls:** creator, setting (guides look, doesn't lock frame 1)

### Seedance 2.5

```text
Slimy cilantro. Vertical 9:16 UGC clip, 3 seconds, one continuous handheld take unless timecodes say cut.
References: @Image1 = creator reference; @Image2 = setting reference. Keep the person, wardrobe and room identical to the references.
0–3s: MCU. Slimy herb bag held to lens, grimace.
Vertical 9:16 handheld selfie video in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. A 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, pulls a plastic bag of wilted, darkened, slimy cilantro out of the open fridge, holds it up to the lens between two fingers and makes a disgusted face. Slight handheld shake, cool fridge light on her face mixed with warm daylight, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16.
Dialogue (Family home cook, late 30s): "Every time. Two days."
No subtitles. No on-screen text. No logos. Natural voice, no background music.
```

- **duration:** 4 s
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **resolution:** 1080p (720p where the API caps it)
- **generate audio:** true
- **references:** @Image1: creator, @Image2: setting
- **first frame:** creator reference

### Kling 4.0

```text
Subject: Woman, 39, Black, curly hair in a puff wrapped with a patterned headwrap, dark-brown skin, gold hoop earrings, mustard apron over a white tee.
Setting: Warm family kitchen with butcher-block counters, a fridge, potted basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light.
Vertical 9:16 handheld selfie video in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. A 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, pulls a plastic bag of wilted, darkened, slimy cilantro out of the open fridge, holds it up to the lens between two fingers and makes a disgusted face. Slight handheld shake, cool fridge light on her face mixed with warm daylight, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16.
[Creator: Family home cook, late 30s, natural and conversational]: "Every time. Two days."
```

- **duration:** 5 s (trim to 3 s)
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **mode:** Pro / 1080p
- **cfg scale:** 0.5
- **negative prompt:** subtitles, captions, on-screen text, watermark, logo, distorted hands, extra fingers, warped phone screen, morphing face, plastic skin, studio lighting
- **elements:** creator, setting
- **native audio:** on (voice reference optional)

## 2. DEMO · 3–10s · Water low, air high

**Line:** "They need water at the stems and air at the top. This does both."

**On-screen text (add in edit):** Water at the stems. Air at the top.

**Audio:** Lid click, light acoustic beat

**Shots**

- `3.0–6.5s` **CU** — Stems trimmed, bunch into keeper with water
- `6.5–10.0s` **MCU** — Lid clicks, slides into fridge door

**References:** creator, product, setting

### Gemini Omni Flash (recommended)

```text
Vertical 9:16 medium close-up handheld in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, trims fresh cilantro stems, stands the bunch in a tall clear herb keeper with a little water at the base, clicks the vented lid on, and slides it into the fridge door, explaining to the lens like she's telling a friend. Handheld, warm late-afternoon light, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16, talking to camera. She says: "They need water at the stems and air at the top. This does both." No captions or on-screen text. (Generates 10 s — trim to 7 s in the edit.)
```

- **duration:** 10 s (trim to 7 s)
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **resolution:** 720p · 24 fps
- **audio:** always on — normalise to −14 LUFS in the edit
- **image urls:** creator, product, setting (guides look, doesn't lock frame 1)

### Seedance 2.5

```text
Water low, air high. Vertical 9:16 UGC clip, 7 seconds, one continuous handheld take unless timecodes say cut.
References: @Image1 = creator reference; @Image2 = product reference; @Image3 = setting reference. Keep the person, wardrobe and room identical to the references.
0–4s: CU. Stems trimmed, bunch into keeper with water.
4–7s: MCU. Lid clicks, slides into fridge door.
Vertical 9:16 medium close-up handheld in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, trims fresh cilantro stems, stands the bunch in a tall clear herb keeper with a little water at the base, clicks the vented lid on, and slides it into the fridge door, explaining to the lens like she's telling a friend. Handheld, warm late-afternoon light, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16, talking to camera.
Dialogue (Family home cook, late 30s): "They need water at the stems and air at the top. This does both."
No subtitles. No on-screen text. No logos. Natural voice, no background music.
```

- **duration:** 7 s
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **resolution:** 1080p (720p where the API caps it)
- **generate audio:** true
- **references:** @Image1: creator, @Image2: product, @Image3: setting
- **first frame:** —

