Are course trailers worth it? 100M+ views
I am sure you’ve seen the trailers from Masterclass.com as ads on YouTube for example. The super high production value, unskippable videos that the company says people often watch in full (“people who encountered its advertisements were often watching them in full.”) are a study in how the best in the world sell their digital products.
With a non-physical product like MasterClass it is important to show exactly what you are getting for your money. Trailers serve as both enticing advertising, attention grabber and as a taste of what is on the other side of that purchase. You get a sense of the vibe, the kinds of subjects that will be taught and first and foremost what the end result of taking the course will be.
Because these trailers serve as the main touch-point for people signing up for MasterClass, there is a lot of focus on making them excellent. Some even say that the trailers are so well done that they can be much better than the actual content of their courses.
But is the enormous investment that MasterClass is throwing into ads working?
Watch the Chris Voss MasterClass trailer on YouTube.
MasterClass is currently running right around 460 individual ads on Facebook, with 117 of those having launched this month according to Facebook ad transparency. And as the co-founder David Rogier says: “If you’ve seen more ads, it is because they are working.”
~460 current active ads
The types of ads they are running range from the full 2 min+ trailers, to smaller social cuts in all shapes and sizes. We have a 15 second short ad that is almost like a one-liner attention grabber. There is the 1 minute cut from an actual lesson that gives you a quick learning. And there is the static images re-utilizing hero shots from the trailer. They all follow a formula to a certain degree that we will look at in this article.
Chris Voss teaches the art of negotiation
The current most watched trailer on YouTube is “Chris Voss Teaches the Art of Negotiation” with 21M views. But that is not the whole story, the YouTube channel Brand Origins (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGqzBwTqow4) shows a view count of 95M for the Gordon Ramsay trailer earlier this year. It is therefore likely that they have unlisted some of their most popular videos.
95M views!
And this is only YouTube. Currently the main Gordon Ramsey trailer has been watched 28M times on one Facebook video link. No wonder everyone has seen these unskippable trailers.
How to structure a persuasive course trailer
The trailer we will be looking at is the current most viewed listed MasterClass trailer on YouTube, Chris Voss Teaches the Art of Negotiation. This particular course is also being heavily marketed as of Sep 2021 so it’s a good example of a trailer that is effective in translating ad spend to customers.
The structure of the course trailer
Structure
Section 1: Hook the viewer
This section serves to get initial attention from the viewer. Remember, without a beginning that hooks the viewer, there is no rest of the video to do the subsequent persuasion.
Also remember that you are communicating in a noisy environment where the viewer just watched a Russian car crash compilation and an Ali Abdaal video, oh, and they are now on the way to watch a video about note-taking apps. Whatever the current situation of your viewer, a serious pattern interrupt is needed to get this initial attention.
The hook
The trailer starts by saying “everything in life is a negotiation.” That way he is positioning the topic as being relevant to everyone in the world. It’s a surprising statement that stops you in your tracks — what does he mean? It piques your curiosity.
He paints a picture of the future, where you are a better negotiator and literally says, “Your life will be in a completely different place” if you take this course, alluding to a transformation.
Section 2: Prove it!
This whole section serves to prove that Chris is really the authority on negotiation. MasterClass uses beautifully shot b-roll as Chris shares his background as an FBI hostage negotiator. They flash headlines, logos, key accomplishments, and cut between interviews and cinematic shots of Chris working.
Section 3: Present the course
Only after trust is built do we learn “This is my MasterClass.” Use this beat to preview lesson modules and tease specific skills.
“You’re going to learn everything from bargaining, to reading body language, to the neuroscience that lets you bend people’s reality.”
Section 4: Teach something quickly
Deliver a micro-lesson inside the trailer. MasterClass shows a real hostage negotiation clip while Chris narrates the tactic. Viewers walk away with value even if they never enroll.
Section 5: Handle objections & widen the relevance
The trailer proactively answers “Isn’t negotiation manipulative?” Voss reframes it as collaboration and shows everyday scenarios where the skill applies. Pair this with quick flashes of the syllabus to reinforce breadth.
Section 6: Close with a cinematic CTA
End on an emotional payoff and a confident line — “This is my MasterClass.” The viewer should feel momentum and clarity about the next step.
Production building blocks
Cameras & lenses
High-end cinema bodies (ARRI Amira, Alexa Mini) paired with fast primes deliver the signature shallow depth of field. Supplement with a mirrorless body for nimble shots.
Lighting
Soft, wraparound key lights (think 5-foot octabox) create flattering skin tones. Add bounce fill below the frame and splash practicals in the background for depth.
Set design
MasterClass stages look lived-in: books, props, and textures that echo the instructor’s domain. The viewer should feel like they’ve been invited into a private workspace.
The future of online education
Before there was classroom education, you learned from the teacher that happened to be around and if you were lucky they were not half bad at their craft. But now you can actually learn from the best in the world, and be massively entertained while you are doing it.
A new wave of online learning that is designed specifically for the internet is beginning to become popular. It is disrupting education and the way we consume, digest and apply knowledge. At Uptick we are super excited and we think we are just getting started.