# Unbore – The creative ad school for B2B marketers > Tutorials, AI prompts, and inspiration for your next advertising campaign. Created by Shlomo Genchin Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### Boring Products, Fun Ads URL: https://www.unbore.com/course/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:40:14.000Z _No content available._ ### The Unbore Library URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T11:12:22.000Z _No content available._ ### Workshop URL: https://www.unbore.com/workshop/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:41:19.000Z _No content available._ ### Terms, Conditions, and Privacy URL: https://www.unbore.com/terms-conditions-and-privacy/ Last updated: 2026-03-17T11:48:29.000Z ### Introduction These Terms and Conditions govern your use of the online course “Boring Products, Fun Ads” (“Course”). By enrolling, you agree to these terms, which form a legally binding agreement between you and Shlomo Genchin (“we”, “us”, “our”). ### Course Access Access to the Course is granted upon full payment. Course access is for personal use only, and account sharing is not allowed. Any unauthorized sharing may result in termination of access without a refund. ### Payment Process (Paddle) Our order process is handled by our payment partner, Paddle.com. Paddle is the Merchant of Record for all purchases made through this website and securely processes all payments. Paddle acts as the seller of record for payment, billing, refunds, and chargebacks related to your purchase. Payment details, including card information, are processed securely by Paddle. Shlomo Genchin does not have access to, and does not store, view, or process any payment details or sensitive payment data. Only Paddle securely handles payment information. Purchases are also subject to Paddle’s Checkout Buyer Terms, available at: [https://paddle.com/legal/checkout-buyer-terms](https://paddle.com/legal/checkout-buyer-terms?ref=unbore.com) If you have any questions about your purchase, course access, or anything else, you’re always welcome to reach out to us directly. ### Product Information Before purchasing, we make reasonable efforts to clearly present product details, pricing, and what’s included. Please review this information carefully before completing your purchase. ### Product Errors We take reasonable steps to allow buyers to review and correct order details before a purchase is completed. ### Intellectual Property All course content, including text, images, videos, and materials, is owned by Shlomo Genchin unless otherwise stated. Redistribution or resale of the Course content is not permitted without explicit permission. ### Refunds and Complaints You are eligible for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. To request a refund or ask a question about your purchase, you may contact us directly with your order details. Refunds are processed by Paddle as the seller of record. Paddle may review and handle refund requests in line with applicable laws and its Buyer Terms. We aim to respond to all inquiries and complaints within a reasonable timeframe and help resolve issues as smoothly as possible. ### Support Paddle handles billing, payment processing, and checkout-related matters. We’re happy to help with course access, content questions, technical issues, or general questions about the Course. Support contact: Shlomo@unbore.com ### Product Fulfillment After purchase, you’ll receive immediate access to the Course materials. If relevant, an order confirmation or success page may include additional details related to your purchase. ### Prohibited Activities You agree not to misuse the Course or engage in fraudulent or deceptive behavior, including unauthorized sharing of course materials. ### Chargebacks and Disputes If a chargeback occurs, Paddle manages the process directly with the payment provider. Chargebacks may involve fees determined by Paddle in accordance with its Buyer Terms and applicable payment rules. We encourage reaching out early if something feels off so issues can be resolved before escalating. ### Changes to Refund Policy, Terms, or Support Details Any updates to our refund policy, Terms, or support contact details will be reflected on this website and shared with Paddle where required. ### Changes to Terms We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Course after changes are posted indicates acceptance of the updated Terms. ### Termination We may suspend or terminate access to the Course if these Terms are materially violated. --- ## Privacy Policy ### Data Collection We collect limited personal information, such as your name and email address, to provide course access and support. Payment information is collected and processed securely by Paddle. Shlomo Genchin does not have access to or store any payment details. Only Paddle processes payment data. Paddle and Shlomo Genchin act as independent data controllers for personal data related to purchases and course access. ### Use of Data Your data is used to deliver the Course, provide customer support, and (with your consent) send relevant updates or marketing communications. ### Data Sharing We do not sell your personal data. We may share limited data with trusted tools used to run the Course, such as email delivery, course hosting, or analytics. Purchase-related data is shared with Paddle to process payments and refunds. Paddle processes personal data in accordance with its own Privacy Policy: [https://paddle.com/privacy](https://paddle.com/privacy?ref=unbore.com) ### Security We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including SSL encryption. ### Cookies We use cookies to improve site functionality and understand how the site is used. This may include functional cookies and basic analytics cookies. Where required, consent is requested before placing non-essential cookies. ### Changes to Policy We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated clearly. --- ## Refund Policy ### Refund Eligibility You’re eligible for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. ### Requesting a Refund To request a refund or ask a question, contact us with your order details within the 30-day window. Refunds are processed by Paddle, but you’re always welcome to reach out to Shlomo Genchin directly with questions or concerns. ### Non-Refundable Situations Refunds are not available after the 30-day period. ### Complaint Resolution If something doesn’t feel right, please contact us first and we’ll do our best to help. For billing or payment-specific issues, Paddle may also be involved as the seller of record. --- ## **Cookie Policy** **What are cookies?** Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember things about your visit. **What cookies do I use?** I use three optional cookies on this site. None of them are loaded until you click "Accept" on the cookie banner. | Cookie | Purpose | Provider | Duration | | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- | -------- | | Affonso | Tracks affiliate referrals so partners who recommend my course get credited | Affonso | 30 days | | LinkedIn Insight Tag | Helps me understand who visits my site and run targeted ads on LinkedIn | LinkedIn | 90 days | | Meta Pixel | Helps me understand who visits my site and run targeted ads on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) | Meta | 90 days | **Your choice** When you first visit, a banner asks if you accept optional cookies. If you click "Accept," the tracking cookies listed above are loaded. You can change your mind anytime by clearing your browser cookies — the banner will appear again on your next visit. **Questions?** Email me at Shlomo@unbore.com if you have any questions about how I use cookies. ### Tags URL: https://www.unbore.com/tag/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T11:02:41.000Z _No content available._ ### Tags URL: https://www.unbore.com/tags/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:30:59.000Z _No content available._ ### Toolbox URL: https://www.unbore.com/toolbox/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:35:08.000Z _No content available._ ### Studio [WIP] URL: https://www.unbore.com/studio/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:07:53.000Z _No content available._ ### Tutorials URL: https://www.unbore.com/tutorials/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T15:37:37.000Z _No content available._ ### Welcome to Unbore URL: https://www.unbore.com/welcome/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T18:21:35.000Z “Make me some brilliant, amazing, creative, viral ads,” says your boss. Or your client. So you go through dozens of ad examples, spy on competitors, and even ask ChatGPT for ideas. But the ideas don’t come. “*Maybe I’m just not creative*,” you think. Well, I’m here to tell you: **y*ou are creative.*** 👉 BUT. As a creative marketers, we can’t wait around for inspiration. We have deadlines. That’s why advertising pros use techniques and formulas to get unstuck. Usually, they don’t talk much about those techniques. Because they want their process to seem magical. Mysterious. But in reality, even the greatest ads are based on the same frameworks. What changes is the context and the human insight behind them. On this website, I share the everything I’ve learned while making ads for tech companies like Semrush, HiBob, AppsFlyer, and Riverside, as well as consumer brands like Coke, Burger King, Michelin, and many others. ### **And if you’re new here, I recommend starting with my best tutorials:** [How to use Nano Banana to make memorable ad visualsOh, Nano Banana. The greatest AI image tool. Here are 12 ways I use it to make ads: 01\. Change Hairstyle Prompt: Mess up her hair so it looks like a full-on bad hair day: Uneven volume, frizzy strands, pieces sticking out in random directions and covering her face. 02.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-13.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/Copywriting-Thumbnail--1-.png)](https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-nano-banana-to-make-memorable-ad-visuals/) [How to write and produce realistic AI video ads that actually convertI created an AI ad for HiBob. It brought in so many leads that we’re now turning it into a CTV ad.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-9.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/How-to-Write-and-Produce-Realistic-AI-Video-Ads-that-Actually-Convert.png)](https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-and-produce-realistic-ai-video-ads-that-actually-convert/) [How to use literary devices to write sticky headlinesI went through 300+ brand taglines. Most of them use one of these 24 rhetorical devices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-11.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/How-to-use-literary-devices-to-write-sticky-headlines.png)](https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-literary-devices-to-write-sticky-headlines/) [How to create pattern-breaking LinkedIn adsMy process for creating B2B ads that get noticed: Message → Image → Headline → Validation → Captions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-6.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/How-to-create-pattern-breaking-LinkedIn-ads.png)](https://www.unbore.com/how-to-create-pattern-breaking-linkedin-ads/) [How to announce new features so that people actually noticeI’m thrilled and honored to share this copywriting technique with you.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-10.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/How-to-announce-new-features-so-that-people-actually-notice.png)](https://www.unbore.com/how-to-announce-new-features-so-that-people-actually-notice/) ### **Next, you can check out these resources:** [TutorialsCreative ad tutorials for B2B marketers. Learn copywriting, art direction, scriptwriting, video production, and brainstorming.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-24.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/OG-Image-Template--10-.png)](https://www.unbore.com/tutorials/) [ToolboxA handpicked directory of useful tools and websites for copywriting, design, and everything else creative marketers need.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-23.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/OG-Image-Template--9-.png)](https://www.unbore.com/toolbox/) [Readings - UnboreBook summaries and recommendations for creative marketers![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-34.png)Unbore![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/OG-Image-Template--6--1-1.png)](https://www.unbore.com/readings/) ### **And once you're ready to take it to the next level, feel free to check out my course on B2B ads:** [Boring Products, Fun AdsThe complete course for creating B2B tech ads that stand out and outperform by Shlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-26.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/OG-Image-Template--3--1.png)](https://www.unbore.com/course/) ### **Or book a workshop for your team:** [WorkshopInvite me to run a creative ad workshop for your team. For teams at B2B SaaS companies, and B2B ad agencies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/icon/Frame-2147203832-28.png)UnboreShlomo Genchin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/thumbnail/OG-Image-Template--2--1.png)](https://www.unbore.com/workshop/) **Great to have you here 🫶** P.S If you have any questions, or just want to say hi, shoot me an email Shlomo@unbore.com ### ### Portfolio URL: https://www.unbore.com/portfolio/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:05:55.000Z _No content available._ ### Student Work URL: https://www.unbore.com/student-work/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T12:44:05.000Z _No content available._ ### Studio URL: https://www.unbore.com/studio-coming-soon/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:15:08.000Z _No content available._ ### The Unbore Newsletter URL: https://www.unbore.com/newsletter/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T08:10:20.000Z _No content available._ ### Unbore — llms.txt URL: https://www.unbore.com/llms-txt/ Last updated: 2026-03-17T12:30:04.000Z **Site:** unbore.com **Creator:** Shlomo Genchin — Creative Director, based in Tel Aviv **What Unbore is:** A creative advertising brand for B2B marketers. Unbore helps B2B tech companies make ads that don't look like B2B ads — through a course, workshops, video production services, a newsletter, and free tutorials. ## Who is Shlomo Genchin? Shlomo Genchin is a creative director specializing in B2B advertising. He has worked with companies like Semrush, HiBob, AppsFlyer, and Riverside, as well as VC portfolio companies (Ground Up Ventures). He creates video ads, teaches creative ad-making, and runs workshops for marketing teams. ## Core Offerings ### 1\. Boring Products, Fun Ads — Online Course **URL:** /course/ **What it is:** A self-paced online course teaching B2B marketers how to create standout ads. It's a complete system — not just theory. **What's included:** - 3.5 hours of video lessons - 33 ad recipe templates (ready-to-use creative frameworks) - 11 hands-on exercises - AI prompts, cheat sheets, and tools - Multi-chapter curriculum covering techniques like analogies, reveals, fake reviews, and more **Who it's for:** B2B marketers at startups and established tech companies who want to stop making generic, boring ads. Also aspiring ad creatives. **Social proof:** Loved by 500+ marketers. Student work showcased at /student-work/. **Pricing:** One-time lifetime access. Payment via Paddle. **Affiliate program:** Unbore runs an affiliate program via Affonso. Affiliates can refer students using tracked links. ### 2\. The Unbore Newsletter **URL:** /newsletter/ **What it is:** A free weekly newsletter with tutorials, AI prompts, and inspiration for advertising campaigns. **Audience:** 15,000+ creative marketers from companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Zoom, Monday.com, Wix, and more. **Frequency:** Weekly **What subscribers get:** Practical tips on ad copywriting, art direction, video scripts, brainstorming techniques, and career advice for marketers. ### 3\. Creative Ad Workshop **URL:** /workshop/ **What it is:** An in-person workshop where Shlomo teaches creative ad brainstorming frameworks to marketing teams. **Format:** Team-based, hands-on session. Participants create real ads during the workshop. **Who it's for:** B2B SaaS marketing teams and ad agencies looking to improve their creative brainstorming process. **Social proof:** Past clients include established B2B companies. Participant-created ads are showcased on the site. **Booking:** Bookings available for upcoming months. ### 4\. Video Ad Production (Studio) **URL:** /studio/ **What it is:** A premium service where Shlomo writes, produces, and directs video ads for B2B companies. **Who it's for:** Senior marketing leaders at large B2B software companies ($50M+ revenue). **Process:** Creative Strategy → Concept Development → Production, Review & Delivery. **Portfolio:** Sample work available at /portfolio/. ## Content & Resources ### Tutorials **URL:** /tutorials/ Free educational content organized by category: Copywriting, Art Direction, Script & Video, Career, and Brainstorming. Includes both free and member-only articles. ### Student Work Gallery **URL:** /student-work/ A curated gallery of ads created by Boring Products, Fun Ads course students. Each piece shows the creative technique used and which chapter it came from. Demonstrates the practical results of the course. ### Portfolio **URL:** /portfolio/ and /about/ Showcase of Shlomo's commercial work including video ads and campaigns for B2B brands like Semrush, HiBob, AppsFlyer, and Riverside. Also includes work for Ground Up Ventures portfolio companies. ### Tools & Recommendations **URL:** /tools/ and /recommendations/ Curated lists of recommended software, tools, and external resources for ad creators and marketers. ### Tags Directory **URL:** /tags/ Browse all content by topic. Includes tutorials, podcasts, projects, and reading recommendations. ## Key Facts - Unbore is a one-person brand run by Shlomo Genchin - Based in Tel Aviv, Israel - The site is built on Ghost (CMS) - Newsletter has 15,000+ subscribers - Course has 500+ students - Primary audience: B2B marketers, creative directors, marketing teams at tech/SaaS companies - Content covers: ad copywriting, art direction, video production, brainstorming frameworks, career advice ## Contact Available through the website. Crisp live chat is available on all pages. ### AI Headline Templates URL: https://www.unbore.com/ai-headline-templates/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T08:26:46.000Z _No content available._ ### Boring Products, Fun Ads x Full-funnel Summit 2026 URL: https://www.unbore.com/funnel2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-22T14:10:52.000Z ## 🎓 Want to keep learning how to make creative ads? Get 30% off my creative B2B ads course. Use this coupon code: Funnel30 Valid until Thursday, April 2, 2026 [Learn more](https://www.unbore.com/course) ## 🖼️ Presentation [Google Drive Link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/116NOGAwHlO%5F9F5lrsFpJqoazeAy%5F4qf-/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=unbore.com) ## 🍞 Creative Recipe: World Without ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/BPFA-217.png) --- ## 🤖 Pain Points Prompt Find real testimonials, reviews, or Reddit posts from \[persona\] describing the challenges, frustrations, relatable situations, or pain points they experienced while \[user's job\]. Copy prompt Paste into any AI chat ## ✍️ Copywriting Formula ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/TPSA.png) --- ⚒️ ****AI Tools** • [Gemini (Nano Banana)](https://gemini.google.com/?ref=unbore.com) • [ElevenLabs](https://elevenlabs.io/?ref=unbore.com) • [Enhancor.ai](http://enhancor.ai/?ref=unbore.com) • [Kling AI](http://app.klingai.