### Kling 4.0

```text
Subject: Woman, 39, Black, curly hair in a puff wrapped with a patterned headwrap, dark-brown skin, gold hoop earrings, mustard apron over a white tee.
Setting: Warm family kitchen with butcher-block counters, a fridge, potted basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light.
Vertical 9:16 medium close-up handheld in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, trims fresh cilantro stems, stands the bunch in a tall clear herb keeper with a little water at the base, clicks the vented lid on, and slides it into the fridge door, explaining to the lens like she's telling a friend. Handheld, warm late-afternoon light, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16, talking to camera.
[Creator: Family home cook, late 30s, natural and conversational]: "They need water at the stems and air at the top. This does both."
```

- **duration:** 10 s (trim to 7 s)
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **mode:** Pro / 1080p
- **cfg scale:** 0.5
- **negative prompt:** subtitles, captions, on-screen text, watermark, logo, distorted hands, extra fingers, warped phone screen, morphing face, plastic skin, studio lighting
- **elements:** creator, product, setting
- **native audio:** on (voice reference optional)

## 3. PROOF · 10–16s · Still green

**Line:** "This bunch is {{DAYS}} days old. Still green."

**On-screen text (add in edit):** Day {{DAYS}} 🌿

**Audio:** Crisp snap of the stem, beat continues

**Shots**

- `10.0–13.0s` **CU** — Keeper out, lid off, bright cilantro
- `13.0–16.0s` **CU** — Sprig snapped, held to lens

**References:** creator, product

### Gemini Omni Flash (recommended)

```text
Vertical 9:16 close-up handheld selfie in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, opens the fridge, pulls out the clear herb keeper and lifts the lid: the cilantro inside is bright green and perky. She pulls a sprig, snaps it to show it's crisp, and holds it to the lens, impressed. Handheld, warm daylight, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16. She says: "This bunch is {{DAYS}} days old. Still green." No captions or on-screen text. (Generates 10 s — trim to 6 s in the edit.)
```

- **duration:** 10 s (trim to 6 s)
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **resolution:** 720p · 24 fps
- **audio:** always on — normalise to −14 LUFS in the edit
- **image urls:** creator, product (guides look, doesn't lock frame 1)

### Seedance 2.5

```text
Still green. Vertical 9:16 UGC clip, 6 seconds, one continuous handheld take unless timecodes say cut.
References: @Image1 = creator reference; @Image2 = product reference. Keep the person, wardrobe and room identical to the references.
0–3s: CU. Keeper out, lid off, bright cilantro.
3–6s: CU. Sprig snapped, held to lens.
Vertical 9:16 close-up handheld selfie in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, opens the fridge, pulls out the clear herb keeper and lifts the lid: the cilantro inside is bright green and perky. She pulls a sprig, snaps it to show it's crisp, and holds it to the lens, impressed. Handheld, warm daylight, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16.
Dialogue (Family home cook, late 30s): "This bunch is {{DAYS}} days old. Still green."
No subtitles. No on-screen text. No logos. Natural voice, no background music.
```

- **duration:** 6 s
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **resolution:** 1080p (720p where the API caps it)
- **generate audio:** true
- **references:** @Image1: creator, @Image2: product
- **first frame:** —

### Kling 4.0

```text
Subject: Woman, 39, Black, curly hair in a puff wrapped with a patterned headwrap, dark-brown skin, gold hoop earrings, mustard apron over a white tee.
Setting: Warm family kitchen with butcher-block counters, a fridge, potted basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light.
Vertical 9:16 close-up handheld selfie in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, opens the fridge, pulls out the clear herb keeper and lifts the lid: the cilantro inside is bright green and perky. She pulls a sprig, snaps it to show it's crisp, and holds it to the lens, impressed. Handheld, warm daylight, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16.
[Creator: Family home cook, late 30s, natural and conversational]: "This bunch is {{DAYS}} days old. Still green."
```

- **duration:** 10 s (trim to 6 s)
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **mode:** Pro / 1080p
- **cfg scale:** 0.5
- **negative prompt:** subtitles, captions, on-screen text, watermark, logo, distorted hands, extra fingers, warped phone screen, morphing face, plastic skin, studio lighting
- **elements:** creator, product
- **native audio:** on (voice reference optional)

## 4. CTA · 16–20s · Stop binning herbs

**Line:** "{{PRODUCT_NAME}}. Stop binning herbs."

**On-screen text (add in edit):** {{PRODUCT_NAME}} · {{PRICE}}

**Audio:** Fridge door thud, beat ends

**Shots**

- `16.0–20.0s` **MCU** — Garnishes bowl, hip-closes fridge, smiles; end card

**References:** creator, product, endcard

### Gemini Omni Flash (recommended)

```text
Vertical 9:16 handheld medium close-up in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, sprinkles chopped cilantro over a bowl of rice and beans, puts the herb keeper back in the fridge door and closes it with her hip, smiling at the lens. Handheld, warm late-afternoon light, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16, relaxed. She says: "{{PRODUCT_NAME}}. Stop binning herbs." No captions or on-screen text. (Generates 5 s — trim to 4 s in the edit.)
```

