When most authors provide video sales letter (VSL) examples to use for inspiration, they usually give you a list of brand names and say “use a hook.” That isn’t helpful.
What’s helpful is that Dollar Shave Club said their web address twice in the first 10 seconds. And that Squatty Potty put doctor endorsement videos after the funny bits, not before. Those kinds of specific details are what you can really copy.
By 2026, 85% of consumers will be influenced to purchase a product or service after viewing a video (Wyzowl, 2026). A well-designed video sales letter is likely to be among the highest ROI-producing marketing materials available to your brand.
However, if the design structure doesn’t fit the formula of how most successful VSLs are structured, it won’t help. Below are several examples of successful VSLs based on the structure that helped create success for each of those brands.
Creating Video Sales Letters (VSL)
A video sales letter is essentially a video designed to convert viewers into buyers. There is no other goal than to get someone to make a purchase. Awareness, entertainment or even education may be secondary benefits, but all should be subordinated to the ultimate goal of converting a buyer.
VSLs are essentially the video versions of traditional long-form direct response sales letters. Those were the big ones that came in the mail and for some reason caused you to buy something you hadn’t realized you wanted.
Since VSL writers control the pace of delivery in this type of media and since viewers cannot “scroll” past pricing information to find out how much something costs, they go through the typical VSL sequence: hook, problem, proof, offer and close in order.
According to Kapwing (2026), adding a video to a landing page can cause conversions to increase as much as 86%. If you’re wondering why, take a look at the examples below.
5 Video Sales Letters That Are Worth Examining
1. Dollar Shave Club: “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” (2012)
Length: 90 seconds. Cost: $4,500. Filmed in one day.
Dollar Shave Club’s site crashed immediately upon launch and they received over 12,000 new subscriptions in just two days. Today the video has more than 27 million views. In 2016, Unilever purchased the company for $1 billion in cash.
Here is what happened:
Founder Michael Dubin walked into a warehouse and delivered his value proposition within the first ten seconds: “We’ll deliver you high quality razors right to your door for $1 a month,” he said. He referenced the company URL twice prior to reaching the 15-second mark. Then: “Are our blades good? No. Our blades are f***ing great.”
The remainder of the 90 seconds is absurdity under control. Toddler shaves mans head. Machete. Bear in background. Make-it-rain scene. All of these gags land right after each product benefit so that while the viewer is laughing the value proposition is being delivered.
CTA is simply the brand name repeatedly delivered throughout until the viewer remembers it. At the point when the viewer already knew where to go, they’d be ready to click.
Why it worked: The value proposition was delivered in ten seconds. Each gag was humorous because it was tied directly to a real issue (razors cost too much; razors locked inside store displays; razors are expensive ($$8 per four pack)).
Founder of the company on camera versus using an actor. Because the URL was the CTA starting with second one there wasn’t need for a separate CTA slide.
Additional note worthy item: This video cost $54,500 to film. The audio was rough in spots. Editing was unpolished. None of that matter because the script did its job. As stated previously, production quality rarely determines whether a VSL works or not.
2. Squatty Potty: “This Unicorn Changed the Way I Poop” (2015)
Length: 3 min 7 sec. An animated unicorn; a live-action prince narrator.
After release of this video, sales went up 600%, according to Squatty Potty. According to Boing Boing, it is considered “the greatest viral ad ever.“
Squatty Potty appeared on Shark Tank, however this video made it a house hold name.
Here is what happened:
Prince starts off saying: “You probably don’t poop that well.” That sentence hooks the viewer because nobody expects it. The problem is described via a unicorn fairytale.
Kinking modern toilet posture makes it difficult for most people to properly evacuate waste from their colon. The fairytale format allows Squatty Potty to describe anatomy in a non-threatening manner.
At minute-one, the solution arrives: a foot stool that positions feet to allow for proper squatting and correct angles. Graphical representations of how the device works are displayed next. After that, physician endorsements appear in the same lighthearted tone as before and seem like confirmation of fact rather than a sales pitch.
The final CTA “buy now,” occurs last and only after the viewer has been sold on both the problem and the science behind it.
Why it worked: Tone was matched to both product and target audience. Use of humor served as Trojan Horse to educate viewers during anatomical explanation section. Proof occurred after trust was established vs. before.
3. Grammarly: The Workplace Communications VSL
Length: Approximately 2 min. Mix of animation/live action. Currently running on Grammarly home-page & YouTube Pre-Roll.
Grammarly currently has over 30M daily active users with video consistently cited as #1 way customers acquire the software.
Here is what happens:
First few seconds open on a scenario/scene rather than stats. Someone attempting to write an email for work and is unsure if it sounds correct. The hook is recognition – the viewer has been in this exact spot.
Consequence is defined clearly – writing an incorrect email could lose a contract/promotion/client relationship. Next is when the product demonstrates functionality on-screen in real-time – Grammarly identifies weak sentence and provides an alternative option – nothing needs to be voiced-over here either – you can see it.
Closing line is simple – “Do Your Best Work With Grammarly. Free download.” Offer is free – that eliminates major objection factor before viewer gets to button.
Why it worked: Situation-based hook provided recognized experience vs general statement. Embedded demo as evidence, not separate feature walk-through. Language used in CTA mirrored emotional setup.
