[joegahona]

"Please take a moment to subscribe" and "smash that bell icon" are the video version of "Subscribe to my crappy newsletter" popups. And before that, in the world of print magazines, it was multiple subscription cards that fell into your lap -- even if you were already a subscriber. The reason is an unsatisfying one: They work, and it's difficult to measure penalty metrics that show they're causing more harm than good.

I would think a human face would be the most effective thumbnail, and that there are psychological reasons for this. When I worked in print magazines, there were metrics thrown around a lot for how well cover subjects did in terms of newsstand copies sold: Animals > inanimate objects; Humans > animals; color > b&w; photos > illustrations; eye contact with the camera > looking away; females > males.

Apps are also getting into the fun, and tons are now including screaming faces[1] as their icon, no matter how related to the gameplay. Can't wait for a productivity app trying to pull off this icon...

[1] https://i.redd.it/2t190ls2j2571.png