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- ## 🎤 Voiceovers ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Eleven-Labs-Cheat-Sheet-by-Shlomo-Genchin.png) --- ## 📂 Ad Examples: World Without ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-371-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-389-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-236.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/GreatAds_Heinz_Steak.webp) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-2025-03-25-at-17.43.26--1-.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-100.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Gemini_Generated_Image_4xe4cs4xe4cs4xe4-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-46.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-234.png) --- ## 3 Copywriting Techniques for Non-Copywriters ## 🏊 Phrase Pool ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-7.png) > Phrases, idioms, and quotes are the perfect wordsmithing material. – Julian Shapiro ## 🤖 Prompt List 200 common idioms, phrases, proverbs, quotes, and sayings Copy prompt Paste into any AI chat --- ## **✏️ Copywriting Formula I: Replace a word with its opposite** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-8.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-2.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-4.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-3.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-5.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-6.png) ### 🤖 Prompt Turn these phrases into ad headlines for \[insert your website URL here\] using the flipped headline technique. Flip only one word to its opposite. Like this: • Trial and error → Trial and success • Slow and steady wins the race → Fast and steady wins the race • Burn the midnight oil → Save the midnight oil Copy prompt Paste into any AI chat --- ## ✏️ Copywriting Formula II: \[Cliché\] + \[Twist\] ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-10.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-11.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-13.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-12.png) --- ## ✏️ Copywriting Formula III: Replace a word with a sound-alike. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-14.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-16.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-15.png) --- ## ✍️ Bonus: LinkedIn Caption Bot ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/BPFA-47--1-.png) --- ## All advertising is unwanted. So if you're going to crash the party, bring some champagne.” **– Bob Thacker* ### CopyTemplates Waitlist URL: https://www.unbore.com/copytemplates-waitlist/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T11:33:24.000Z 🎉 Update CopyTemplates is live! Check it out here: [copytemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) ## How it looks ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-22.06.18-1-1.png) --- ## What's inside • 60+ creative copywriting formulas • 100s of handpicked copy examples • Copy-paste AI Prompts • Thought-starters for humans • Claude Skills for robots --- ## Pricing Still WIP. But I can promise you two things: 1) It'll be lifetime access, no annoying subscription. 2) You'll get a nice discount if you join the waitlist: Thanks! [Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) : ) 🎉 Update CopyTemplates is live! Check it out here: [copytemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) ### CopyTemplates • Waitlist URL: https://www.unbore.com/waitlist/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T11:32:46.000Z 🎉 Update CopyTemplates is live! Check it out here: [copytemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) ## How it looks ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-22.06.18-1-1.png) --- ## What's inside • 60+ creative copywriting formulas • 100s of handpicked copy examples • Copy-paste AI Prompts • Thought-starters for humans • Claude Skills for robots --- ## Pricing Still WIP. But I can promise you two things: 1) It'll be lifetime access, no annoying subscription. 2) You'll get a nice discount if you join the waitlist: Thanks, [Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) :) ### Shlomo x C&C 2026 URL: https://www.unbore.com/cc26/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T18:43:02.000Z 🎓 Boring Products, Fun Ads ### Get 30% off my creative B2B ads course Coupon code CC26 Copy Valid until Thursday, June 11, 2026 [See pricing ](https://www.unbore.com/course) "Incredible course. There's honestly nothing out there like it." **Nik Skogsberg**, Senior Copywriter @ HubSpot ## 🎤 Presentation / Or download the PDF: [Shlomo's Talk :: C&C 2026Shlomo's Talk :: C&C 2026.pdf54 MBdownload-circle](https://www.unbore.com/content/files/2026/06/Shlomo-s-Talk----C-C-2026.pdf "Download") ## 🖼️ Static Analogy Ads ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--3-.png) ## 💢 Step I: Pick a problem ### The 3-sec research prompt Go to \[Brand URL\] and create a two-column table. Column 1: Practical problems the product solves. Column 2: Personal problems the product solves. Each row should pair a practical problem with a personal problem. Copy prompt Paste into any AI chat ## 🤔 Step II: Find analogies Try my Claude skill: [analogy-ads.skillanalogy-ads.skill.zip2 KBdownload-circle](https://www.unbore.com/content/files/2026/06/analogy-ads.skill.zip "Download") Or simply use this prompt: ### Analogy finder prompt Find analogies for \[insert user problem\] Copy prompt Paste into any AI chat ## ✒️ Step III: Write copy ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--2-.png) ### Straight to Great Copywriting Prompt My message is: \[Say it straight\] Product: \[Insert here\] | Visual: Attached Use each one of these techniques to write an ad headline for \[Product\]: Alliteration (e.g., "Ship sites with style." - Framer) Rhyme (e.g., "Join millions saving billions." - Wise) Pun (e.g., "Compliance that doesn't SOC 2 much." - Vanta) Parallelism (e.g., "Renter tested, landlord approved." - Lemonade) Epistrophe (e.g., "Think it. Build it. Ship it." - v0) Antithesis (e.g., "Remember everything, organize nothing." - MyMind) Pain Question (e.g., "Tired of complicated software that your team doesn't want to use?" - Intercom) Reveals (e.g., "Rome wasn't built in a day, but your dream workflow can be." - Monday.com) Pleonasm (e.g., "Refreshingly simple project management." - BaseCamp) Personification (e.g., "Receipts now organize themselves." - Ramp) Copy prompt Paste into any AI chat ## ✔️ Final ads ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/9-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/7-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/8-1.png) --- ## 📹 Video Analogy Ads ## 🗣️ Step I: Voice of the Customer ⚒️ [****Tool: Reddit Answers**](https://www.reddit.com/answers/?ref=unbore.com) ### Reddit Answers Research Prompt Find posts and comments from \[target persona\] sharing real challenges, frustrations, and relatable situations Copy prompt Paste into any AI chat ## 📺 Step II: Storyboard 1. Define the tension 2. Use the PAS formula: Problem, Agitation, Solution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--6-.png) Read the full script [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/13zqMbOXwYvSMkjdVRb50sWQvfcqbXEizu-xAQn%5FkdxY/edit?usp=sharing&ref=unbore.com). 1. Add storyboards using [Weavy's](https://www.weavy.ai/?ref=unbore.com) text iterator tool: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--5-.png) ## 📼 Step III: Production 0:00 /0:25 1× --- ## 💡 Recap ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/BPFA-481--1-.png) --- ## 💌 Contact Thanks for stopping by :) For collabs: Shlomo@unbore.com [–Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) ## Posts ### Unignorable billboards URL: https://www.unbore.com/unignorable-billboards/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T08:52:24.000Z ## tl;dr ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/A4-Cheat-Sheet-----7-Unignorable-Billboard-Techniques.png) [Download Printable PDF](https://drive.google.com/file/d/180MRZtZt55NPXg%5F6pz4ZGwIHtTf6v%5F7L/view?usp=sharing&ref=unbore.com) --- Writing billboards for brands like Burger King and Semrush taught me seven techniques that make OOH ads unignorable. I turned these techniques into free ChatGPT and Claude skills (link below). But first, let's break them down: ## 1/ Literal Take a word or phrase from your headline literally, then build the billboard around it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/90--1-.png) Background remover = a billboard with no background ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/147.png) Cardboard = cardboard billboard ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/135.png) Break = an unfinished billboard Oh, this KitKat ad is also a *great example of a prop* billboard... --- ## 2/ Prop Add a physical object that takes the idea beyond the billboard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/148.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/149.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/127.png) And even though this is a *fake human*, we can also use a real one... --- ## 3/ Human Make a real person part of the billboard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/150.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/121.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/151.png) By the way, this one is also a sequence billboard... --- ## 4/ Sequence Use two or more billboards that work together to complete the idea. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/152.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/112.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/118.png) And these Times Square ads are also *location billboards...* --- ## 5/ Location Connect the ad to the location or event where it appears. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/94.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/102.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/106.png) An ad I wrote for my client, Semrush And sometimes, the billboard isn’t just in the right place. It’s actually *reacting* to its environment... --- ## 6/ Reactive Make the billboard respond to what’s happening around it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/95.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/97.png) He points at real planes as they fly overhead ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/144.png) But this isn’t only reactive. It’s... *interactive*! --- ## 7/ Interactive Let people experience the billboard with more than just their eyes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/98.png) This billboard smells like McDonald’s fries ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/99.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/96.png) --- ## More Examples Want my full billboard handbook? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/08/153.png) Check out this [LinkedIn carousel](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Funignorable-billboards-activity-7495754970139365376-Jm34?ref=unbore.com), or [download the PDF](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P6RzyxRV8gi-KFrMGeEegDQiRqPr9aKK/view?usp=sharing&ref=unbore.com) --- _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to write beautiful headlines URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-beautiful-headlines/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T10:41:57.000Z 💌 Got this email from a friend? [Subscribe here.](https://www.unbore.com/newsletter) Hey! Every great headline consists of two parts: 1. What you say (the message) 2. How you say it (the delivery) > Luke Sullivan calls it: "First say it straight, then say it great." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Frame--22-.png) And almost every good piece of copy is written this way: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Frame--24-.png) Here's how I approach this process... --- ## **1\. Say it straight** An effective headline should make a promise or highlight a problem. So I want to have at least four types of messaging to play with: ### Two "promise" lines One around a capability: something that the product does. And another one around a feeling: how the product improves my user's life. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Frame--31-.png) ### Two "problem" lines Same as the promise, but negative. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Frame--27-.png) Once I know what I want to say, it's time to figure out how to make it interesting. --- ## **2\. Say it great** There are two main methods for this step: ### Method 1: Structured techniques Use rhetorical devices to make your "straight" message more memorable. Here are some of my favorite techniques: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Frame--25-.png) **Bonus: Use AI, carefully** AI can use copywriting techniques pretty well. But the best results come when I've already figured out the message myself. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Frame--29-.png) ### Method 2: Random Inspiration I open a well-curated copy collection, like [Lürzer's Archive](https://www.luerzersarchive.com/?ref=unbore.com) or [D&AD's Copy Book](https://www.taschen.com/en/books/popculture/43914/d-and-ad-the-copy-book/?ref=unbore.com)... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Frame--30-.png) A great resource for creative visuals and copy ideas And when I find a headline I like, I shamelessly ask myself: 🤔 "How can I steal this style and bake my message into it?" --- ## **Thanks for reading 🫶** Talk soon, [Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) P.S. [Watch the video version](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7483447692904259585/?dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd%5Fcomment%3A%287483453159185567744%2Curn%3Ali%3AugcPost%3A7483447455225708544%29&ref=unbore.com) of this newsletter. P.P.S. This newsletter is 100% free thanks to my online products: ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/0716.gif) [Boring Products, Fun Ads](https://www.unbore.com/course): The complete course for creative B2B ads [CopyTemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com): A library of timeless copywriting techniques Check them out :) ### How I built CopyTemplates URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-i-built-copytemplates/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T11:43:47.000Z Hey! Last week I launched [CopyTemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com), my copywriting technique library. 150+ marketers have bought it since. And today I’ll show you how I built it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Gemini_Generated_Image_e0fydye0fydye0fy-1.png) And by the way, tonight the price goes up from $97 to $147. [Get lifetime access for $97](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- Let's dive in: ## 1\. Curation For the past 10 years, I've collected thousands of copywriting examples. Screenshots, posters, books. Even t-shirts 😅 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/CopyTemplates-Launch-Video--3-.gif) But that wasn’t enough. Because I wanted to understand their mechanism. *Why* they worked… --- ## 2\. Techniques So I learned about rhetorical devices. Mostly from [The Elements of Eloquence](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17415726-the-elements-of-eloquence?ref=unbore.com) and [LiteraryDevices.com](https://literarydevices.com/?ref=unbore.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/CopyTemplates-BTS--2-.jpg) Then, I organized my favorite taglines based on those techniques, and posted this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/CopyTemplates-BTS--3-.jpg) I thought I was the only nerd who cared about literary devices in copywriting. Turned out there were thousands. I knew I wanted to do *something* with those devices, but I didn’t know what. Two years went by, until... --- ## 3\. The Spark I stumbled upon [21st.dev](http://21st.dev/?ref=unbore.com), a website component library. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/CopyTemplates-BTS--4-.jpg) Their concept was simple, but brilliant: Pick a website component from the library, copy the prompt, paste it into Claude, and it'll build it for you. I wanted a library like this, but for copywriting techniques. Thing is, I wasn't sure if other people would want it too... --- ## 4\. Validation So I designed a quick prototype with Claude, and shared a waitlist landing page on LinkedIn and in my newsletter. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/CopyTemplates-BTS--5-.jpg) But I wanted more validation, so I invited newsletter readers to become beta-testers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Frame-2147203922--5-.png) All in all, 300 people signed up for the waitlist, and 40+ people offered to beta test. I was pretty sure I could sell at least 50 licenses. So I cleared my schedule for 90 days, bought [CopyTemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) for $218 (a steal!), and went to work. --- ## 5\. Building I created a simple sketch, and dropped it in Claude. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/CopyTemplates-BTS--8-.png) First, we defined the stack. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-01-at-9.44.04-1.png) And then created this prototype: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/CopyTemplates-BTS--7-.jpg) It worked. I was pumped. But there was a problem. I had hundreds of copy examples in my Figma board. Some horizontal, some vertical, some low-res and barely readable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/CopyTemplates-BTS--8-.jpg) I wanted them to be sharp, clean, and all in the same format. And so my biggest ad refurbishing project began. --- ## 6\. Design I hired three freelance designers. Together, we adapted every example for CopyTemplates. Here's the brief I gave them: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-01-at-10.40.19.png) So far, I've spent $2,000+ designing [CopyTemplates](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com), and I'll keep improving and adding more headlines every month. Sometimes a simple crop or AI tweak did the trick. Other times, we spent an hour or two manually recreating old ads from scratch. But that wasn't the hardest part... --- ## 7\. Prompt Creation Together with Ashlei, a fantastic writer who's been helping me for years, we manually designed every prompt. We structured them like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/CopyTemplates-BTS--6-.png) And then each one of us tested them in Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/CopyTemplates-BTS--10-.jpg) Pro tip: Use Temporary/Incognito Mode to make sure the prompts work for everyone. Then, I turned those prompts into Claude Skills, and tested them as well. And finally, I was ready to release my *baby*, sorry, my *beta* version. --- ## 8\. Beta testers Remember the beta testers from my validation email? I opened a WhatsApp group where they could leave feedback. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Group-35894.png) And I expected them to suggest prompt tweaks, or small UI changes. But many of them simply said: "I don't understand anything. Like, what is this thing?" Ugh. I'd spent so much time in my head obsessing over every detail that I assumed everyone knew how to use prompts, Claude skills, and copywriting techniques. I didn't even have a hero section because I thought it was so obvious 🤦‍♂️ I swallowed my pride and added two assets: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/CopyTemplates-BTS--7-.png) Feedback improved dramatically. The Curse of Knowledge was broken. ## 9\. Launch My launch campaign ends tonight, and it includes three pillars: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-01-at-13.17.21.png) And now you can contribute to its (and your!) success by clicking [here](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) ;) [Or here 👀](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- ## You made it! 