profile

The Creative Marketer

The “[cliché], but [twist]” formula

Published 7 months ago • 1 min read

​​Read in your browser ↗​

Hey! Remember this quote?

It's based on a simple formula that copywriters love: "[cliché], but [twist]."

For example...

So let’s use it to write a DoorDash ad:

​

Step I: Find a cliché

I start by asking Perplexity: "List 200 food-related idioms, proverbs, clichés, and phrases."

​

Step II: Twist it

Perplexity isn’t very creative, so I paste my phrases into ChatGPT with this prompt:

PROMPT
​​
TASK: Add "but [twist]" to each phrase to create a clever ad headline for DoorDash. Follow the "[cliché], but [twist]" formula.

​

EXAMPLES:

• "Money can’t buy happiness, but I’d rather cry in a Ferrari."
• "Money talks, but sometimes it needs an interpreter."

• "Rome wasn’t built in a day, but your dream workflow can be."

​

[paste the phrases from Perplexity here]

Most lines GPT gives me are useless, but a few are actually interesting:

1) "There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but there are great deals."
​

2) "Carrot and stick, but fries are a better motivator."
​

3) "Revenge is a dish best served cold, but fries are best hot."

So I try to polish them a bit:

1) There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but there is free delivery. Try DoorPass.
​
​(Nah, too forced.)
​

2) Carrot and stick is nice, but have you tried pizza? DoorDash for Business.
​
​(lol, people on LinkedIn will hate this.)
​

3) "Revenge is a dish best served cold, but ramen isn’t."
​
​(I actually like this one.)

​

Step III: Add your offer​
​

And by the way, the cliché doesn’t necessarily have to be directly connected to the product.

For example, here’s an ad I wrote for my client, AppsFlyer:

You made it! 🕺

Reply to this email if you enjoyed it.
I’ll write back, pinky swear ;)

Talk soon,
​Shlomo​

​

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, I have 33 more creative ad recipes in my video course Boring Products, Fun Ads. Loved by 300+ students.

​

​Maria Kalyadina​

Director of Social & Community at Semrush​
"My team and I love Boring Products, Fun Ads. Super practical, and these techniques really speed up our creative process."

The Creative Marketer

By Shlomo Genchin | 13k+ readers

Learn how to brainstorm brilliant ads and copy | You’ll get one practical recipe every two weeks | Free bonus: get 25 creative marketing cheatsheets when you sign up.

Read more from The Creative Marketer
Untitled design.gif

Read in your browser↗ Hey! I created this AI ad for my client: Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process, prompts, and prices. Step 1: Inspiration 🛠️ TikTok (free) and Perplexity ($20/mo) A few months ago, I saw a TikTok of a woman working on her laptop in the ocean. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it, but I knew it was a fantastic visual hook, so I created this little mood board. Then, while doing research for HiBob’s payroll feature launch, I saw this Reddit comment....

7 days ago • 1 min read

Read in your browser↗ Hey! Making video ads doesn’t always mean spending $50k. Sometimes all you need is a tiny production. Here’s how I created four short video ads for my client, HiBob: 1. Concepts I presented my ideas like this: 💡 Pro tip: Prepare 3-5 extra concepts. Let the client choose. 2. Scripts Then I turned the chosen ideas into scripts: Read the full script and grab this template For the visual reference part, Google’s Nano Banana makes it easy to adjust facial expressions and...

21 days ago • 2 min read

Read in your browser↗ Hey! Constantly coming up with new ads is hard... But a technique I learned from Pablo Rochat makes it easier. Credit: Nicer Tuesdays I call it Square Storming. And here's how I used it to come up with 100+ ads for my client, AppsFlyer: SPONSOR I use Senja to collect, organize, and share testimonials from my course students: And when I advise startups, Senja is the first tool I recommend, because nothing boosts conversions faster than social proof. SPONSOR Step 1: I...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read