Stop Staring at Me: The Weird Psychology of Eye Contact in Ads 👀

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Brain Driven Brands

Episode: Stop Staring at Me: The Weird Psychology of Eye Contact in Ads 👀
Host: Sarah Levinger
Date: October 23, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, Sarah Levinger dives into the nuanced role of eye contact in advertising and how 9-figure brands leverage these psychology insights to supercharge engagement and sales. Drawing from real-world examples (like True Classic, Spotify, and Plants vs. Zombies), she and guest Nate Lagos unpack whether models should stare into the camera or look away—and why the answer depends on the product type. The conversation offers marketers practical neuromarketing tactics to use right now, especially for e-commerce brands deciding how to make their ads more effective.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Debate: Functional Medicine & Split Personalities

• The episode starts with a humorous aside about Sarah's (A) recent $800 visit to a functional medicine doctor, leading to a candid chat about cognitive dissonance between health habits and indulgences.
  • Notable moment: The playful self-examination sets a casual, candid tone for the deep-dive ahead.

Main Topic Introduction: Does Eye Contact in Ads Matter?

• The heart of the episode explores research showing that ads are "up to 30% more effective at driving sales when your model was doing something." (B, 02:11).
• Key Insight: Effectiveness hinges on what the model is doing with their eyes.

Hedonic vs. Utilitarian: The Eye Contact Rule

• Definitions:

  • Hedonic products (pleasure-focused, e.g., fashion):
    • Models should look away from the camera.
    • “If it’s hedonic, they need to look away from the product.” (B, 02:52)
  • Utilitarian products (practical, solve problems, e.g., supplements):
    • Models should make direct eye contact with the camera.
    • “Eye contact with the camera, not the product.” (B, 03:07)

• Why?

  • Direct eye contact in practical product ads signals trust and transparency.
  • Looking away (with hedonic products) aligns with aspirational, "cool" social signaling.

• Real-World Examples:

  • Ads where "guys were looking at their watch" performed differently based on this psychological trigger. (A, 04:23)

Applying the Tactic: Evaluating a New Brand

• The hosts walk through deciding if a new supplement brand is hedonic or utilitarian.
  • “I personally would put you almost in a blended [category]…But a lot of people get supplements just because it makes them feel better.” (B, 04:51)
  • Conclusion: Lean utilitarian—so make eye contact in ads.

Concerns & Anecdotes

• Nate (A) raises a key point about trust:

  • “If I saw an ad with someone just staring at me for supplements, I think it would come across as really abrupt. But…finding real humans who are willing to put their face on camera and look at you is more…let’s build trust.” (A, 05:32)
  • The challenge is humanizing the ad—use real people, natural contexts.

• Sarah (B) reflects on the shift in fashion ads:

  • “Anytime they have a model…they’re always looking off somewhere or down at the floor…So cool.” (B, 06:14)
  • They joke about how not making eye contact became a marker of “coolness” on Instagram/selfies.
    • “Now when you want to take a sick Instagram, you are not looking at the camera.” (A, 06:53)

Actionable Takeaway: Test and Measure

• Run controlled tests:

  • For utilitarian products: models make eye contact with camera.
  • For hedonic: models look away.
  • “30% more effective at driving sale.” (B, 07:25)

• “Two tests to run this week—will do.” (A, 07:31)

Motivational Closing

• Light-hearted encouragement about returning to routine, growing new ventures, and (jokingly) tattooing “Run ads, make money.” (A, 07:49)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• 02:26 (B): “Ads were up to 30% more effective at driving sales when your model was doing something.”
• 03:07 (B): “Eye contact with the camera, not the product.”
• 05:32 (A): “Finding real humans who are willing to put their face on camera and look at you is more of like a let's build trust thing.”
• 06:53 (A): “Now when you want to take a sick Instagram, you are not looking at the camera.”
• 07:25 (B): “30% more effective at driving sale.”
• 07:49 (A): “[Let’s] get that tattooed. Run ads, make money.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:12–01:29: Icebreaker, health/identity banter
• 02:03–03:10: Core research revealed—effect of model’s gaze in ads
• 04:27–05:22: Real-world ad examples, application to a supplement brand
• 05:32–06:53: Nuances of eye contact, trust in marketing, fashion ad trends
• 07:21–07:52: Testing strategies and motivational wrap-up