🥂 Thank you SO MUCH for supporting this launch <3 I'm gonna get some sleep now haha Talk soon, [Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) P.S. If you're still waiting for budget approval from your employer and need a little extra time, just reply to this email. I'll get back to you today :) ### 9 copy techniques for ad haters URL: https://www.unbore.com/9-copy-techniques-for-ad-haters/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T07:45:30.000Z [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/0628-copy-3.gif)](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) This is a bonus edition for the [CopyTemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) launch 🍾 It's $97 (instead of $147) till Wednesday, July 1\. Pay once, use forever. Since last week, 80 writers got their lifetime license. What about you? [Try CopyTemplates ](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- Hey, let’s be real. Most people HATE ads. Because most ads talk to them like they’re dumb. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--19--1.png) But these 9 techniques help me write ad copy that can make even the worst ad haters smile... --- ## **tl;dr** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/LinkedIn-Cheat-Sheet-Ideal-Size.jpg) --- Let's dive in (don't miss the master prompt at the end): ## 1\. Self-Deprecation Admit your flaws to make your brand more relatable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Internet-Explorer--4-.gif) More self-deprecation examples: [copytemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- ## 2\. Understatement Find your biggest advantage. Say it like it’s not a big deal. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Uber-One.gif) --- ## 3\. Downsides When your product benefit creates a new problem. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Market-Watch.gif) --- ## 4\. Reverse World Swap words and expectations to hook readers and make a point. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Reverseworld_evita.gif) --- ## 5\. Self-Aware Ads Break the 4th wall, and admit it's an ad to disarm skeptics. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Group-1000004022.gif) Try the self-aware Claude skill: [copytemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- ## 6\. Chuck Norris Exaggerate the benefit until it becomes a funny scene. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame-2147203920.gif) --- ## 7\. Tricky Threes Two things establish a pattern. The third one breaks it. Surprise. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Bumble.gif) Try the Tricky Threes AI prompt: [copytemplates.com](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- ## 8\. Reverse Psychology Tell readers not to do what you want them to do or vice versa. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/reverse_psychology_hinge.gif) --- ## 9\. Slap ‘N Hug Start with something negative, then flip it into a positive. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Nike-Tennis.gif) --- ## **You made it!** If you have any questions about [CopyTemplates](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com), reply to this email. I'll write back today :) [– Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Group-1000004023.png) --- ## Free Bonus: Master prompt Run this prompt to try all these techniques at once: ✂️ Paste this aI prompt into Claude or ChatGPT Context \[AI, don't run before user fills in\] My website: {e.g., clickup.com} My promise: {e.g., keep all your team's projects and communication in one place} Pain point I solve: {e.g., work scattered across email, chat, and a dozen tools} –––––––––––– Task: Write 18 ad headlines using the 9 techniques below, two per technique. Label each headline with its technique. Headlines only, no explanations. –––––––––––– Self-Aware Ads: break the fourth wall and admit it's an ad to disarm ad-haters. Example: Superside: "We're too busy designing for the top tech companies to care about our billboards." Chuck Norris: exaggerate the benefit until it becomes a funny, over-the-top scene. Example: Bai: "Flavor so juicy you could sell it to a tabloid." Tricky Threes: list two normal things to set a pattern, then break it with a surprising third. Example: Bumble: "Tall, dark, and actually reads that book you recommend." Reverse Psychology: tell readers not to do what you want them to do (or vice versa). Example: Wathan Funeral Home: "Text and drive." Slap 'N Hug: open with something negative, then flip it into a positive. Example: Nike: "Some people take tennis too seriously. We make shoes for them." Self-Deprecation: admit your own flaws or weaknesses with confidence to make the brand more relatable. Example: Buckley's: "It tastes awful. And it works." Understatement: take your biggest advantage and say it like it's no big deal. Example: Uber One: "A membership for people who eat food and go places." Downsides: joke about an absurd new problem caused by the product working too well. Example: Franklin Park Zoo: "7 Acres. 300 Birds. Wear A Hat." Reverse World: swap words and expectations around to hook readers and make a point. Example: Evita Anti-Aging Balm: "Tock Tick." –––––––––––– Go! ### CopyTemplates is live 🪩 URL: https://www.unbore.com/copytemplates-is-live/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T08:06:57.000Z Hey! If you write ads, email subject lines, or landing page headlines, I'm pretty sure you're gonna love CopyTemplates :) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Shortest-Gid-CopyTemplates--1-.gif) [Get lifetime access for $97 $̶1̶4̶7̶](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- “Ah... wait, what’s CopyTemplates again?” It’s a library of timeless copywriting techniques. And here’s what you’ll find inside: ## 1) Inspiration • 500+ handpicked copywriting examples. • 63 writing techniques. • Thought-starters: like prompts, for humans. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/inspiration.gif) **Check out the library:* [CopyTemplates.com](https://copytemplates.com/?utm%5Fsource=copytemplates.beehiiv.com&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=copytemplates-is-live&%5Fbhlid=19d88cef84794810ab2d3793a6592d78410f2674) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/image-1.png) --- ## 2) AI Prompts Paste into Claude or ChatGPT, add your product details and message, get headlines. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/ai-prompts.gif) **Try it yourself:* [CopyTemplates.com](https://copytemplates.com/?utm%5Fsource=copytemplates.beehiiv.com&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=copytemplates-is-live&%5Fbhlid=883c44f26212c9e7cf0a62b60b075e3387d19c5a) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/image-2.png) --- ## 3) Claude Skills Install them and give Claude writing superpowers, plus access to your guidelines and research. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/claude-skills.gif) **Give it a try:* [CopyTemplates.com](https://copytemplates.com/?utm%5Fsource=copytemplates.beehiiv.com&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcampaign=copytemplates-is-live&%5Fbhlid=849893008d930f1de8e3992e8923e71f822f2368) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/image-3.png) --- ## Launch Opportunity Get lifetime access for $97 instead of $147\. (till July 1.) [\[jaw-dropping, irresistible CTA\]](http://copytemplates.com/?ref=unbore.com) --- ## Questions? Just reply to this email. I’ll write back today 😊 [Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) --- **P.S. Please don’t buy CopyTemplates** if you’re the "*I replaced my entire marketing team with AI agents*" kinda person. There’s a reason even Anthropic and OpenAI still hire human copywriters. Because copywriting isn’t just *how* you say things. It’s... thinking. It's deciding what to say. It’s writing something that hasn’t been written yet. And AI, even though it’s a powerful tool, can’t do that better than you. CopyTemplates will help you express your message in many different ways. But it won't decide what you say or when you should say it. That's yours. ### Behind my top-converting B2B ad campaign URL: https://www.unbore.com/behind-my-top-converting-b2b-ad-campaign/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T06:18:43.000Z Hey! Today I'll show you how I produced a top-performing ad campaign for my client, HiBob (HR software). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--46-.png) ✍️ Last chance to join the waitlist for my new copywriting template library, [CopyTemplates](https://www.unbore.com/waitlist/). Launching in a few weeks :) Okay, let's dive in: ## 1) Voice of the customer First, I wanted to understand how HiBob's audience actually talks about their problems. So I used [Reddit Answers](https://www.reddit.com/answers/?ref=unbore.com), Reddit's free AI research tool. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--15-.png) 30 seconds later, I got a list of relevant pain points, forums, and conversations. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--16-.png) I started digging in, and noticed that HR people were all talking about the same thing: email back-and-forth. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--42-.png) Many of them also called it "email ping-pong." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--50-.png) And ping-pong is a fantastic visual hook, so I decided to build my concept around it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--48-.png) --- ## 2) Script I wanted to show the frustrating email ping-pong between an employee and an HR manager. So I used the PAS formula to write the script. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--51-.png) It goes like this: ### **I. Problem** Introduce the pain. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--21-.png) ### **II. Agitation** Exaggerate it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--24-.png) ### **III. Solution** Pitch the product. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--26-.png) And here's the final storyboard: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--27-.png) --- ## 3) Storyboard Without great storyboard visuals, selling an ad idea to a client is almost impossible. So I used Figma Weave to generate the storyboard visuals. Like this: ### **I. Reference image** I dropped an image of my character onto the canvas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--34-.png) ### **II. Shot list** Selected the Text Iterator tool, which allows me to run multiple prompts at once. I listed all the camera angles and shots I wanted with this character. Stuff like: \> She stares into the distance, holding the racket \> Close-up on the ball as it flies at camera \> Low angle, tilted: she hits the ball, struggling ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--39-.png) ### **III. Generate images** I connected both nodes (Text Iterator and my reference image) to a Nano Banana node and clicked "Run Model." Two minutes later, my storyboard was ready: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--40-.png) --- ## **4) Production** We shot the ad at Hibob's office. The early footage looked like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--49-.png) But after days of editing, we got this result: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/0526.gif) [Click to watch the full video on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Fthis-ad-i-created-for-my-client-hibob-has-activity-7454799792137773056-uOlK?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAC2vjtMB5a2fYnlvFYkMBWQ6SwoR7gICj0w) ## **5) Results** We tested it as a top-of-the-funnel ad, and it had the highest hold rate on HiBob's account. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--30-.png) When people started watching, they usually watched until the end. But good hold rate alone doesn't pay the bills. That’s why we also created static ads for retargeting. These became some of HiBob's top-converting static ads this year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Frame--29-.png) Because video and static ads work best when they complement each other. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/Group-1000004019.png) --- ## **You made it! 🪩** Talk soon, [Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) P.S. I'm building a new copy template library for copywriters. [Join here](https://www.unbore.com/waitlist/), get a discount: [Join waitlist](https://www.unbore.com/waitlist/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/06/CopyTemplates_Scroll.gif) 65 techniques, 500+ examples, 70 + prompts and Claude skills. ### How to create side-by-side ads URL: https://www.unbore.com/12-side-by-side-frameworks/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T06:18:16.000Z Hey! Side-by-side ads don’t have to be just “before vs. after.” Here are 12 comparison frameworks to try: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/A4---3-1.png) Printable PDF here --- ### **Quick update: CopyTemplates** I'm building a new copywriting template library, CopyTemplates. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/CopyTemplates_Scroll.gif) 65 techniques and Claude skills • 500+ handpicked examples Pick a technique, check out the examples, and use the prompts (AI or human) to write similar lines. [Join the waitlist, get a discount](https://www.unbore.com/waitlist/) --- Alright, back to side-by-side ads: ## Expensive vs Cheap ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203919.png) And another one: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203922-1.png) --- ## Good vs Great ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203920.png) --- ## Us vs Competitors ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203887.png) Tech brands often spice up their side-by-side ads with visual analogies: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203921.png) --- ## Expectation vs Reality ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203888.png) --- ## Before vs After ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203889.png) --- ## Bad vs Worse ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203890.png) --- ## Users vs Non-Users ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203875.png) --- ## Cons vs Pros ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203876.png) --- ## Bad vs Good ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203880.png) --- ## Before = After ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203923.png) Another clever example: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203863.png) --- ## Old vs New ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203864.png) --- ## Without vs With ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203879.png) Out of 100s of ads I created for AppsFlyer, this was the top performer. And for dessert... "A dog makes your life happier. Adopt." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/0zdd3r5ggfagyjvc6iqncmlj512q-2.png) --- ## You made it! 🕺 Haven't joined the waitlist for CopyTemplates yet? [Join the waitlist, get a discount](https://www.unbore.com/waitlist/) Talk soon, [Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Ffirst-say-it-straight-then-say-it-great-share-7465694804991971328-AVOd/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAC2vjtMB5a2fYnlvFYkMBWQ6SwoR7gICj0w) ### How to write Chuck Norris headlines URL: https://www.unbore.com/chuck-norris-headlines/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T06:21:42.000Z This is a Chuck Norris headline: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Chuck_Newsletter.png) And another one. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Chuck_Newsletter--1-.png) Why Chuck Norris? Because it's the exact same formula as... ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203913--2-.png) And here's how I used this technique for my client, AppsFlyer: ## **Step 1: Product** What are you selling? AppsFlyer, a Mobile Measurement Platform (MMP). It tells you where your app installs actually come from. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203915--1-.png) ## **Step 2: Key Adjective** What makes it special? It's stable. You can rely on it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203916.png) ## **Step 3: Visual Exaggeration** What's an absurd way to show it? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/05/Frame-2147203914.png) ## **AI Prompt** Feeling stuck? Try this [Claude Skill](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f%5FCiyq7yqLttqhLqycdYktgGc0C83k4p?usp=sharing&ref=unbore.com) or prompt: 🤖 ****Context \[AI, don't run before user fills in\]** Company website: \[URL here\] Product category: \[e.g., web hosting, pet insurance\] Key adjective: \[e.g., fast, powerful\] ****Task** Write 10 "Chuck Norris" ad headlines. The structure is: "\[Product category\] so \[adjective\], \[absurd, funny, weird, scenario or consequence\]." ****Examples** Altoids: "Mints so strong they come in a metal box." Bai: "Flavor so juicy you could sell it to a tabloid." Geico: "So easy a caveman can do it." Riverside: "A webinar so crisp, you might put it in a sandwich." Riverside: "Recordings so good, they'll start taking notes instead of giving them." 321 East: "How good is our steak? Last week a man who was choking on a piece refused the Heimlich maneuver." Nike: "Spanish air traffic control has been notified." AppsFlyer: "An MMP so stable you'll want to introduce us to your parents." Go! ## **You made it! 🕺** Enjoyed this email? My new copywriting template library will be filled with dozens of techniques like this. [Join the waitlist, get a discount](https://www.unbore.com/copytemplates-waitlist/) Want more inspiration? [Click here](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Fchuck-norris-ads-ugcPost-7457343610234191872-SVaR?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAC2vjtMB5a2fYnlvFYkMBWQ6SwoR7gICj0w) for more Chuck Norris ads. ### How to write funny headlines URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-funny-headlines/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T14:38:21.000Z 💌 Got this email from a friend? [Subscribe here.](https://www.unbore.com/newsletter) ## tl;dr ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/10-Types-of-Copywriting-Humor--3-.png) Want to print it? Download the [PDF cheat sheet here.](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TYuRIAt7d0jOhQRjOyKRlFnxKNdrL10z?usp=sharing&ref=unbore.com) --- ## Hey! I’m working on a new copywriting template library. Hundreds of headline examples, frameworks, and copy-paste prompts. Here’s a sneak peek: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Promo.png) 👉 [Join the waitlist](https://www.unbore.com/copytemplates-waitlist/), get an early-bird discount And while curating examples for this new tool, I noticed that most funny headlines use one of these 10 comedic devices: ## **Exaggeration** Exaggerate the benefit so much that it becomes a problem. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203892.png) Beauty salon ## **W**ordplay Twist a common phrase to highlight two benefits at once. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203893.png) Eco cleaning products ## Dark Humor Break taboos to stand out as a brand. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203894.png) ## Irony Give the wrong advice so they find the right answer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203895.png) ## Inside Joke Write a line that only your audience would understand. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203896.png) ## Self-Deprecation Own your flaws, sound more human. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203897.png) Cough syrup ## **O**bservational Find the humor in everyday situations. (“Have you ever noticed?”) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203898.png) ## Paradox Combine two opposite ideas into one line. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203899.png) ## Deadpan The flatter the delivery, the funnier the line. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203900.png) ## Double Entendre Use words with multiple meanings to draw attention, and then pitch your product. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203901.png) Job search site ## You made it! 🎉 P.S. Want to beta-test my new [copywriting template library](https://www.unbore.com/copytemplates-waitlist/)? Reply to this email :) Talk soon, [Shlomo](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Ffor-this-weeks-newsletter-i-read-500-ad-activity-7451912632456032256-sVwr?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAC2vjtMB5a2fYnlvFYkMBWQ6SwoR7gICj0w) ### How to write Slap 'n Hug ads URL: https://www.unbore.com/slap-n-hug-ads/ Last updated: 2026-04-21T04:14:22.000Z The easiest way to get someone’s attention is to get under their skin. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35680--1-.png) But is it an effective copywriting technique? Yes. BUT only if that slap turns into a hug. Like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35681.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35682--1-.png) Let’s write a Slap 'n Hug ad for beehiiv, a newsletter platform: --- ## **Step 1: Write Negative Phrases** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35683.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35684.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35685.png) --- ## **Step 2: Make Them Positive** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Frame-2147203841.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35689--1-.png) And my favorite: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35672--1-.png) --- ## **Step 3: Add Branding** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/image-1581.png) --- ## **More inspiration** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/image-1291-2.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/Group-35692.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/image-1280-2.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/image-1266-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/image-1287-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/image-1588.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/04/image-1293-2.png) ### How to write dozens of headlines per hour with Nelken’s Bucket Method URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-dozens-of-headlines-per-hour-with-nelkens-bucket-method/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T14:37:28.000Z I wrote [50 headlines](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5F50-headlines-challenge-remoteok-activity-7112356202461691905-222Y?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) for Remote OK, a company that helps you find a remote job. I used the *buckets technique* from Dan Nelken’s [​genius book​](https://www.nelkencreative.com/book/?ref=unbore.com). Let’s break it down: ## 1\. Create buckets Buckets are areas we want to explore. Anything that makes the product interesting. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379025268-jrpHh8vQ22gueJscAhc4Pg.webp) ## 2\. Fill the buckets Under each bucket, I write insights – relatable truths that my audience would understand. A few examples: **No need to impress or be nice to colleagues** - You can smell bad and nobody will know - You don’t have to share your snacks - You don’t need to make small talk **Spend more time with loved ones** - You won’t miss important family moments - You can give your kids a good night’s kiss - Your kids won’t become latchkey kids **Be more productive** - You’re less productive in an open space - You can work when you’re most productive - You will focus on work instead of office parties **Annoying boss** - You won’t smell your boss’s coffee breath - Your boss won’t stand over your shoulder **No commute** - You will avoid traffic - You’ll forget how to drive your car **Flexibility** - You can work in your bed - You can become a digital nomad - You can dress any way you like And so on. ## 3\. Write headlines Then, I turn my favorite insights into headlines. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379025594-34vzRFQkx2W3NVy7DGzgEX.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379025913-w2p8J2nAuqFMZ1tUdSWipo.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379026361-Frame-73.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379026705-8YrAXGdffeMzfSz7yDvFJu.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379026981-oEc7WGenBTBa1dRLNKnmFt.jpeg) ## Save this for later: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379027385-3LaHpJbbQKvjoyZ71a5iWp.jpeg) > "Great headlines aren’t great sentences—they’re great ideas expressed in words."– Dan Nelken To learn more about this technique, I recommend buying [Dan’s book](https://www.nelkencreative.com/book/?ref=unbore.com). Also, [follow him](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannelken/?ref=unbore.com) and subscribe to [his newsletter](https://www.nelkencreative.com/?ref=unbore.com). He’s the best. P.S. Check out more headlines I wrote using this technique: ### How to use Reddit to find relatable insights and turn them into ads URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-reddit-to-find-relatable-insights-and-turn-them-into-ads/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T14:35:19.000Z Reddit is a goldmine of marketing insights. Especially [r/showerthoughts](https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/?ref=unbore.com) I can literally take a random post, add a logo, and voila! I’ve got an ad. Let me show you: ![spotify ad from reddit shower thoughts, imagine how rich you would've been 200 years ago to have music playing in the background while cooking](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379028048-1-4.jpeg) ![monster ad from reddit shower thoughts, biting your tongue while eating is a perfect example of how you can still screw up even with deades of experience](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379028612-2-3.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379029209-3-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379029825-4.jpeg) ![american cancer society ad from reddit shower thoughts, no company has ever survived after its product killed more than 400 million of its consumers with evidence, except for tobacco companies](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379030451-5.jpeg) ![deliveroo ad from reddit shower thoughts, you don't check the fridge multiple times to find new food, you check it to see if your standards have dropped enough to eat what was available](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379031073-6.jpeg) ![golds gym ad from reddit shower thoughts, the bigger you are the better chance you have at winning "spin the bottle"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379031596-7.jpeg) ![air duct expert ad from reddit shower thoughts, the most unrealistic thing about spy movies is how clean the air ventilation system is](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379032035-8-1.jpeg) ![toys r us ad from reddit shower thoughts, growing up is realizing you get more joy out of seeing others open presents than you do from opening your own](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379032517-9.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379033173-10.jpeg) ### *Find the right insight and the ad will write itself.* P.S. Check out more examples here: ### How to automate ad creation with Claude URL: https://www.unbore.com/automate-ad-creation/ Last updated: 2026-03-24T07:12:43.000Z Every day, AI bros on LinkedIn promise that AI will take my job. Let's try to automate ad creation and see if they're right 😅 I'll use Weglot, a website translation tool, as an example. ⚒️ To use this workflow, you'll need two tools: 1\. Claude Code. [Desktop version](https://claude.com/download?ref=unbore.com) is fine. ($20/mo) 2\. [Pencil](https://www.pencil.dev/?ref=unbore.com). Desktop version. (Free) --- ## 1\. List pain points and goals I use this basic audience research prompt: > Research the company by visiting their website: \[link here\] > Build a table with **10 of each**: > > Pain Points | Source | Feature/Solution | Goals | Source | Jobs-to-Be-Done > > The **Feature/Solution** column identifies the specific product feature that addresses each pain point (e.g., "AI Background Remover", "One-Click Export", "Real-Time Collaboration"). Find these on the company's website: look at feature pages, product tours, and pricing pages. > > Quality guidance: > > **Good pain point**: "Checking 5 different apps for one update" (concrete situation you can *picture someone doing*) > > **Good goal**: "Closing deals by lunch" (specific outcome you can *picture someone celebrating*) And I get this table: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Weglot-Newsletter--1-.png) --- ## 2\. Generate headlines AI can't write truly creative ad headlines all by itself. But it can generate simple ad copy if you give it the right templates. So I wrote 75 basic ad headline templates, and turned them into copy-paste prompts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Headlines-gif.gif) [Try my prompts and Claude Skill (Free)](https://www.unbore.com/ai-headline-templates/) 🤔 Note: Claude Skills sound like a big deal. But really, these are just text files with long prompts. Claude returns around 100 headlines. I pick 25: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/All-Headlines-Slide-1.png) --- ## 3\. Provide assets Next, I open Pencil. Pencil is like Figma, but it also connects to Claude Code. I drop in Weglot's logo, color palette, and my new ad headlines. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-18-at-17.59.35-1.png) You can upload full brand libraries, but I want to keep it simple. --- ## 4\. Prompt designer agents Now the fun part. I open the small chatbox in Pencil, and write my prompt: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Group-1000004699.png) ### **Copy my pencil prompt template:** PENCIL AD CREATION PROMPT ========================= Generate clean banner ads. Dimensions: 1080 × 1080 px Logo: Per the brand guidelines frame. Brand colors: Per the brand guidelines frame. Fonts: Per the brand guidelines frame. Use large font size (60–80px). Product shot: Use the attached product screenshots (1, 2, 3). Apply subtle fade, blur, and shadows so the product appears to dissolve into the background. Headline variations: Per the "Headline Variations" text box. Tagline under logo: One-Click Website Translation 1) Grainy Gradient (Ads 1–5) — Headline → Spacer → Product shot → Spacer → Logo → Tagline All elements center-aligned. Background: Grainy mesh gradient, two colors. Dark base at top, orange or pourpre at bottom. Bézier handles for smooth interpolation, no gaps. 2) Plain Color Background (Ads 6–10) Same layout as variation 1, plain brand color background. 3) Split Screen (Ads 11–15) Top half: Product shot. Bottom half: Copy, logo, tagline on plain brand color. — Product shot → Spacer → Headline → Spacer → Logo → Tagline 4) Product Shot Popping from Bottom (Ads 16–20) — Product shot → Spacer → Headline → Spacer → Logo → Tagline 5) Copy Only, No Visuals (Ads 21–25) — Headline → Spacer → Logo → Tagline Background: Gradient. Generate 25 ad variations. Use different layouts, headlines, and product screenshots. Copied!';setTimeout(function(){btn.classList.remove('copied');btn.innerHTML=' Copy prompt';},2000);})})(this)"> Copy prompt Paste into any AI chat The agents scan the assets, and then go to work: [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Ad-----Weglot-1.gif)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Fa-new-ad-creation-process-im-developing-activity-7439339898899165185-s18k?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAC2vjtMB5a2fYnlvFYkMBWQ6SwoR7gICj0w) [Watch the full process video here](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7439339898899165185/?ref=unbore.com) --- ## 5\. Feedback and iterations I open 5 more chat windows and ask each agent to fix something different. For example: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Group-1000004697.png) Finally, I make some manual adjustments: font sizes, spacing, copy tweaks. And pick my favorites: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Weglot-Final-Ads-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Weglot-Final-Ads-2-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Weglot-Final.-Ads-3-1.png) Sure, not top-tier creative work. But good enough for startups that can’t afford a copywriter or a designer. Some agencies charge $15k/mo for lower quality, I swear. 😱 ****A note for worried creatives:** This process wouldn't work without human research, prompts, taste, and touch-ups. So no, AI didn't take our job. At least not today. ### The Adweek Copywriting Handbook URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/the-adweek-copywriting-handbook/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:18:31.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. 💬 “The book includes many lessons. You will learn how to mentally prepare yourself to write copy, how to write effective copy, and how to present it in an exciting way. You'll learn what really works and what doesn't and how to avoid many of the pitfalls marketers fall into: and much more.” *\[I love this opening\]* There is nothing really new in life. It's simply a matter of taking previous pieces of knowledge and putting them together in a unique and different format. 🛒 People buy for emotional reasons and justify their purchase with logic. --- ### Lateral thinking is a brainstorming technique explored by Edward the Bono. Instead of focusing on the problem itself *\[linear thinking\]*, you find a **random input** (a word from a dictionary, a picture from a magazine, etc.) and try to **connect your problem with it.** The randomness of the input makes your brain work harder to connect the two and opens new creative possibilities. By relating to something unrelated to the problem: a new idea emerges. De Bono created the *"Think Tank."* It was an 8-inch sphere mounted on a platform; through the window, you could see a selection of 14,000 words painted on small plastic pieces. Then he would shake the tank and write down the first three words he saw. *\[Nice idea, De Bono, I just use –* [*randomlists.com/nouns*](https://www.randomlists.com/nouns?ref=unbore.com)*\]* The best copywriters have a variety of interests and master many skills. 🤓 gunning-fog-index.com – A tool to measure how hard it is to read your text. Elements of an ad | # | Element | Purpose | | - | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Headline** | grabs your attention and draws you to read the sub-line. | | 2 | **Sub** | headline – gives more info; explains the headline.3: Visual. should be complementary to what is being said, not repetitive. | | 3 | **Caption** | describes the photo or drawing. \[The most read element after the headline\] | | 4 | **Copy** | conveys the main message. | | 5 | **Paragraph headings** | breaks the copy into chunks, making it easier to digest. Tl;dr. | | 6 | **Logo** | displays the company and provides continuity, helping people to remember your brand. And the brand is the most precious piece of real estate that exists. It's a small piece in someone's mind. \[A tad evil but true 😈\] | | 7 | **Price** | Response device or CTA. tells the reader how to reach the company and what to do next. | | 8 | **Overall layout** | creating an efficient hierarchy between the elements. | Each element should lead you **\>** to read the first line of the copy **\>** and each line should lead you **\>** to read the next one. The first sentence should be a **slippery slope**, meaning it should be extremely short and intriguing. 💬 "Make the first sentence so easy to read that your reader is almost compelled to read it." > **🆗** Yes, yes, yes – Your copy should make your reader say “yes” as much as possible. Start with saying things that they’ll agree with. Then, when you finally start selling, it'll go naturally. More tips for making the copy intriguing: 1. **Large font** – use a larger font in the first few words. It'll make the copy look less imposing. Like they do in fairytales. Kinda. 2. **Unexpected topic** – connect the copy to an unrelated story or quote that you took from somewhere else to intrigue the readers. They will want to know what that random topic has to do with your product. 3. **Seeds of curiosity** – add them at the end of a paragraph to make the person keep reading. --- ### Examples: "Now here comes the good part" "What happened next took me totally by surprise" "but there is more" "let me explain" "so read on" "but it didn't stop there” **Do people read long copy?** Their attention span has shortened? Maybe. Because they're always distracted by screens and social media. Well, then put your ads on screens and social media. But always use **tl;dr subheads** and **captions**. If someone is a skimmer or doesn't have time to read, they'll still get the essence. The copy should flow in a logical way, **anticipating** your prospect's questions and answering them. ⚠️ Editing – the best tool is time. Wait before you start editing. ✏️ Typeface – better use serif (I don't know if it's still relevant after mobile phones; need to check). 📰 A good headline makes one wonder, “what does this have to do with the product?” It’s unexpected. 🎼 Rhythm – to create a rhythm, make sure you make a mixture of different lengths of sentences. Short, long, and medium. 🌿 The nature of the product – you have to understand the personality of the product. Is it fun, serious, professional, safe, etc.? 📞 Customer service – it's important to talk about what happens if there are problems. Do you give the money back? Are you always available on the phone? 💱 Price – if it's a value-based product, keep the price to the end. Make it more subtle. If it's a price-driven product, emphasize the great price. Make it big and repeat it. 📝 Summary – you know how sometimes you read through a whole page, but when you get to the end, you don't even remember what you have read? So offer summaries at the end. Repeat what you said. 🗨️ Engage the reader’s imagination – make them picture themselves while using the product. Make them feel like they already own it. Describe its texture, sound, smell, etc. 🔗 Linking – a strategy that helps you to explain new concepts and products to readers. You connect the new product to something familiar. \[Example: calling iPhone a pocket computer\] 👣 Consistency – people tend to be consistent. If you get them to buy from you once, they'll prefer to buy from you again, instead of gaining trust in someone new again. 📚 Collectibles – people have an evolutionary tendency to collect things. If you market your product as a set, series, or collection, they will be tempted to buy the others. \[Example: McDonald’s toys\] ➿ Product description – explain simple products in a complicated way and complicated products in the simplest way possible. \[Example: tech companies try to simplify, breaking down the product in a few simple steps, whereas whiskey brands show every step of their products and ingredients\] 📜 The benefits of long copy – people want to feel like they've done some thorough research before they buy something important. After reading your long piece of informative copy, they should feel like they've done their research. ✔️ Credibility – the place and the context in which your ad appears has a great influence on its credibility. If you post it in a big and helpful Facebook community that people trust, you gain credibility. If you place it as a banner on some fishy website, you lose credibility. Even your physical location can add credibility. 🎁 Satisfaction conviction – offering something shows how sure you are about the product. Something that will make people say, "No way! they’re going to get ripped off." \[Example: in Audible, Amazon’s audiobook app, you can return books even after you’ve finished them\] > **‼️** Add a sense of urgency – but do it right: > **Don't lie**, writing stuff like "it's the last time you'll see this ad" or "we’re running out of stock.” People know it's bullshit, and even if it works once, it won't work twice. We want long-term paying customers. 