- **duration:** 5 s (trim to 4 s)
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **resolution:** 720p · 24 fps
- **audio:** always on — normalise to −14 LUFS in the edit
- **image urls:** creator, product (guides look, doesn't lock frame 1)

### Seedance 2.5

```text
Stop binning herbs. Vertical 9:16 UGC clip, 4 seconds, one continuous handheld take unless timecodes say cut.
References: @Image1 = creator reference; @Image2 = product reference. Keep the person, wardrobe and room identical to the references.
0–4s: MCU. Garnishes bowl, hip-closes fridge, smiles; end card.
Vertical 9:16 handheld medium close-up in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, sprinkles chopped cilantro over a bowl of rice and beans, puts the herb keeper back in the fridge door and closes it with her hip, smiling at the lens. Handheld, warm late-afternoon light, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16, relaxed.
Dialogue (Family home cook, late 30s): "{{PRODUCT_NAME}}. Stop binning herbs."
No subtitles. No on-screen text. No logos. Natural voice, no background music.
```

- **duration:** 4 s
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **resolution:** 1080p (720p where the API caps it)
- **generate audio:** true
- **references:** @Image1: creator, @Image2: product
- **first frame:** —

### Kling 4.0

```text
Subject: Woman, 39, Black, curly hair in a puff wrapped with a patterned headwrap, dark-brown skin, gold hoop earrings, mustard apron over a white tee.
Setting: Warm family kitchen with butcher-block counters, a fridge, potted basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light.
Vertical 9:16 handheld medium close-up in a warm family kitchen, butcher-block counters, fridge, basil on the windowsill, late-afternoon light. The same 39-year-old Black woman, curly hair under a patterned headwrap, gold hoops, mustard apron over a white tee, sprinkles chopped cilantro over a bowl of rice and beans, puts the herb keeper back in the fridge door and closes it with her hip, smiling at the lens. Handheld, warm late-afternoon light, natural skin texture, shot on iPhone, handheld, unpolished, vertical 9:16, relaxed.
[Creator: Family home cook, late 30s, natural and conversational]: "{{PRODUCT_NAME}}. Stop binning herbs."
```

- **duration:** 5 s (trim to 4 s)
- **aspect ratio:** 9:16
- **mode:** Pro / 1080p
- **cfg scale:** 0.5
- **negative prompt:** subtitles, captions, on-screen text, watermark, logo, distorted hands, extra fingers, warped phone screen, morphing face, plastic skin, studio lighting
- **elements:** creator, product
- **native audio:** on (voice reference optional)

## Hook variants to A/B test

- "I was throwing away $15 of herbs a week."
- "Your fridge is killing your basil."
- "Cilantro lasts 12 days if you do this."

## Reference images

- **creator** — Front-facing photo of the creator, shoulders up, neutral expression, even daylight: Woman, 39, Black, curly hair in a puff wrapped with a patterned headwrap, dark-brown skin, gold hoop earrings, mustard apron over a white tee. *How:* Generate once with your image model (or shoot your real creator) and attach as the subject/character reference on every beat; use it as the first frame of the hook.
- **product** — Tall clear herb keeper with water reservoir and vented lid, empty and filled with fresh cilantro. *How:* Photograph the real product on a plain background in daylight (front, side and one close detail) and attach it as the product/object reference on every beat that shows it. Keep the product large in frame so the model holds its colour and shape.
- **setting** — Warm family kitchen with butcher-block counters, a fridge and basil on the windowsill in late-afternoon light. *How:* Attach as a scene/background reference on every beat so all four clips share one place and one light.
- **endcard** — Product packshot, brand name and offer on a plain background in your brand colours. *How:* Overlay in the editor for the final 1–1.5 s; don't ask the video model to render logos, prices or small text.

## Why it works

The slimy-bag shot is gross enough to stop a scroll and specific enough to trigger 'that's me'. Explaining the simple reason (water low, air high) makes the product feel logical rather than gimmicky, and day-count proof is easy to believe.

## Production tips

- Shoot the 'day 12' proof for real; it's what comments will question.
- Swap cilantro for basil or mint depending on season.
- The 'why' line works as a standalone hook variant.

**Caption style:** Dark-green bold sans on white pill, upper third