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Summary Table: Model Eye Contact Strategy

| Product Type | Model Should... | Effect | |-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| | Utilitarian | Look at the camera | Builds trust, +sales | | Hedonic | Look away/off-camera | Signals “cool,” aspirational |

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Overall Takeaway:
Eye contact isn’t just an aesthetic choice—it’s a neuromarketing lever that can dramatically shift campaign results. Identify your product type, align your models’ gazes, and run direct A/B tests. For DTC brands, especially in crowded markets, mastering this subtle psychological technique could mean the difference between standing out and blending in.

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Transcript

[A]

You ready?

[B]

Ready. Let's do it.

[A]

Feel like out of breath these days. It's not good.

[B]

You should go to check because that's usually a blood pressure thing.

[A]

Blood pressure's fine. It's like a million. We're good. Welcome back to Brain Driven Brands. Speaking of price, and when the price gets presented, by the way, we just went to, like, a functional medicine doctor. Was not expecting $800 for the first visit. Feeling like. Yeah, feeling like I got fleeced a little bit.

[B]

That's really interesting. Can you explain why you went to a functional doctor? That seems out of identity alignment for you.

[A]

Yeah, I know We've, like, we've briefly touched on this. I have, like, very split. You do. You have, like, a personality on this where, like, I'll drink as much Red Bull and whiskey as I want.

[B]

That's amazing.

[A]

But then because of that, I go crazy clean on everything else. I'm like, my soap's gonna be all natural ingredients. And, like, let's get my peptides in check, because I know, like, I'm.

[B]

Yeah, it's. The most fascinating part about you is just you. You're. What? I don't even know. Like, your internal version of yourself does not align with the external version of you. And so I think it just throws me off sometimes. I'm like, what is going on? Like, you have, like, charcoal toothpaste.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And like, you use, like, castile soap and that. Which is hilarious because, like, I. I feel as though somebody who, like, is a lot like Sarah, that loves psychology and, like, the human mind, all that stuff would be very much into functional medicine. I. I just don't go see any doctor. You, sir, are an anomaly. That someday we might figure out who knows an enigma. Yeah, well. Okay, do you want to do a quiz around messaging, or do you want to do a quiz around imagery and ads?

[A]

Messaging.

[B]

Oh, you want to do messaging. Are you sure?

[A]

Okay, fine. All right, the other one. God, you suck.

[B]

Tired. Okay. I'm just. I'm trying to keep it together. All right, so first quiz. Here we go. Okay, so this one. Ads were up to 30% more effective at driving sales when your model was doing something.

[A]

In particular, when you're looking at the product.

[B]

Oh, dang. Okay, so you. Have we done this before?

[A]

No, I'm just a really good marketer. Is. That.

[B]

Depends. According to this study, it depends on the type of product you have. Have whether it's utilitarian or hedonic.

[A]

Okay. Hedonic. Looking at it.

[B]

Oh, okay. All right.

[A]

Am I wrong?

[B]

Models in your ads According to this study, should look. If it's hedonic, they need to look away from the product.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

If it's practical, they need to make eye contact.

[A]

Eye contact with the camera.

[B]

Eye contact with the camera, not the product.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

Yeah. So make eye contact for practical products with the camera. If it's utilitarian, look away from the product. If it's more for just like happy, fun time, pleasurable products.

[A]

Interesting. We had a lot of live experiments.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We had some ads rip where guys were looking at their watch.

[B]

At the watch.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But not at the camera. Let's pause for just a minute.