👔 Authority – show what makes your brand different from your competitors and what other people say about it. You can use testimonials, awards, etc. Your brand name can help establish authority. Take, for example, “Jackie and Ed's Café” vs. “The Digital Warehouse.” On the other hand, if you want it to be more personal and authentic, the first name thing can do better. 🧐 Objections – list all the product’s flaws. All the objections and problems that the customer might think about. Then address them. There are two ways to do that: \-Ridicule: Make fun of them. \[like Avis did with “We're No.2, so we try harder”\] \-Resolve: Mention the objection and explain why it isn’t really a problem Either way, the reader will think of the objection, so don't try to wipe it under the carpet. --- ### What to do: - Create a limited edition - Use urgency pricing: raise the price after a certain number of buyers or days (only when you are really raising the price) - Shipping benefits (free shipping if you order now) - More value – add a bonus product - Limited supply or edition (when it’s real) - By the way, people want to be special, and having a product that not many have is special. So by limiting the supply, you are rewarding the ones who bought from you - Priority – buy this before the other people can get it. Waiting list or pre-sale - "Buy now so that you can start enjoying the benefits tomorrow" – the early you get it, the earlier you make the change in your life - Be specific - Don’t say: “Many people are using this toothpaste.” - Say: “32,000 people in Florida are using this toothpaste.” - Familiarity: keep the same visual identity so that people can recognize your ads from distance. Keep the same style throughout all your communication so that people can recognize your ads from afar (same with writing style) - Sell cure, not prevention \[painkillers, not vitamins\] – speak about existing pain points, not the ones that may appear in the future - In catalogs and websites: add a picture of yourself or your team so that people will see that there's a real person behind it - Product descriptions – don't spare details. Even the weight of your product matters. Don't leave anything out that might matter to someone else - ”We” sounds corporate. Say “I” and “my” instead *Example:* "My team and I are here for you" instead of, "We at IBM are always available to help." - Stuffers – stuffers are more ads, info, or promotions that you can send with your product. Always add some. Send something that they can keep. \[*Example:* Apple always adds their stickers\] - The customer just got their package, and they are excited. This is the best time to promote. - Audio ads – radio \[and Spotify\] ads are very visual. People imagine what they hear. It's a benefit because they might imagine something better than you would've shown them. - On the radio, the CTA should be super simple because people might be driving or have something in their hands. They can’t always write numbers or website addresses down. - An important tip about leads – when you're reaching out to leads, use the same medium they came from. \[*Example:* if they signed up from Facebook, send them a Facebook message. If it's an email, send an email. They feel comfortable on this medium\] ### Obviously Awesome URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/obviously-awesome/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:18:04.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. - **Positioning is the foundation** of every ad, sales pitch, and piece of content we create. - It is the **key to the success** of the business itself. - It gives our customers a **reference point** regarding our product. - It helps them understand to which **category it belongs** and what **parameters they should consider** when evaluating it. - Most products are exceptional only when we understand them within their **best frame of reference**. 👉 Define yourself, or others will define you. How to know that you have a positioning problem: Your current customers love you, but you’re struggling to sell to new prospects. Customers often leave or ask for new features. They misunderstood what you’re doing, and now they want to recover the money they paid. You have long sales cycles and low close rates. People do not understand your real value, so they’re not satisfied with the price. Prospects and customers describe your business differently than how you see it. --- ### Common positioning mistakes: Thinking that there’s only one way to position your product. There are always plenty of ways you can look at it. You’re stuck on the idea of what you were planning your product to be without noticing what it has become in reality. Market confusion: when we as product creators understand the product differently from how customers perceive it. You created your product for a specific market, but while you were busy working, the market has changed. Most products can solve many different problems. Many products had been sold for one purpose, but when the market shifted, their purpose (and positioning) changed as well. Ask yourself: is the history of my product and the way I describe it exist in my marketing today? If yes, ask yourself what has changed since then. Maybe those things aren’t relevant anymore. 🧁 For example, baking soda was first marketed as a product for… baking. But when sales declined because baking wasn’t as popular anymore, Arm & Hammer started promoting baking soda for its ability to absorb bad odors. This repositioning helped them grow their sales. When the founders freed their minds from the old beliefs they had about the product, they could grow more. --- ### Source [***aprildunford.com/post/a-product-positioning-exercise***](https://www.aprildunford.com/post/a-product-positioning-exercise?ref=unbore.com) Main topics that positioning covers: The key components of positioning: | Step | Action | Details | | ---- | -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Competitive solutions** | If you didn't exist, what would customers use? (Use XLS or Google Docs instead; might as well be "do nothing and suffer") | | 2 | **Unique attributes** | What features/capabilities do you have that alternatives do not? | | 3 | **Value and proof** | What value do the attributes enable for customers? What proof of that value do you have? (Only testimonials and expert opinions count as proof of value) | | 4 | **Target market characteristic** | Who cares a lot about that value? | | 5 | **Market category** | What market do you describe yourself as being part of? (Your market category is the context that makes your value obvious to these target customers) | | 6 | **Trends** | What trends make your product relevant right now? These should be trends your audience cares about — they help make your product more relevant and attractive. (e.g., NFTs, Pantone color of the year, sharing economy, etc.) | | Step | Action | Details | | ---- | -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Competitive solutions** | if you didn't exist, what would customers use?(use XLS or Google Docs instead; might as well be “do nothing and suffer”) | | 2 | **Unique attributes** | what features/capabilities do you have that alternatives do not? | | 3 | **Value and proof** | what value do the attributes enable for customers? What proof of that value do you have?(only testimonials and expert opinions count as proof of value) | | 4 | **Target market characteristic** | who cares a lot about that value? | | 5 | **Market category** | what market do you describe yourself as being part of?(your market category is the context that makes your value obvious to these target customers) | | 6 | **Trends** | what trends make your product relevant right now? These should be trends that your audience is interested in. They can help make your product more relevant and attractive.(e.g., NFTs, Pantone color of the year, sharing economy, etc.) | - To identify your main audience, ask yourself if I had to make as many sales as possible TODAY, who would you go to first? What are their problems? *Example:* A bank with a big database that needs to analyze quickly. - The market category you chose always comes with a list of assumptions and stigmas. Pick the wrong category, and you’ll spend lots of time and money breaking those stigmas. On the other hand, the right category can save you plenty of money and explanations. --- The 10-step positioning framework How to implement your new positioning: 1. Even before you create any ads, come up with a sales story; define what a presentation of a sales team will look like. 2. Start with the current solutions. 3. Then show what should happen in a perfect world, where the current solutions don’t provide. 4. Then show your solution. 5. And finally, present the value your features provide and the proof-of-value (testimonials, a case study, and answers to common objections). - Positioning needs to be **updated** once in a while: - Outside forces like new competitors, existing regulations, and new technologies can force you to adjust your positioning. *For example,* if you’re a regular airline company, but then a new low-cost competitor enters the market, you may have to position yourself as a premium airline or drop your prices. - **Summary** Any product can be positioned in multiple markets. Your product doesn’t have to be stuck in a market where no one understands how awesome it is. Great positioning rarely comes by default. You have to do it intentionally if you want to succeed. Understanding what your customers see as the alternative to your solution will lead you to your differentiators. Position yourself in a market that makes your strengths obvious. Use trends to make your product more interesting right now. Don’t lay on a trend just for the sake of it. It has to make sense. ### Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Ads URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/hey-whipple-squeeze-this-the-classic-guide-to-creating-great-ads/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:18:54.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### Intro At first, **ads** were only about **authority**. Brands could say whatever the hell they wanted, and people would **believe** it because it was on **TV**. Then people started **questioning authority**, especially after the Vietnam war, and **things changed**. Stock footage represents everything that is **fake** about marketing. What people want most is **authenticity.** - *Brand authenticity:* being true to the **character of the brand** and want the brand stands for. - *Audience authenticity:* presenting the message to the audience in a way that **treats the audience appropriately** to who they are. > That’s why the best ads are always based on a **universal truth**. Ad legend Alex Bogusky says, *“This generation knows you're trying to sell them something, and you know they know, so let's just drop the pretense and make the whole exercise as much fun as possible.”* 🍕 That’s why Bogusky used to sit with his clients and ask: What’s the elephant in the room? Example: Dominos. It was the pizza that sucked. It wasn’t tasty. So they made an ad where the CEO admits that → the pizza turnaround → and changed the recipe. --- ### The Creative Process, Brainstorming, and Techniques Early in the process, you should **pick a mood, a feeling.** Decide which emotion you want to **leverage**. Think about the day of your customer. Imagine where they hang out and find surprising touch points. How can you buy the media before finding the idea? 😎 Positioning Don’t settle on an -er as in quieter, faster, cleaner. Niche down until you can go for an absolute -est: Quietest, fastest, cleanest. Two negative ways in which people may respond to an ad: **Engage the audience. Give them an opportunity to “solve” the ad:** 💬 ”When it is involved, the designer never travels 100% of the way \[toward the audience\]… The audience may need to travel only 5% or as much as 40% towards the designer to unlock the puzzle and get the idea… It asks the reader to take part in the communication of the idea. It is as if the designer throws a ball which then has to be caught. So, the recipient is alert, with an active mind and a brain in gear.” --- - The most important strategic question:**what do we have that the customer wants and the competition isn’t giving them?** - Part of creativity is failing gloriously. Especially online. **Don’t be afraid to try and try again**. - Once you have a good idea, **don’t become stuck on it**: *“Don’t keep stuffing all four sides of the same fire hydrant. Run like a crazed dog through the entire neighborhood.”* - Don’t smirk or roll your eyes at your partner’s ideas. **That would block them. Make it a safe space.** - The two most common rejections of your ideas will be “*I don’t get it*” and “*I’ve seen that before.*” **It means that the idea is either too weird or too obvious**. - First, say it **straight,** then say it **great**. *Example:* If you smoke for a long time, you will get lung cancer → *“For more information about lung cancer, keep smoking.”* --- ### The headline writing process (word collider) ☐ Take different facts about the product (e.g., country of origin, time of preparation, name) and mind map all the stuff that is related to this word. ☐ Write down idioms, facts, and phrases related to those words. ☐ Make connections between the idioms and the product facts. --- ### Paraprosdokian headlines *“a figure of speech in which the latter part of the sentence is surprising or unexpected. It causes the reader to reframe or reinterpret the first part.”* It works with sentences you automatically complete in your brain. **Then, instead of the expected part, you add something new.** A twist. --- ### Parallelism headlines Statement + But/So or some other contrary 💬 “Happiness isn’t around the corner. Happiness is the corner.” BMW ”The meek may inherit the earth. But they won’t get the ball.״ Charles Barkley - A *see-say ad* means showing the headline. Don’t do it. **Never show what you’re saying or say what you’re showing.** ✉️ Bob Levenson wrote all the classical VW ads. He used to write his copy as letters for one person. Like this: Dear Charlie, - *Be a minimalist:* **Every element you add** to an idea **reduces the importance** of all the other elements. Robert Louis Stevenson said, “The only art is to omit.” Tony Cox, a fabulous British writer said, “Inside every fat ad, there's a thinner and better one trying to get out.” - *Go to the point of sale:* There’s nothing like the stark reality of a customer standing in front of a store shelf looking at your brand and then looking at Brand X. **Soak in the vibes of the real marketplace.** Go there and simply watch. You'll come back with some ideas. --- ### Storytelling and Branded Content There’s no story without a conflict. **Find the conflict in your industry/category and speak about it.** - Creative formula: **Truth +** **Conflict = Platform** **Truth** is the truest thing you can say about a product, often something that clients don’t even mention. - Creative technique: **Intergalactic Thinking** - Make a **mind map** (galaxy) of terms related to your subject. *For example, Italian food* - Then make another one, **completely unrelated**. *Something like Circus, Ocean, or Military* - Then *connect terms* from one galaxy with the other. It’s kind of like ***lateral thinking*** but with more options. --- ### A checklist for creating branded content: ☐ BRAND: PRODUCT: What is it, and what does it do? ☐ TRUTH: What is the single truest thing you can say about your product or brand? Be completely and totally honest. ☐ FEATURES: What distinguishes it, defines it, or makes it special? ☐ BENEFITS: What are the benefits of those features? ☐ ONE WORD: If you had to convey your brand in a single word, what would it be? ☐ BELIEFS: Does this brand have a bigger purpose or reason for being? How does it share beliefs or values with its communities? ☐ COMMUNITY: USERS: Is there an existing community that's a source of content and creative ideas? ☐ USER INTERESTS: What is happening right now: in the news, in entertainment, on the internet, in real life; that the brand's community is paying attention to or cares about? How can it be leveraged? ☐ STORIES: What are the brand's stories: real or created for inspiration; that can be told? Consider the brand's history and what customers have said about it. ☐ MEDIA: Where do your target customers spend their time? What particular platforms? How will the platforms' technologies affect what you create? ☐ INFLUENCERS: Who are the influencers? Can you collaborate with them? Use them as media channels? ☐ UTILITY: What could you make or do for those communities? 💬 A method for getting people to talk about a brand. Do > Invite > Capture > Share Find many examples on activationideas.com Ads and branded content should be helpful. *“As marketers, we should be changing the mantra from ‘always be closing' to ‘always be helping.'” Jonathan Lister* Brands should create three kinds of content. Facebook’s **Pitch, Play, Plunge** framework: 💬 “When you have it just right, the strategy should be evident in the campaign, but the campaign should not be evident in the strategy.” hipple– Luke Sullivan > My friend Mike Lescarbeau compares an incredible idea to a nuclear bomb and asks, “Does it really have to land precisely on target to work?” – Luke Sullivan 📺 Struggling to write a tv ad? Make a print ad and then write what happened before and after. The last five seconds are the most important and most likely to be remembered by the audience. This is where your premise gets pounded. **Try writing the last five seconds.** If you can’t, you need to rethink your premise. One of the problems faced with dialogue (in video ads) is weaving a sales message into the natural flow of conversation. *“Can I have another one of those Flavor-rific brownies, Mom, now with one-third larger chocolate bits?”* Don't do it that way. It's better to let a voice-over do this kind of heavy lifting. **Create tech-driven ideas.** Today’s marketing campaigns use technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and IoT (Internet of Things), which include everyday electronic objects, from cars to baby monitors, web and mobile apps, UI/UX platforms, voice-enabled tech, NFC (near-field communication), RFID (radio frequency identification), AI (artificial intelligence), neural networks (AI technology that learns human behavior and mimics the human brain), and robotics. --- ### Presenting Ideas to Clients Never show a client work you don't want them to buy. I guarantee you; that second-rate work is what clients will gravitate to. Don't hand out materials before you present. They will read that instead of listening to you. Don't present your campaign as “risk-taking work.” No one in the corporate world wants to take risks. If clients ask you to cram more stuff into the idea, tell them they need three ads if they have three important things to say. > Choose your battles: *“Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘nice doggie' long enough to find a big rock.”* > Tom Monahan says, “Squabbling over body copy and other details is not where the advertising battles are won. Ideas: big, differentiating, selling ideas: are what win. And anything that takes away even an ounce of energy from the creating or selling of those ideas is misdirected effort.” > *The moral:* don't win battles and lose the war. And don't follow data or focus group surveys blindly: Bill Bernbach said, “We are so busy measuring public opinion, we forget we can mold it. We are so busy listening to statistics that we forget we can create them.” --- ### Life as a Creative and Mindfulness *"If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes it worse. But over time, it does calm, and when it does, there's room to hear more subtle things; that's when your intuition starts to blossom, and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before."