If you've been reading about UGC formats and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the options — PAS formula, storytelling, hook variations, voiceover vs. talking head — this post is for you. Here's every major UGC format compared, so you can make an informed decision about what to brief for your specific product and goal.
PAS (Problem → Agitate → Solution)
What it is: The creator leads with a specific problem the viewer has, validates how frustrating it is, then presents the product as the genuine solution.
Best for: Skincare, beauty, wellness, anything in a crowded market where viewers have tried things before and been disappointed. Works particularly well in paid ads because it creates emotional investment before the product appears.
The risk: If the problem isn't specific enough, it feels generic. The more precise the problem ("dry skin that somehow still gets oily in the T-zone") the better it performs.
Direct Storytelling (narrative arc)
What it is: The creator tells a genuine story — a moment in their life, a journey, a change — and the product exists within that story as a meaningful part of it.
Best for: Lifestyle products, fitness and wellness journeys, anything where transformation or ongoing use is part of the story. Also great for building brand affinity rather than just direct response.
The risk: Requires a creator who can actually tell a story authentically. A scripted story sounds like a scripted story, which is worse than no story.
The Tutorial/Demo
What it is: The creator shows how to use the product step by step, demonstrating results along the way.
Best for: Skincare (application technique matters), makeup (showing how to use the product and the result), hair care (show the full routine and the outcome). Also great for products with a learning curve.
The risk: Can feel dry if it's purely instructional with no personality or emotional resonance. The best demos have genuine enthusiasm woven through them.
The Reaction/First Impression
What it is: The creator captures their genuine first reaction to using the product — the unboxing, the first application, the immediate sense impression.
Best for: Products where the sensory experience is part of the appeal — fragrance, luxury skincare, food and beverage. Also great for brand launches where the goal is generating excitement.
The risk: A performed "reaction" is immediately transparent and destroys credibility. The reaction must be genuine — which means the creator actually needs to be experiencing the product for the first time, or something very close to it.
The Routine Integration
What it is: The product appears naturally as part of the creator's real routine — morning, evening, workout, etc. — without being the explicit focus of the content.
Best for: Products that benefit from normalisation — supplements, skincare basics, wellness tools. The goal is making the product feel like a natural part of a desirable life rather than something special that needs justification.
The risk: The product can get lost. Brief the creator to give the product a genuine moment of attention even within the routine context.
The Comparison/Contrast
What it is: "I've tried X, Y, and Z — and this is the only one that actually did [specific thing]." The product is positioned relative to alternatives the viewer may have already tried.
Best for: Crowded categories where differentiation is the challenge. Skincare, activewear, protein supplements — markets where "another option" isn't compelling but "the one that actually does [specific thing]" is.
The risk: If the comparison isn't genuinely felt, it sounds like a marketing line. Authenticity is everything here.
How to choose
Start with your product's biggest challenge. Is the challenge awareness (people don't know it exists)? Go routine integration or reaction. Is the challenge skepticism (people have tried similar things)? Go PAS or comparison. Is the challenge inspiration (people need to see themselves using it)? Go storytelling or direct address.
Most strong UGC briefs actually combine elements — a PAS structure told through storytelling, using a reaction hook. The formats aren't mutually exclusive.
I've created all of these formats and have a sense for which one fits which product. If you want to figure out what approach is right for your brand, let's work through it together.