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# How to turn clichés into catchy headlines
- URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-turn-cliches-into-catchy-headlines/
- Published: 2026-02-25T20:41:22.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:19.000Z
- Description: Let's write a DoorDash ad with a simple formula that copywriters love: "[cliché], but [twist]."
- Author: Shlomo Genchin
- Tags: Copywriting

Remember this quote?

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379244842-image-12.jpg)

It’s based on a simple formula that copywriters love: “\[cliché\], but \[twist\].”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379245293-5LfVV7VYZCogSKsMKbBfqq.jpg)

For example:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379245762-image-13.jpg)

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.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379246123-image-5.gif)

## 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

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379252682-image-6.gif)

Small caption: “Try our express delivery.”

---

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:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379259097-image-14-741x1024.jpg)

Jargon explanation: MMP = Mobile Measurement Partner.AppsFlyer’s audience knows this, of course.