* Steve Jobs 🐒 Every once in a while, your monkey mind will pause briefly to inform you that you suck. We all have this voice in our heads. *“It's hard to think of any idea, let alone a big one,”* writes ad veteran Josh Weltman in Seducing Strangers. “And the bigger the idea the client wants, the emptier my head gets.” To avoid freezing up, Weltman came up with his own definition of a big idea. *“A big idea is one that can beat or kill a smaller idea. It's like that joke about outrunning the bear. I don't have to outrun the bear, I have to outrun only you. I think my definition is freeing because I no longer have to come up with a big idea. I just need to find one that's bigger than the other guy's idea.”* > To get the creative engine to turn over, I sometimes began concepting sessions by challenging my art director to see who could serve a really crappy idea first. I was always happy to oblige, and whatever POS idea popped into my head next, I'd send over the net. It was usually terrible and we'd both groan, “Boy, that totally sucked.” Then she'd return the serve. And maybe it sucked, too, or maybe it sucked less. And back and forth we'd go, and after a while, we were coming up with things that didn't suck. - “The only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really crappy first drafts.” - “You'll get better ideas,” Belsky wrote, “because you can dive deeper with an oxygen tank than you can if you have to surface for air every few minutes.” *“Be orderly in your normal life so you can be violent and original in your work.”* I don't know much about novelist Gustave Flaubert, except he said that great line, and it seems to fit in right about here. 🚪 Creative theorist Steven Johnston calls this phenomenon “creative adjacencies.” You can't see the other doors until you go through the first one. When we have a creative project, we tend to get anxious, and the uncertainty of not being able to find a logical solution creates anxiety in itself. The brain is primed to experience at least a mild threat from most forms of uncertainty. **Learning to be okay with uncertainty is part of the** **process of having more insights** because the more anxious you are, the less likely you are to notice any subtle insights. *“Lots of people are creative when they feel like it,”* says Seth Godin. *“But you're a professional when you can do it even when you don't feel like it. And that emotional waiver is why this is work and not a hobby.”* --- ### Tips for Portfolio and Landing a Job in Advertising If you have a partner, apply as a team. Agencies prefer to hire young creatives in pairs. They know that together, you’re likely to hit the ground running. > In your portfolio: Don’t add any pee-pee jokes, potty humor, and for the love of God, no cheeky condom ads. All these things have been done to death. You won't just be beating a dead horse. You'll be beating the dust from the crumbling rocks of the fossilized bones of an extinct species of pre-horse crushed between two glaciers in the Miocene Era. \[haha, wow\] --- ### Do your homework and ask lots of questions Ryan Carroll says, *“I actually appreciate being grilled by juniors. How does the creative department work here? What do you expect from a junior creative? What will I work on? Who will I report to? How do I work my way up the ladder? How can I make an impact here?”* --- ### The market needs better, more innovative creatives More and more these days, young people are coming into the business able to shoot their own commercials, create websites, program games, take photos, make animations, build Facebook apps, and generally act as one-person ad agencies. --- ### Be a “T-shaped” art director or copywriter Generally, the term T-shaped refers to employees who have very deep skills in one area (the downstroke of the T) and also possess some proficiency in other skills (the horizontal stroke). 💬 “Remember, don't make things for the internet. Make things out of the internet.” --- ### Best Ad (and Creative Tech) Schools in the World •Art Center College of Design in Pasadena •Miami Ad School •Hyper Island, Sweden •Creative Circus in Atlanta •School for Poetic Computation •Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm •Mudra Institute of Communications in Ahmedabad, India •Xaviers Institute of Communication in Mumbai, India •Media Design School & Auckland University of Technology, NZ •Brigham Young University in Provo •Boulder Digital Arts, Colorado •NYC's School of Visual Arts •The University of Texas in Austin •School of Communication Arts 2.0. •University College Falmouth •AWARD School & RMIT University (AUS) •Watford Course at West Herts College •School for Poetic Computation •Central St. Martins College of Art and Design --- ### More Good Stuff - Always **under-promise** and **over-deliver** - KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. - *“Work hard in silence. Let success be your noise.”* - Hemingway called the blank white page “the white bull.” - *Idea-rrhrea* - “Hard writing makes for easy reading.” Wallace Stegner - In 1759, Dr. Samuel Johnson wrote, *“The trade of advertising is now so near to perfection it is not easy to propose any improvement.”* - Most of my student's parents think they're at school learning some secret method of hypnotizing unsuspecting citizens into buying things they don't need. - “In other centuries, human beings wanted to be saved, or improved, or freed, or educated. In our century, they want to be entertained.” Novelist Michael Crichton - Jeffrey Zeldman, digital expert, and author, said it well: *“The best way to engage honestly with the marketplace… is to never use the words ‘engage,' ‘honestly,' or ‘marketplace.'”* - On **user-centric design** Apple was one of the first digital companies to leverage the marvels of user-centric design. The first iPhones, to everyone's amazement, didn't come with instruction books; **we just intuitively knew how to use them**. - “Don't make something unless it is both necessary and useful. But if it is both necessary and useful, don't hesitate to make it beautiful." - 60% of mobile banner clicks are accidental, according to [FullMoonDigital.com](http://fullmoondigital.com/?ref=unbore.com) - Todd Henry's Twitter axiom: “You cannot pursue greatness and comfort at the same time.” ### Hooked URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/hooked/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:21:10.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### Habits •Our brains automatically repeat different behaviors and sets of decisions to save time and energy. These automatic decisions are **habits**. •Once a habit has been formed, it’s hard to change. Even when we lose a habit but return to it, our brain will quickly go back to that **familiar routine**. That’s why most alcoholics start drinking again within a year after going sober. •And that’s why some of the most successful products in the world are **habit-forming products**. Even if there are better products in the market, people are so used to the ones they’re using that they will be very reluctant to try something new. 💬 “Products that require a high degree of behavior change are doomed to fail” •The main thing about habit-forming products is that they all answer a **basic human need**, and they usually **help to calm** some sort of pain. For example, people often use Instagram when stressed because it’s a place where they feel in control. It gives them certainty in this scary, uncertain world. --- ### The Hook Model Four steps to form a habit: | Step | Description | | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Trigger** | an external event that encourages people to try an app. notification, email, advert, word-of-mouth | | **Action** | what people need to do to start using the app. sign up with their email, fill in their language preferences, etc. | | **Reward** | fulfillment of a basic human need. IG = the need for social acceptance | | **Investment** | the value people invested in the app, like information, time, or money. who wants to leave Spotify after spending hours creating playlists and saving songs | 🔃 Repeat: then the model repeats again and again until a habit is formed. --- ### Types of triggers #### External Triggers Notification, ads, an invitation from a friend, or anything else that encourages you to try the product. #### Internal Triggers A feeling from within that calls you to use the product again. For example, you get anxious and then open Instagram. 🪝 At first, external triggers are necessary. But slowly, we are hooked and start using the products only based on our internal triggers. --- ### A note on actions Especially to start, the apps usually ask you for a **simple action**, like a one-click registration. You'd probably give up if they ask you for too much, like filling out a long form or answering boring questions. --- ### Rewards The product has to provide you with **rewards** all the time. The rewards must also be connected to your **initial core reason** for using the product. Forums discovered that when they tried rewarding users with money for their activity, users really wanted social recognition, not money. That’s why they doubled down on *User Karma*, *XP*, and similar features. ### Tribe Social rewards fueled by the affection of other people *\[Example: Reddit\]* ### Hunt Search for material resources and information *\[Example: Google\]* ### Self Search for mastery, confidence, and completion *\[Example: Duolingo\]* ### Product investment Anyone can code a website like Twitter. But what's special about it is the *time* you've **invested** in it. It's like with pets. It could be any other dog, but once you train it, feed it, and take care of it, you'd never ever replace it. It’s your dog. Twitter’s investment is through who you followed and who followed you LinkedIn’s investment is through creating your CV and adding your recommendations 💪 In general, Dan Ariely’s research showed that people enjoy things more if they have to put a little effort into them. That’s another reason that investment is part of the model. --- ### Example: 1. Why do people use Twitter?: They want to stay up to date ← Shallow reason 2. Why do they want to stay up to date?: To not fall behind in conversations 3. Why?: They want to sound intelligent 4. Why?: They want to impress others 5. Why?: They want to feel accepted, appreciated, and loved ← Core reason --- ### More stuff - **Ethics**: How can companies know if their habit-forming products are ethical? They should ask: - Does the product enhance the users’ lives? - Would I (the entrepreneur) use the product? If both answers are “No,” the product is probably morally wrong. 💬 "It's not a superpower if it can't be used for evil" - **Resilience:** Most entrepreneurs give up too early. **How not to give up?** Follow the *Rule of 100*. Do what you want to do 100 times and then decide. - If you keep going, by that time, you'll probably succeed. - **Now or then:** Painkillers vs Vitamins. - Painkillers solve an **urgent** problem. Examples of “painkiller” products are a Gucci shirt or an expert appliance repairperson. You need them now to solve a problem in your life. - Vitamins are important, but they don’t solve those exciting problems. They solve or **prevent** a possible problem in the **future**. For example, life insurance. ### How to use visual hook archetypes to stop the scroll URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-visual-hook-archetypes-to-stop-the-scroll/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T08:48:12.000Z When I write an ad script, I spend 50% of my effort on the first three seconds. The hook. Great ad hooks consist of two key elements: - Sound: Voice over, dialogue, music, sound effects. - Visual: Footage, video effects, and captions. Today, I'll show you 24 visual hook examples from tech companies. --- ### Cheat Sheet (tl;dr) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Visual-Hook-Examples-.gif) --- Let's dive in. ## 1\. Setting Pick an unexpected place or time. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/4p8so56RsBpVUx1TK8TSLp/email) ## 2\. Scale Make your subject tiny, huge, or multiplied. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/jHgWyQ2HmA92SdA2x14ZK1/email) ## 3\. Familiarity Use famous or nostalgic elements. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Hook-Examples--1-.png) ## 4\. Object Focus on a unique object or prop. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/e1SDgeevAjU8z7zcBP8BWt/email) ## 5\. Character Cast mascots or unique actors. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/3t25mmLgBcKjJEeihaGd5E/email) ## 6\. Beauty Show beautiful people, places, or designs. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/6yT4soXv8X2CTmLWoosTjv/email) ## 7\. Motion Add eye-catching motion or visual effects. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/67tKYGDJzrtf7sLRNCJXey/email) ## 8\. Angle Shoot from a unique angle or point of view. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/dDraTsUi93v8hb5fsyg7AN) --- ## Want more inspiration? - [Click here](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/visual-hook-library?ref=unbore.com) to see the ads from this collection in full. - For more tech ads, I recommend this fantastic library by [Black Camel Agency](https://blackcamel.agency/b2b-video-ads-library/?ref=unbore.com). ### How to flip phrases and get great headlines in five minutes URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-flip-phrases-and-get-great-headlines-in-five-minutes/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:26:36.000Z Hey! This is a Flipped Phrase headline: ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/5yEX5k9cJ4gV8i1MJd5ohs/email) And another one from an insurance company. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/7VRyvfHHL11pfvNeDqRmnx) See the pattern? ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/9snZtBR9WCpsQU1ZFr3cr4/email) --- Let’s use this technique to write an ad for Sentry (software that helps devs find and fix bugs). ​ ## **Step 1: Find phrases** ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/6Q6B53du6XFrHjkNhqkq3D) The result should look something like this... ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/udYdvpvPmtjV9HjZdHhXBJ/email) --- ## **Step 2: Flip them** I go over the phrases and try to flip just *one word* to its opposite. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/k5m3wW9Fpr3M6gGzmWaEYv) I'm not there yet, so I ask AI for help. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/jKcdom2izS3RQq6JcSh9pW/email) I actually like this one: ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/pnvdR31kqgR8yBEq1ApmHE/email) The Silicon Valley cliché makes it more relevant to Sentry users. --- ## **Step 3: Connect to the product** I add a CTA and a logo. Here's my result. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/2JA9fBsYtPwkV1i6cZFBWL/email) --- ## **Bonus** And one more, for practice. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/tq5xFmUMjZkHR7yaKRyRvV/email) ### The Ultimate Sales Letter URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/the-ultimate-sales-letter/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:21:24.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. **10 Smart Questions that help you understand your clients better:** **Questions that customers ask themselves before buying:** People are more likely to complete a process if they know where they are in the process. If they can track their progress. *\[So when you're showing a video, an article, or purchase progress, add this bar that shows how much you've progressed.\]* **Every human behavior is driven by one of the three core motivators:** For any *behavior* to appear, a *trigger* must be present, along with the ability of the user to take *action*. **Six factors that influence the ability of the user to purchase or take any other action** 🪜 Ask yourself: how many steps does it take your user to achieve their desire? Can you reduce this amount? --- ### Social Validation is what makes us **feel good when we help people**. So even when we write a comment on Reddit and receive a lot of upvotes, it makes us feel good. Accepted. In business and advertising, it’s always **better to swim with the current** and not against it. **So don't arrive as an interruption,** attempting to divert your reader's attention from the subject they’re on. Instead, align with the subject possessing their interest already. > Features vs. benefits > "People don't buy things for what they are; they buy things for what they do." A handwritten copy (name on an envelope, for instance) performs better than a printed one. ***What can be the equivalent of it these days?*** America sorts its mail standing over a wastebasket. And deleting/ignoring emails is even easier. **So make sure your envelope and subject line are good.** **Timeless headline templates** **”**They didn't think I could \_\_\_\_\_, but I did.” *(e.g., They laughed when I sat down at the piano, but when I started to play...)* “Who else wants“ **This type of headline implies that many people know something the reader doesn't.** *(e.g., Who else wants a Hollywood actress' figure?)* ”How \_\_\_ made me \_\_\_\_” **This headline introduces a first-person story. Sounds authentic.** *(e.g., How a fool stunt made me a star salesman.)* “Are you \_\_\_ with \_\_?” **Challenging and provoking.** *(e.g., Are you disappointed with your email open rate?)* “How I \_\_\_” **Clear and simple.** *(e.g., How I grew my side-hustle from zero)* “How to **+** {*customer’s desire*}” *(e.g., How to make friends and influence people)* **An even better option is:** “How to **+** {*desire*} **\-** {*objection*}” *(e.g., How to make it on YouTube without showing your face)* --- ### “Secrets of \_\_\_” **Note: It has to be someone who actually has an interesting secret/insider knowledge.** *(e.g., Secrets of four champion golfers)* “X do something although they \_\_\_” *(e.g., Thousands now play tennis although they have "clumsy fingers")* “Warning \_\_\_” *(e.g., Warning, two out of three copywriters will lose their jobs to AI)* “Give me \_\_\_\_, and I'll \_\_\_\_” *(e.g., Give me one hour a day for a month, and I'll have you speaking French like Pierre.)* “\* *number\** ways to \_\_\_\_” *(e.g., 15 ways to find new clients )* --- • **Grabber.** A plastic membership card, a penny, or any other object you put into a mail envelope to grab the reader's attention and make them open it. • **The bulk breakdown.** If you’re giving several things in one offer, break it down and specify every piece of value. Not writing every single feature/benefit is like giving them for free. 🗄️ Example of The Creative Copywriter’s Library 90+ books, 25+ book summaries, etc. • **A flag is a short sentence, usually** at the begging of a headline, that indicates who it is for. --- ### Examples: *Copywriters: finding clients doesn’t have to be hard* **– audience flag** *Migraine? This meditation technique can help* **– problem flag** • You may be writing about a problem **they know they have or they don’t know they have** it matters very little. You have to clearly describe the problem anyway. *Make them think: “oh; that’s just what I felt, but I didn’t know how to express it.”* • ”The next time you…” is an excellent piece of copy because it **connects** a specific **object** or **situation** to **your ad.** *Example: Next time you sit down and try to read your financial report, think of this.* • Fortune-telling grabs people's attention. *“Who will win the super bowl? What will the market do next?”* **Classic copywriting formulas** --- ### AIDA attention, interest, desire, action --- ### h/t emarketinghacks.com **PAS:** problem, agitation, solution --- ### Introduce the problem ***Connect it to certain situations*** in their lives, so they feel afraid, angry, ashamed, or any other negative emotion. The reader should think, “boy, this has got to stop:***Show how your product solves it.