[A]

Prospecting on Meta in 2025 has been a huge pain. Reaching net new people is getting harder and harder and harder and the only thing Meta seems to care about is rolling out more AI SL features that take away a lot of our controls as advertisers. So brands have been looking for another side and they're turning to otherside. Other side is an agency that figured out how to turn programmatic advertising into a performance marketing channel. They're able to advertise outside the meta ecosystem, show clear and accurate attribution, and they have the ability to prospect and retarget across platforms. So you're able to unlock huge new audiences that aren't like us. They're not chronically on Meta and Instagram. For brain driven brands listeners, they're running a crazy offer right now. They'll run your ads for free for two months to prove to you it works. Then you can either part ways or continue at their normal affordable retainer. But they're making this risk free and it's a no brainer for you to try. So go to join TheOtherSide.com and let them know we sent you.

[B]

And now back to the show. All right, so for this new brand then let's think about this. Are you a hedonic product or are you a utilitarian product utility, Ryan? You think so?

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

I don't know. You have dug into the brand more than I have so far.

[B]

That's true. That's not fair. You still haven't gotten like super like injected into it.

[A]

For the record, I started on Monday.

[B]

Okay. This one's so hard. And I personally would put you almost in a blended. Yeah, you are. You have utilitarian aspects to you and you solve very specific problems. But a lot of people get supplements just because it makes them feel better. Yeah. I still think you were had to earn a utilitarian. I still think you're Yeah. A utilitarian. Yeah. Your gut. Your gut feeling is probably correct on this. So for your particular audience, technically speaking, your models need to look at the camera.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What's your gut feeling as a marketer on this? Because I. I feel like if I saw an ad with someone just staring at me for supplements, I think it would come across as, like, really abrupt.

[A]

Well, I think you can make it so it's not just someone staring at you. I think one of the biggest things for products like in the supplement consumable Space is like, you. You need to build trust because there's a million of these brands out there, and half of them are selling snake oil.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I think, like, finding real humans who are willing to put their face on camera and look at you is more of like a let's build trust thing. We're not trying to be sneaky, and we're not trying to be, like, overly cool. We're not like, yeah, some model, like, looking out into the distance or something. So to me, I would credit the eye contact thing is like, we're going to build some. Some trust here.

[B]

Yeah, I would think so, too. Well, I think for. On the opposite side for hedonic products, I've noticed that a lot of fashion does this because anytime they're, like, they have a model or they're standing in front of something or whatever, they're always looking off somewhere or down at the floor. Like, they're just kind of chilling. So cool.

[A]

Because, like, if you're just looking off.

[B]

In the distance, you're cool, I guess. You know, is that what it is? Like, do we have, like, a frame of reference from childhood where cool people just don't look at you?

[A]

Yes. Well, I think. I think it started with models because, like, I feel like for us growing up, like, you always, like, looked at the camera to have your photo taken.

[B]

So true.

[A]

And now when you want to take a sick Instagram, you are not looking at the camera.

[B]

You take a selfie. You got to look off into the distance. That's so true. Okay. All right. So, yeah, there's some anecdotal evidence here for this. If you have a. A 4 Funsies product, something that's just for pleasure, then always look off camera. And then I want to see you guys run some tests in the next couple weeks to see if, like, you can run some people just staring at the camera with your product and see what that does.

[A]

Because they want you to be staring at the camera. They will make eye contact during the day.

[B]

30% more effective at driving sale. All right, two tests to run this week will do.

[A]

I'm excited to have a job again, you know.

[B]

That'll be good. Yeah, that'll be good for you.

[A]

Yeah, it will be. I've been all at a routine for a long time.

[B]

It's gonna be great. This will be a new venture, new entity. You're gonna have lots of fun. Run a lot of ads, hopefully make a lot of money. Yeah, it's gonna be great.

[A]

That's fine. Run ads, make money.

[B]

Hey.

[A]

And get that tattooed.

[B]

Run ads, make money.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Maybe put it on the hat first to test and see if you like it before you get a permit, but, you know, I love it. That was lovely.

[A]

Thanks. Listening to Brain driven brands.

[B]

Thank you so much for joining us on the show today. Appreciate you guys listening. If you want to follow me, I'm at Sarah Levenger. Anywhere you consume content, he is at Nate Lagos. If you like this show and if you like this episode, go ahead and like, subscribe. Share with a friend. Drop us a review when you have a minute. We would appreciate it. Otherwise, have a great week. We'll see you next time.