4. Wix: “Think It. Create It.”
Length: 90 seconds. Mix of animation/live action content. Has ran on multiple platforms including YouTube, Instagram & Wix Home Page.
Wix currently has over 230M registered users and video has played significant role in conversion of potential customers through top-of-funnel.
Here is what happens:
The opening seconds establish a feeling – not a feature. Someone has business idea and what stops them from building it? The implication is that previous obstacles prevented that from happening; Wix removed those obstacles.
30 second walk-through explains mechanics of creating a site quickly with templates/drag & drop capabilities and ultimately having site live online. Closing shot is tagline – “Think it. Create it.” No hard sell required; emotional setup created sale.
Why it worked: Sold vision – not product. People on screen who were regular folks, not professional models used. Demonstrated product functionally answered question (“is it really that easy”) before viewer had chance to ask themselves.
5. Dropbox: an explainer that increased Conversions
Duration: less than 2 minutes. Animated. Situated on the Dropbox home page.
Outcome: Conversions increased by more than 10 percent once the video was placed on the home page. For Dropbox during its rapid-growth stage, that represented millions in additional income.
What happened:
When Dropbox launched in 2009, very few people had heard of cloud storage. As such, Dropbox’s value sales letter (vsl) resolved a comprehending problem before attempting to make a sale. The opening sentence of the video stated, “Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync, and share files online.” The first sentence provided the value proposition.
Following the introductory statement, the video illustrated three scenarios that Viewers recognize. On One computer, a file saved becomes visible on another. When a user shares a folder with colleagues, it is updated instantly. From a mobile device, a photo can be viewed.
In each scenario, the video illustrates how users could utilize Dropbox to solve problems they were thinking about but hadn’t yet asked.
Why it worked: it addressed the understanding gap first. People who are confused do not become converters. After Viewers understand what Dropbox provides, making the purchase decision is easy.
What does the Data say for effective video sales letter?
Video sales letters (VSLs) like these are not anomalies. Conversion rate Data supporting VSLs show consistency:
- 85% of buyers are persuaded into purchasing after viewing a brand’s video. (Wyzowl, 2026)
- 95% of a message is retained by Viewers using video compared to 10% if presented via text. (Lemonlight, 2026)
- Conversion rates for VSLs are enhanced by 15-30 percent due to risk reversal components including guarantees and complimentary products/ services. (MyFunnelSecrets, 2026) As of today (july 23), 67% of all videos are viewed on a mobile device. Any vsl placed on a website which takes too long to load or breaks when opened on a mobile device is surrendering more than half of your target audience. (MyFunnelSecrets, 2026)
- Adding “video” to an email subject line increases open rates for vsl emails by up to 19% when sending out a vsl. (Yans media)
Where to place a video sales letter
A dedicated landing page: no other options; simply the video and the call-to-action. Dedicated landing pages provide the best Conversions. Why video works well on landing pages.
Home page: both Dropbox and grammarly utilized VSLs to convert cold-traffic visitors with no prior knowledge. The video explains quicker than any section of copy ever could.
Pre-roll on YouTube: dollar shave club’s video played as an advertisement against grooming-related content. The first five seconds determine whether or not to skip the video.
After lead magnet or free trial email sequence: a vsl sent after a lead magnet or free trial functions as a warm-up close. The viewer has previously trusted you. Now you must convince them to make a purchase.
Paid social media campaigns: Squatty Potty operated paid social media campaigns around their video. Because platform-specific edit versions may vary (i.e., landing page cuts do not always equate to feed cuts), edits matter in paid social media.
Faq
How long should a video sales letter be?
That depends on the product being sold and where the visitor comes from. Dollar shave club successfully converted cold traffic in under ninety seconds since the product price was One dollar and there was essentially no risk. Coaching programs with high ticket prices (e.g., $10,000 courses) require fifteen to twenty minutes of video explanation because the trust gap is so much larger. There is One simple rule-of-thumb: as short as possible while addressing every actual objection the viewer will have. If people continue to drop-off at a particular point within the video, that is typically where an objection was omitted.
Is professional equipment needed?
No. Dollar shave club demonstrated that conclusively. What you will need is a well-written script, fairly good audio, and sufficient editing to maintain interest until the end of the video. Viewers who drop-off at minute two never see the offer regardless of how good the remaining portion of the video may be. Therefore, serious vsl creators invest in post-production even when shooting on a smartphone. Post-production allows control of pacing; pacing dictates watch-time.
Closing key components
Each video sales letter example featured in this article functioned because it followed the correct structure, not the budget or quality of production.
The viewer understands the issue. Mechanism makes sense. Proof occurs once the trust level has been established. Call-to-action occurs at the proper time.
This can be replicated. What cannot be sacrificed is the editing process. How someone maintains engagement until closing is controlled by pacing and retention cuts; anyone who stops watching at minute two never receives the offer. That is something professional editors do better than DIY post-production processes.
Regardless of whether you create a vsl for use on a landing page, YouTube, or paid social media platforms, Vidpros manages post-production for VSLs. See the demo or test the $100 trial version. One lengthy video or ten brief ones.
Whether the VSL is for a landing page, YouTube, or paid social, Vidpros handles the editing side. Watch the demo or try the $100 trial. One long video or ten short ones.
