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The Creative Marketer

The “[cliché], but [twist]” formula

Published 6 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:

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Step I: Find a cliché

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

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Step II: Twist it

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

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

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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."

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[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."
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2) "Carrot and stick, but fries are a better motivator."
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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.
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​(Nah, too forced.)
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2) Carrot and stick is nice, but have you tried pizza? DoorDash for Business.
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​(lol, people on LinkedIn will hate this.)
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3) "Revenge is a dish best served cold, but ramen isn’t."
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​(I actually like this one.)

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Step III: Add your offer​
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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​

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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.

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​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.

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