This week, YOU, , are joining 1000+ people who’ll get this 116th edition in their inbox today.

It’s called the 1-2-3 copywriting newsletter, where every week you’ll get:

1 Copywriting Tip

2 Examples

3 Tactics on how to use it for your business.

Best part? You’ll get all the good stuff by investing less than 5 minutes weekly.

Have you ever seen such a win-win situation? Me neither.

Let's go! 💪🏻

1 Copywriting Tip

Tip: Flip the Tone

For a change, I won't talk about G.O.A.T ads today. Rather, I'll talk about the ones I created. 

And I'll walk you through the process. Because all I did was flip the one.

That different tone brought out a different perspective and injected quite a lot of wit and fun into the equation.

So here it goes...

Are you aware that the internet is going bonkers over the new ChatGPT 4o update? 

The one where people were creating anime versions of themselves? Yeah...that one.

Well, I was on the same train.

I knew that now I can create many more spec ads but I didn't want to be vanilla so I got a great idea last Thursday.

I felt like it had potential and now I knew I could present my idea better (visually) because I finally had the means to do it, all by myself.

And so I did.

But before I show you the outcome, let me talk about the thought process...

The basic premise was a pattern break through contrast.

I felt like I haven't really done spec ads for Indian brands so that's where my mind went.

Now my brain added a twist to this. So instead of the modern, cutting edge startups, I went for the legacy brands.

And I don't know from which corner of my brain, came a voice that said...

"Why don't you mix modern and legacy together and create something new?"

Like black & white.

Like old and new.

Like ebony and ivory.

And so I did.

Reimagined legacy Indian brands through a Gen-Z voice.

When this idea popped in my head, I got really excited.

The kind of idea where I smiled and thought, "Man, this can be a banger" and honestly, I think it did turn out to be one.

(If you also get an idea that makes you smile, it's worth pursuing)

Anyway, here's what I did next...

I went to Google Gemini and started searching for 20-30 most popular Gen-Z phrases.

Felt a little out of place because technically I'm Gen-Z too and I didn't even know half of those phrases but that's a story for another day...

But as I started consuming those phrases, certain words triggered specific brands in my head and the rest of it was pretty simple...

I gave a basic-ass prompt to GPT 4o's new image generator and extracted some great looking billboard style designs for a more older aesthetic.

Now onto (my) examples...

P.S. Here’s the full LinkedIn post.

2 Examples

1. Fevicol

This is my favourite ad from the lot.

It’s fun, witty and still conveys the message so simply.

Being attached too quickly plays on the classic double meaning where one can see it as a more of a human emotion thing but the product sets the context for the adhesive application.

“CEO of” is the phrase I found from Google Gemini.

2. Surf Excel

Visually, this ad is my favourite.

It has the perfect blend of typography, visual emotion and clear product image.

To not lift a finger to make this design is pretty impressive even by AI standards.

I knew the word DRIP and I paired it with the brand’s most popular tagline.

Win-win.

3 Tactics for You

1. Think Different

Sometimes, different means opposite. I’m well aware that the brands I chose would never say it like this but that’s what adds to the wit and fun.

Plus, it gets my brain going.

If I can think about pattern breaks and contrast and make it attention-grabbing, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes muscle memory and I can apply the same principles elsewhere.

You can do the same. For sure.

2. Think Visually

Imagine any object, prop, theme or any physical attribute related to your product that you’d like to use in your ad and create it first.

Then reverse engineer your copy from there.

Use visuals to set the context and copy to delight. Sometimes we have to see it, believe it and then write it.

3. Maximize Ideas

When I was not satisfied with GPT’s output, I asked it for more variations. And I did this at least 5-6 times before I found my set of phrases to use.

Don’t settle. Especially if you’re using AI to assist you. Keep looking for something that ignites your brain in a way that helps you think like only you can.

Let AI help you favour your novel ideas.

Well, that’s all I have for you today 🤝

What do you think about flipping the tone and today’s newsletter?

Hit reply & let me know your thoughts, !

P.S. Don’t forget to tell me your favourite thing about this newsletter. I’m collecting responses to build the next thing in this space.

Cheers! :)

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