We scored ElectroBOOM thumbnails, then tried to beat them
ElectroBOOM packages Mehdi reacting to the thing that's about to hurt him. We scored two long-form thumbs through Thumbly Score, applied the fixes, and re-scored. Plasma Globe is a Shocking Fire Hazard went 71 to 77. Rage-Fixing the Power Washer stayed at 82.
5 min read ThumbnailsYouTubeTeardownCreator BreakdownPsychologyMehdi Sadaghdar doesn't sell a clean demo. He sells the moment right before the thing bites him. His face does most of the work, and the gadget is the reason he's making it.
That is ElectroBOOM packaging. The channel is electronics explained by someone who keeps getting shocked. Both thumbs we scored put Mehdi in the frame, mid-reaction, with the danger right next to him.
We took two of his long-form thumbs, Plasma Globe is a Shocking Fire Hazard and Rage-Fixing the Power Washer, and ran them through [Thumbly Score](/thumbly-score). Same flow as the [NileRed](/blog/nile-red-thumbnail-teardown) and [Stuff Made Here](/blog/stuff-made-here-thumbnail-teardown) teardowns. Score the original, apply the fix, score again.
[Mark Rober](/blog/mark-rober-thumbnail-teardown) is the bigger spectacle cousin. [SmarterEveryDay](/blog/smartereveryday-thumbnail-teardown) is the calm, curious cousin. Mehdi is the one the experiment happens to.
Thumbnail 1: "Plasma Globe is a Shocking Fire Hazard"
*ElectroBOOM's published thumbnail.*
Mehdi on the left in a green polo, eyes wide and chin pulled back, with both hands on a big plasma globe. Purple and green filaments fill the glass, and flames rise up behind it. Big black text across the top reads DANGEROUS?! A black arrow on the right points at the gear on his lab shelf.
**Thumbly Score: 71/100**
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Virality | 75 |
| Clarity | 68 |
| Idea | 65 |
| Curiosity | 72 |
| Emotion | 78 |
Emotion at 78 is the strength. His face says "this was a bad idea" before you read a word.
Clarity at 68 is the weak spot. The shelves, the coils and the arrow all compete with the globe. Idea at 65 says the frame reads as a busy lab shot more than one clear hook.
Thumbly wanted the arrow gone, the background darker, a bigger DANGEROUS?! with fire in the letters, and a harder key light on his face. This is what came back:
*Thumbly's edit, not ElectroBOOM's published thumbnail.*
**77/100, up six.** Idea jumped from 65 to 75 and curiosity from 72 to 80. Emotion rose from 78 to 82, virality from 75 to 78, and clarity from 68 to 70.
The dark background and the burning ER in DANGEROUS did the work. The globe and his face now have the frame to themselves. The relight barely changed his face, and Thumbly's new tips ask for it again.
The cleanup has a cost. The coils and shelves were what made it look like his lab, and most of that is gone now.
Thumbnail 2: "Rage-Fixing the Power Washer"
*ElectroBOOM's published thumbnail.*
Mehdi leans into the frame, teeth bared and eyes squeezed, as a jet of water hits him in the face. The nozzle is in his fist at the lower right. Red text in the upper right reads RAGE-FIXING, and white text in the lower left reads Power Washer. A wooden fence fills the background.
**Thumbly Score: 82/100**
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Virality | 80 |
| Clarity | 85 |
| Idea | 75 |
| Curiosity | 82 |
| Emotion | 88 |
This is the stronger of the two. Emotion at 88 is the highest number in this teardown. He is getting hit by his own repair job, and you can see it.
Clarity at 85 comes from the simple setup. One man, one jet of water and two short lines of text.
Thumbly wanted harder light on his face and the spray, the Power Washer text bent to follow the water, and a tighter crop. We kept RAGE-FIXING, the logo and his whole head in the frame. This is what came back:
*Thumbly's edit, not ElectroBOOM's published thumbnail.*
**82/100, no change.** Virality rose from 80 to 85 and idea from 75 to 80. Clarity fell from 85 to 78. Curiosity held at 82 and emotion at 88.
The crop is tighter, the light is harder, and Power Washer is bigger and now arcs up with the water. The bigger text also runs across the jet. Thumbly's new tips ask to move it off the water, which lines up with the clarity drop.
What held up
The power washer thumb was already doing its job at 82. The tighter crop and louder text bought five points of virality and idea, then gave back seven points of clarity. The total didn't move.
The plasma globe thumb moved because the problem was clutter, not the idea. Take away the arrow and the busy shelves, and the face and the globe carry it on their own.
Mehdi's reaction held up in both. Neither edit touched his expression, and emotion was the top score before and after on both thumbs.
What to steal from ElectroBOOM
Mehdi's lane is the face of someone the experiment is happening to. Put yourself next to the thing that might hurt you, and let the reaction be real. One or two words of text is enough to name the danger.
The two re-scores point at the same lesson from different sides. The globe thumb got better when the background stopped competing with the reaction. The power washer thumb didn't move, because nothing was competing with it in the first place.
If you make electronics, repair or hands-on fail content, borrow the setup. Your face, the thing and one short warning. Leave Mark Rober's spectacle and Destin's calm curiosity alone unless that's actually your channel.
Soft close
Want the same Score loop on your own thumbs? Run them through [Thumbly Score](/thumbly-score), try the fix, and re-score. Sometimes the fix wins big and sometimes it's a wash, and it's good to know which before you publish. Generate or export in [Thumbly Studio](/) when you're ready to ship.
This piece is commentary on public packaging. We are reading the picture, not claiming ElectroBOOM's CTR.