*** --- ### Winners vs. Losers *Example: “Last spring, two neighbors reseeded their lawns. Now it’s June *(background).* One has a beautiful, lush, thick, green lawn. As perfect as the best course in the country. A lawn to be proud of *(winner).* His neighbor, though, has a different lawn. With little brown patches and uneven texture. Crabgrass and weeds fighting for territory *(loser)*. The difference? The first used our fertilizer while the second didn’t *(solution).** --- ### Bandwagon vs. Rare Kind Marketing **The Band Wagon* works on FOMO.* Our phone calls may be busy Our website may crash 100,000 are reading this newsletter --- ### The Rare Kind *works on challenging the readers’ ego and pride. In this method, you *reverse roles,* and the client tries to sell himself to you, not the opposite.* Only a few people will know how to appreciate its quality This offer is not for everyone You can buy it only if you… pass an interview, have experience, bring a reference letter, etc. --- ### Always Demonstrate ROI Demonstrate how much they’ll invest and how much they’ll get out of this. Demonstrate how much money they’ll save and how much is the ROI percentage. *Example: “You’d save $500 but pay only $100; that’s a 500% ROI. And even if I’m only half right,* {sound reasonable and authentic} *it’s still $250 you save!”* \[I wrote more about ROI in copywriting [here](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Fselling-something-expensive-create-an-roi-activity-6927166653898096640-B-k5?utm%5Fsource=linkedin%5Fshare&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop%5Fweb).\] > **🆕** No one wants to feel like they’re behind. So make them aware of when you’re selling new technology. > *(what excuses do you make when they ask for your fax number and you don’t one?)* --- ### Types of Guarantee (risk reductions) People want to avoid risk. Help them feel safe when buying from you by promising: --- ### First drafts Make it long and ugly. Don’t stop to edit; just make sure that everything you need (every idea) is there. 🙃 A tip for public speaking (and writing) “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Then, tell them, tell them, tell them. Finally, tell them what you’ve told them.” --- ### Explain the process of working with you Explain exactly what will happen from beginning to end so that the client knows what to expect. There are many ways to say this, for example: “Here’s how it works” “It goes like this” “Three steps of working with me” **Teaser copy and cliffhangers.** “See the next page” “But that’s not all” “You wouldn’t believe what happened next” --- ### Sensual Writing Make sure to speak to all five senses. We usually write visually, so while editing, see if you can turn one of the visual descriptions into an odor, sound, touch, etc. --- ### Bonus products Most products don’t have a limited supply, making it harder to create scarcity. One solution is adding a free gift that will end fast. This way, people would want to buy faster. --- ### P.S. Always write a P.S Just like headlines and image captions, people often read them more. 🔤 Use capital letters, italics, and big type. But remember – “When everything is emphasized, nothing stands out.” --- ### Sales letter checklist ☐ Did you answer all **10 Smart Questions** about your prospect (in Step 1)? ☐ Are you writing to your reader about what is **most important to them** (not you)? ☐ Did you build a list of every separate **Feature** of your product or offer? ☐ Did you make a list of **reasons not to respond**? ☐ Did you give careful thought to getting **your letter delivered** and/or through the gatekeepers to its intended recipient? ☐ Did you craft the best possible **headline for your letter**? ☐ Did you make careful choices about your **presentation of the price**? ☐ Were you able to incorporate intimidation into your **call to action copy**? ☐ Were you able to **appeal to the ego of your buyer**? ☐ Did you develop and present **a strong guarantee**? ☐ Overall, did you tell **an interesting story**? ☐ Did you write to the **right length**? ☐ Did you use the **Double Readership Path**? ☐ Did you bust up paragraphs, **keep one idea per paragraph**, and make the letter easily readable? --- ### ☐ Were you interesting and entertaining? ☐ Did you use the **five senses** in words or pictures? ☐ Did you choose words carefully, consider options of one word versus another, **and create high-impact phrases**? ☐ Did you make your copy **personal and conversational** (not institutional)? ☐ Did you go back through your copy and think of the **possible questions or objections** it might leave unanswered? **Leave no unanswered questions!** ☐ Did you choose and **use devices to create urgency** and spark immediate action? ☐ Did you write **at least one P.S. at the end of the letter** for a strategic purpose? ### How to write email campaigns using the QUEST copywriting formula URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-email-campaigns-using-the-quest-copywriting-formula/ Last updated: 2026-03-07T18:14:24.000Z I wanted to convince my readers to take my course, so I wrote this email using the QUEST copywriting formula. Let’s break it down: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379014228-9FFDNMKMwkEtAwz6Je3cAe.webp) ## Step 1: Qualify The course is for marketers who are into writing, storytelling, and psychology. So, I say it right away to make sure you keep reading. “It’s frustrating. People get into marketing because they love writing, storytelling, and psychology.” ## Step 2: Understand Next, I show that I understand your pain. “But then reality sets in. Another ad. Another campaign. Lots of analytics – no room for creativity.” ## Step 3: Educate I introduce the solution and show why I’m qualified to teach it. “But after working with companies like Siemens, Amdocs, and dozens of startups, I’ve found that marketing can be both fun AND effective. No, wait. Marketing should be fun and effective. Why? Because… Performance-first companies eventually reach a plateau → **Brandformance is the answer.** 95% of B2B customers aren’t even ready to buy → **your ads need to leave a lasting impression.** **​** 91% of B2B sales are influenced by word of mouth → **fun ads get shared, not skipped.”​** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379014795-aG9CmnCrL8cAMvFgPogyGm.jpg) **​*[Start making brandforamnce ads](https://thecreativemarketer.net/course/?ref=unbore.com) ## Step 4: Stimulate To create desire, I show you some fun ads and explain the course’s features and benefits. “And sure, creative ads take more effort, but one great ad can outperform 100 boring ones. Ask Dovetail, Riverside, and Slack: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379015271-fGw6qyHubeo6L7dEYWJ9x3.webp) (Plus, it just feels pretty awesome to create ads you’re actually proud of.) Now, I get it—you’re busy. Like, 84-open-tabs busy. So I designed BPFA to fit your schedule:” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379015711-2XDFfpyijjPh3nVzSZPGXi.webp) ## Step 5: Transition I address two key objections, time and risk, using testimonials and a guarantee. And finally, I set a deadline to create urgency. **100% results. 0 risk:** ![Reviewer photo](https://thecreativemarketer.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/28Wz1pFduLjrHZJgnoYnaB.jpg) "The simple, straightforward AI prompts in Boring Products, Fun Ads are going to make it **so much easier and more efficient to brainstorm.**" — Eli Igra Serfaty, CEO @ MAIA Digital ![Reviewer photo](https://thecreativemarketer.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/g16GjgH16PhnzniKMSBYxL.jpg) "There are very, very few people who can make truly boring brands, products, and services sound irresistible. Shlomo is one of them. **This course is** 🔥🔥🔥" — Eli Igra Serfaty, CEO @ MAIA Digital And just like Eli, Dave, and dozens of other students, you’ll learn how to **create awesome ads much faster.** (And if it’s not for you, I’ll refund you right away—no questions asked.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379017227-Sugarman-1050.png) Installment payment plan and PayPal available [Start Making Fun Ads](https://www.bpfacourse.com/checkout?price%5Fid=123657&product%5Fid=11686&product%5Ftype=course&ref=unbore.com) ### Thanks for reading! I hope it worked 😉 If you have any questions about the course, feel free to drop me a line: Shlomo@thecreativemarketer.net And here are more reviews if you’re not sure yet: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379017694-agAyiiFvY2EyUdVcAb2HSP.webp) ### How to sell weird creative ideas to C‑Level URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-sell-weird-creative-ideas-to-c-level/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:25:41.000Z Usually, fun ads don’t die because they underperform. They die because the CMO won’t even agree to test them. So I use this presentation framework to convince executives to run my weird ads: ## ​1\. Cover (1 slide) Campaign name, client logo, and date. ## 2\. User’s Pain Point (3 slides) I like to start with: “You know, it’s just not fair.” Then, I explain what our persona is going through: - Persona (Name, photo, and basic facts) - Their Problem (The product should be the solution) - Supporting Facts (Press articles, Tweets, Reddit comments that prove this pain is real) ## 3\. Agenda (1 Slide) I show them what’s on the menu. Usually, it’s: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/dgeTTJ5RMAhSon1ACUVgV8.webp) ## 4\. Concepts (4 slides per concept) For each idea, I present: - Concept name - Human Insight: What makes these ads relatable? - My ads (mocked up → I use [admockups.com](https://admockups.com/?ref=unbore.com)) - Ad Breakdown: I explain why I believe this concept is going to work - Press mockups (Optional) ## 5\. Practical Stuff (3 slides) Then, I go over: - Budget & Resources: What we’ll need to make this campaign happen. - Timeline - Goals & KPIs: Long and short-term objectives. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/hUqU5wK1npNsrTsZaMuuAm.webp) ## 6\. Discussion (1 slide) Next, I recap my ads and take questions. If everything goes well, they’ll pick their favorites, and we’ll move on. But if not… ## 7\. Handle Objections (\~5 slides) In this part, I try to predict their objections and address them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/35vt51YGf7CgCf5xcFopyw.webp) And in my course, [Boring Products, Fun Ads](https://thecreativemarketer.net/course/?ref=unbore.com), you’ll get: - My answers to the most common B2B client objections. - A video where I walk you through my pitching process. - My pitch deck template (Figma/Google Slides). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/Sugarman-1050-1.png) **And this framework works — ask the tech CEOs who worked with me** ![Reviewer photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/f4CFW5WKk9ixZZSkz72JBD.webp) "He developed some of the **best ads we've ever run on LinkedIn!**" — Otto Hanson, CEO & Founder @ TermScout & Screens ![Reviewer photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-481.jpg) "Shlomo’s creative ads **not only grab attention but also deliver results.**" — Avi Moskowitz, CEO & Co-founder @ PrettyDamnQuick ![Reviewer photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image-482.jpg) "He’s a wizard, a real pro with terrific know-how, superb execution skills and **a rare ability to zoom in on what works.**" — Uri Rivner, CEO & Co-Founder @ Refine Intelligence ### How to use AI research to come up with relatable ad headlines URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-ai-research-to-come-up-with-relatable-ad-headlines/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:25:45.000Z I was writing ads (just for practice) about how a bad mattress can ruin your sleep. *The problem?* I sleep pretty well. So I didn’t know what struggling with sleep really felt like. Usually, I’d search in forums or speak to a friend. **But this time, I asked AI.** ## The conversation ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/image.png) ## The results **15 insights in 10 seconds.** Not bad. So I picked my favorites and wrote some headlines: ![#5 AI response was falling asleep at your desk, turned into an ad of a string of letters 'sleep in your bed, not on your keyboard'](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1-2.jpg) ![#2 tossing and turning until dawn, ad 'watching the sunrise, great if you spent the night twisting and shouting at a party, less great if you've spent it tossing and turning in your bed](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/2-1.jpg) ![#14 feeling like you're in a never-ending nightmare, ad 'the monster isn't under your bed, the monster is your bed'](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/3-1.jpg) ![#13 feeling frustrated, hopeless, and alone, ad 'sleep. over. a bad mattress can ruin a nice date'](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/4-1.jpg) ![#15 feeling like you're in a constant battle with sleep, ad 'legend says you can't sleep because you're awake in someone else's dream. reality says you've got a cheap mattress.'](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/5-1.jpg) *AI can’t write your creative copy (yet), but it can be a great research assistant.* ### How to stop writing generic 404 pages URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-stop-writing-generic-404-pages/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:25:49.000Z 73% of people who get a 404 error will leave the website. Just like my exes, I can’t make them stay. But I can try to make them leave smiling. Here’s a little writing exercise I did. 👇 ## 1\. I Collected Generic Phrases • Error 404 • Something went wrong • We couldn’t find this page • This page no longer exists • What you’re looking for isn’t here ## 2\. I Added Relevant Topics ��� Social Issues – Inside Jokes – Competitors – Enemies – Slogans ## 3\. I Mixed Phrases & Topics ![phrases on left side connecting to topics on right side](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1-6.jpeg) ## And here are the results: ![Purina We couldn't find this page, but maybe we can still find a home for Sparky](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/2-6.jpeg) We couldn’t find this page + Social Issue ![Burger King ad What you're looking for isn't here, unless](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/3-6.jpeg) What you’re looking for isn’t here + Competitor ![SpaceX error rocket science joke](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/4-1-1.jpeg) Error 404 + Inside Joke ![Oatly something went wrong and it's not the dairy industry](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/4-2-1.jpeg) Something went wrong + Enemy ![De Beers group diamonds are forever, webpages are not](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/5-1-1.jpeg) This page no longer exists + Slogan A bit of creativity can turn your 404 error page from the most annoying part of your website into the most entertaining one. ### How to make funny ads using Bergson’s humor mechanisms URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-make-funny-ads-using-bergsons-humor-mechanisms/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:25:53.000Z Philosopher H. Bergson discovered three mechanisms that make humans laugh. Here’s how to use them for marketing. ![Philosopher H. Bergson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1-2.jpeg) Henri Bergson ## 1\. Inverted World ![inverted ads wonderbra and pringles hot and spicy hot air balloon](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/2-2.jpeg) To come up with “Inverted World” ideas, I ask myself: - What are the social norms regarding my product and the way people use it? - Can I turn it right around? - Reverse roles? Positions? (e.g., human vs. animal, man vs. machine) ## 2\. The Unaware Person ![unaware person ads](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/3-2.jpeg) Ask: - What problem or danger might the product’s BENEFIT cause? - Under what circumstances will you need the product most? ## 3\. Word Play ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/4-2.jpeg) Ask: - What idioms, lyrics, or quotations does this product bring to mind? Can you twist them? - What other words sound like the product or its features? Can you develop wordplay around them? - What if I spell it wrong, or backwards? - Are there any double meanings hiding in the product’s description? ### How to become a creative thinker URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-become-a-creative-thinker/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:26:02.000Z Logic means digging in the most probable place until you find what you’re looking for. Creativity means digging in random places, accepting that you’ll know what you’re looking for only when you find it. ![logic vs creativity](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1.jpg) ## 2\. Quantity = Quality Creativity lives beyond the first few bad ideas. Set a quota (e.g., 20 headlines) and keep going ‘till you meet it. ![list of bad ideas with one good idea](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/2.jpg) ## 3\. Cultivate Creativity Creativity is a skill. Practice daily, and you’ll improve. Here’s how you can practice on the go: ![come up with funny captions for images you see, and reimagine things by thinking of new designs for everyday objects](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/3.jpg) ## 4\. Think Laterally Vertical thinking will lead you to obvious results. Instead, open any book, pick a random word, and try to connect it with your problem. Magic will happen. ![vertical thinking: facts, solution vs lateral thinking: random input, creative solution](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/4.jpg) ## 5\. Avoid Crazytivity Creativity must have value. Don’t do something differently only for the sake of being different. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/5.jpg) ## 6\. Yes! And… vs. Yes, but… Never reject your partner’s ideas immediately. Instead, develop them. The dumbest ideas often lead to a breakthrough. Also, people will share more ideas with you if they know you won’t judge them. ![triangular car with normal wheels](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/6.jpg) "Triangle wheels? Yes! And… what if we made a triangle car? Let’s call it the Cybertruck!” ## 7\. Think Now. Search Later. **​**Google shows almost the same results to everyone. So before googling, brainstorm by yourself, or you’ll end up doing the same as everyone else. ![google search how to think for myself](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/7.jpg) ## 8\. Control Your Ego We often cling to a bad idea because we’re defending our self-esteem, not the idea. Wear different thinking hats to evaluate ideas objectively. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/8.jpg) ## 9\. Fix What Ain’t Broken Even if something is good, it doesn’t mean it can’t get better. Identify the most dominant ideas in your field, and challenge them. ![a phone must have a keyboard](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/9.jpg) ## 10\. Use Fractionation Break down your problem into components and try to solve each part separately or rearrange it differently. ![problem: taxis are sketchy, solution: reimagine into uber](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/10.jpg) ## 11\. Make Mistakes **​**Schools reward those who are never wrong. The real world rewards those who dare to be wrong. ![school, learn, answer correctly, succeed vs real life, brainstorm, fail, learn, brainstorm again, suceed](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/11.jpg) ## 12\. Think Visually Language is the biggest barrier to creative progress. Old perceptions are frozen into words, making us see things in an old-fashioned way. ![verbal thinking (it's a strand of spaghetti) vs visual thinking (it's thin and hollow stick, I can use it as an eco-friendly straw](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/12.jpg) ### How to write terrible headlines to unblock yourself URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-terrible-headlines-to-unblock-yourself/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:26:05.000Z I’ve noticed that writing a great headline is stressful, but writing an awful one is liberating. Let me explain. ## The FOF Loop The desire to succeed creates a fear of failure. And fear of failure kills creativity. ![the fear or failure loop: desire to succeed, stress, creative block](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/website3-e1679843547376-2.jpg) So when I’m stuck in that loop, I use Negative Brainstorming to break free. ## Step 1: Reverse First, I *reverse* the brief. ![Instead of likes, get hate comments. Instead of profits, crash the stock. Instead of benefits, highlight downsides. Instead of improving the brand image, get canceled.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/website-2-e1679844340805.jpg) ## Step 2: Write Then, I write some *awful* headlines: ![try writing awful headlines like, less teeth less toothpaste](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/website-e1679843784671.jpg) ## But *why* do this? Because of the Austrian psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl. ![Austrian psychiatrist, 
Viktor Frankl and his Paradoxical Intention](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/website4-e1679844071802.jpg) Frankl noticed that his insomniac patients were afraid to stay up all night again. So he told them to try to stay up as long as possible. Intentionally doing what they feared relieved their anxiety, and they fell asleep. It’s called Paradoxical Intention. *So, if you’re afraid of writing bad headlines, just sit down and write a few.* ### How to create visual ads that require almost no copy URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-create-visual-ads-that-require-almost-no-copy/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T17:44:41.000Z ## Visual Metaphors Highlight the product’s benefit by showing something different with the same quality. ![Cadillac SRX print ad comparing the car's quiet interior to a grand library filled with antique books](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/hUxRRHgzWde8vucB6UzR1X.jpeg) Small caption: "Cadilac. Library-quiet interior." ### Creative recipe Let’s try this with Fisherman’s Friend mint lozenges: 1) Pick an adjective that describes the product. For example, “strong.” 2) Find other things that are strong. 🤖 GPT prompt: *“List 20 things that are strong. Include examples from pop culture, daily life, nature, and more.”* 🛠️ Tool: [ThingsDB](https://thingdb.io/?ref=unbore.com) – a website that compiles examples of things that are “fast,” “slow,” “quiet,” and dozens of other adjectives. 3) Combine the product and the visual representation of that strong thing: ![Fisherman's Friend ad featuring an origami rhinoceros folded from the brand's cough drop wrapper with the tagline Be Warned](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/tAb3aSV3T4R2aePdK9eLNw.jpeg) ## Visual Analogies Compare the product with something unexpected to explain the benefit. Great for tech products. ![Two Smart car print ads showing cleverly dysfunctional objects — a tilted wine glass and a chained fork — with the tagline Design is nothing if it's not smart](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/2CbUxyGPSLbLRDp3ptiKck-768x528.jpeg) Small caption: "Design is nothing if it’s not smart." Here’s an example that my [art director](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nithikaromy/?originalSubdomain=de&ref=unbore.com) and I created for Demoleap, an AI assistant for salespeople: ### Creative recipe 1) Benefit Demoleap gives you an unfair advantage, setting you apart from other sales reps. 2) Analogy We listed other situations in which people have an unfair advantage: • Having a time machine during a history quiz • Wearing an invisibility cloak in a hide-and-seek game • Riding a jet ski in a swimming competition 🤖 Prompt: *“Create 10 analogies for \[product benefit\].”* 🛠️ Tool: [Analogenie](https://preview.convertkit-mail2.com/click/dpheh0hzhm/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmFsb2dlbmllLmNvbS8=?ref=unbore.com) – AI analogy generator. 3) Visual We picked the one that would make the clearest and most eye-catching visual and photoshopped it. ![Demoleap LinkedIn sponsored ad comparing sales reps using their AI tool to a jet ski rider racing past swimmers in a pool](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/wFRHeZG8vhBp39gp8wF95R.jpg) ## Visual Similes Combine your product with a universally known symbol or visual. ![Side-by-side comparison of a cinematic McDonald's ad and an Ogalo flame grilled chicken ad, both using dramatic close-up photography with minimal copy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/vpSrVL2Ed6o53Dpr3bKGQm.jpeg) Small caption (right): "Flame grilled chicken" ### Creative recipe 1) What’s your main message? Example: Having a KitKat is a great opportunity to take a break. 2) Find symbols and visuals related to “break,” “pause,” “stop,” etc. 🛠️ Tool: [TheNounProject ](https://thenounproject.com/search/icons/?q=pause&ref=unbore.com)– find icons and symbols. 3) Look at your product from different angles – from above, below, close up, upside down, etc. 4) Connect the product and the symbol or image that you’ve found: ![Minimalist KitKat ad showing two chocolate fingers arranged as a pause symbol with the tagline Have a break Have a KitKat](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/2TZQfC2VddwQtDTPJh1idM.jpeg) ### How to write creative headlines with ChatGPT URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-creative-headlines-with-chatgpt/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:23:10.000Z I wrote some Kindle ads using [ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/?ref=unbore.com). Here’s my process: ## Part I: Gain ### 1\. List features ![screen image of chatgpt](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1chat.jpg) ### 2\. Features ⇢ benefits **​**A feature means nothing if you can’t demonstrate it in a relatable situation. ![asking chagpt to explain benefits to a list of features](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/2chat.jpg) ### 3\. Write headlines **​**I like the one about taking many books on vacation, so I ask for some headlines. Most are boring, but one stands out: ![asking chatgpt for some ad headlines](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/3chat.jpg) ### 4\. Get creative **​**But that’s not enough. To make things interesting, I’ll use [Dan Nelken’s](https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dannelken?ref=unbore.com) “List & Twist” technique: Write a list of obvious things, and then add something surprising at the end to show the benefit. I start with the obvious part: a packing list for a short vacation. ![using chatgpt to generate a list](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/4chat-768x529.jpg) Then I add the surprising part: a huge library. ![using ai to generate a list of long novels](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/5chat-768x447.jpg) ChatGPT forgot "Harry Potter" ### 5\. Result **​**I combine the lists and use ChatGPT’s headline as my tagline. And remember the dictionary feature that ChatGPT mentioned earlier? Let’s throw that into the mix as well: ![combining a list with chatgpt's headlines as taglines](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/6chat.jpg) *Hey, are you still here? This was the warm-up.* *Now begins the fun part.* 😉 ## Part II: Pain **​**So I showed why having a Kindle is *good*. Now, I want to show why not having one is *bad*. ### 1\. Alternatives and disadvantages I want to understand those who don’t use a Kindle, what they do, and why these alternatives are awful. ![ai prompt: what are the alternatives to buying an ereader? use pullet points. give short and consice answer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/7chat.jpg) ![asking ai: list the disadvantages of each alternative. use bullet points.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/8chat.jpg) Always turn features into benefits and alternatives into disadvantages. ### 2\. Find phrases ![ai prompt: give me five idioms related to reading and books.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/9chat.jpg) Phrases, idioms, and quotes are the perfect wordsmithing material. ### 3\. Results **​**Disadvantages + Phrases = Kindle is the solution. ![amazon ereader vs books ad. It's hard to read between the lines when they're tiny.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/chatkindle.jpg) ![read books you can't put down, not books you can't pick up](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/chatkindle2.jpg) ![don't judge a book by its cover, judge it by its weight](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/chatkindle3-1.jpg) ![reading is dreaming with your eyes open, reading with kindle is dreaming with your eyes safe](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/chatkindle4.jpg) *Cool. But what about all those stubborn people who know about Kindle, understand the benefits, but still insist on reading printed books? I don’t get them. But ChatGPT does. Read on.* ☺️ ## Part III: Objections ### 1\. Customer’s shoes ![asking chatgpt to be in the customer's shoes](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/part3customer.jpg) Got you. So it’s not about convenience. It’s about feelings. Let’s try a more emotional approach then. ### 2\. Higher cause ![asking chatgpt what is the impact of printed books on the environment](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/part3higher.jpg) ### 3\. Visual **​**Hmm… so people love the smell of old books, but old books end up in stinky landfills. That’s an interesting *conflict*. We need a visual. ![asking chatgpt to describe a photograph of a landfill with old books and trash](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/part3visual.jpg) I pasted the description into Dall-E (an AI image generator). ![screen image of chatgpt description into an ai photo generator, dall-e](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/part3visualdalle.jpg) ### 4\. Result **​**Customer objection + higher cause = conflict. A good story must have conflict. ![ad result: ahh, nothing like the smell of an old book](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/part3result.jpg) Well, maybe Amazon isn't the perfect brand for this, but it’s just an exercise. ## Bonus: Before and after We’re pretty much done, but here’s one last prompt that works every time: ### 1\. Inspiration ![asking chatgpt, what before and after comparison could underline kindle's benefit](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/bonus1.jpg) ### 2\. Rhyme ![asking chatgpt to write a rhymed poem](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/bonus2.jpg) ### 3\. Result ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/bonus3.jpg) ### How to become a meme marketing master URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-become-a-meme-marketing-master/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:26:26.000Z I’ve generated 3M+ views with memes. Here’s my process: Let’s make some memes for Ground Up, the VC firm I work for. ## 1\. Pick your target audience Startup founders 👩‍💻 ## 2\. Write down pain points - Pressure from investors - AI gets all the attention - Getting customers - Must learn quickly - Unhelpful VCs - Working 24/7 - Fundraising - Recession ## 3\. Find Memes I recommend [r/memes](https://www.reddit.com/r/memes/?ref=unbore.com), TikTok, and [imgflip](https://imgflip.com/?ref=unbore.com). ![meme my parents when I'm winning an argument](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/memes1.webp) ## 4\. Analyze them Ask: *“What’s the situation?”* ![meme [authority] when [persona] [disagrees with them]](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/memes2.webp) Tip: If you’re unsure, use [knowyourmeme.com](https://knowyourmeme.com/?ref=unbore.com) ## 5\. Connect {Situation} + {Pain point} = Meme We’ll use *“Pressure from investors.”* ![meme your vc when you refuse to add "ai" to your startup name](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme3-1024x911.webp) **Now let’s make a few more:** ![meme working 24/7, startup founders returning from their first day off in three years](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme4-1024x847.webp) ![meme fundraising, when you're dead and you vc finally emails you back](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme5-1024x527.webp) ![meme fundraising, four horseman of no, founders: raising a bridge round, vcs: no](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme6-1024x658.webp) ![meme fundraising, founders after talking to potential investors](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme7-1024x689.webp) ![meme recession, startups in 2023](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme8-1024x835.webp) ![meme fundraising, founders at a conference forcing us to read their deck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme9-976x1024.webp) ![meme unhelpful vcs, founders realizing that their vc isn't adding any value](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme10-768x1024.webp) ![meme ai hype, web 3 founders, vcs, ai startups](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme11-1001x1024.webp) ![meme getting customers, what was your strategy? build a great product and they will come](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme12-1024x860.webp) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/meme13-921x1024.webp) ### How to learn copywriting from scratch and for free URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-learn-copywriting-from-scratch-and-for-free/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:26:30.000Z *If I had to start my career from scratch, here’s how I’d do it:* ## 1\. Study You’ll find everything that is taught in ad schools in books or for free. But, portfolio schools, courses, and universities give you four things that books don’t: • Structure • Mentors • Community • Internships ​ If you can’t afford education, that’s alright. You can still do it yourself. Start with structure. Create a personal syllabus of everything you want to study, or use mine: ![my personal syllabus](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/2.webp) ​[Click here](https://affiliate.notion.so/shlomo?ref=unbore.com) to access my favorite books, articles, and posts. ## 2\. Practice Creative practice mainly comes down to: • Imitation Find work that you like and try to make something similar. • Improvement Find work that you don’t like and try to make something better. • Invention Come up with your own [spec campaigns](https://shlomo.wpengine.com/?ref=unbore.com#fake-ads-bring-real-opportunities). ![creative process, imitate, improve, and invent](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/3-2.jpg) 💡 Tip: Find a creative partner. For example, if your focus is writing, work with a designer. It can be someone from your course or a community like [r/advertising](https://www.reddit.com/r/advertising/?ref=unbore.com) or [Very Creative People](https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1790186/?ref=unbore.com). ## 3\. Get feedback Practice without feedback is useless. Get social, peer, and mentor feedback on these platforms: ![creative feedback, social and peer feedback, and mentor feedback](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/4.webp) I explain how to find mentors [here](https://shlomo.wpengine.com/?ref=unbore.com#how-i-found-mentors-as-an-ad-student). ## 4\. Build your brand A creative’s personal brand consists of: ![personal brand chart, portfolio, network, and content](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/5.webp) Learn how to build a creative portfolio [here](https://shlomo.wpengine.com/portfolio-guide/?ref=unbore.com). 💡 Tip: If you want to share your journey online, these will help you: - [The Ultimate Guide to Writing Online by David Perell](https://perell.com/essay/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-online/?ref=unbore.com) - [Writing Better by Julian Shapiro](https://www.julian.com/guide/write/intro?ref=unbore.com) - [Show Your Work by Austin Kleon](https://www.amazon.com/Show-Your-Work-Austin-Kleon/dp/076117897X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=shlomo08c-20&linkId=1cf96bc4b0584cc2229e42418489aad5&language=en%5FUS&ref%5F=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl&ref=unbore.com) ## 5\. Start working Get your first client, land an internship, or start a business and promote it. The more you invest in your personal brand, the easier it’ll be to land your first gig. 💡 Tip: If you do cold outreach, remember that 99% of creatives just send boring emails. So, show, don’t tell. Create a spec piece for the clients you’d like to work for. If they hire you, congrats. If they don’t, great, you have a new portfolio piece. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/6.webp) The process isn’t linear, though. Usually, it’s more like everything, everywhere, all at once. ### How to brainstorm endless ideas with Osborn’s Checklist URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-brainstorm-endless-ideas-with-osborns-checklist/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T17:32:59.000Z Creative ads helped turn Snickers into the world’s best-selling candy bar. I watched every single ad and noticed something: they all use an old but powerful technique. In fact, it’s the first creative technique ever. Let’s rewind. It’s 1928\. NYC. Alex Osborn co-founds a new agency, BBDO. Then, the Great Depression begins. To survive, they need good ideas. A lot of them. So, Osborn creates a list of eight prompts to help his team generate ideas fast. He calls this new process: “brainstorming.” Today, the BBDO creatives are still using Osborn’s checklist (maybe without even realizing it). Snickers, one of the agency’s coolest clients, is no exception: ## 1\. Adapt ![snickers ad, latte of lies](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks1.jpg) ![adapt. snickers ad, margins of error](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks2.jpg) 💡 **How?** **​**Ask: What could I adapt, copy, or borrow from someone else? Whom could I emulate? What other idea does this suggest? What else is like this? Does the past offer a parallel? ## 2\. Modify ![snickers ads replaced the inside with Bounty](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks3.jpg) [PR stunt:](https://adsspot.me/media/case-study/snickers-snickersgate-fca5aafcfe85?ref=unbore.com) Snickers replaced their regular filling with Bounty’s. People online went nuts. The explanation? “Sorry, our factory workers were hungry.” 💡 **How?**​ Ask: Change the meaning, color, motion, sound, odor, form, shape? Other changes? New twist? ## ​3\. Magnify ![snickers ad, magnified snickers](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks4.jpg) In 2020, the world went crazy. Snickers had an explanation – maybe the world is just hungry. [So, they fed it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVPkIifBPoA&ab%5Fchannel=millchannel&ref=unbore.com) 💡 **How?** **​**Ask: What is there to add? What can I magnify or make larger? More time? Greater frequency? Thicker? Stronger? Higher? Longer? Extra value? Another ingredient? Duplicate? Multiply? Exaggerate? ## 4\. Minify ![Snickers Bites ad showing a tiny gazelle standing on a giant cheetah paw with the tagline When you're in the mood for just a little something](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks5.jpg) ​ 💡 **How?**​ Ask: What is there to subtract? What can I tone down or delete? Smaller? Condensed? Miniature? Lower? Shorter? Lighter? Omit? Streamline? Split up? Understate? ## 5\. Substitute ![snickers ad, substitute in the snickers](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks6-727x1024.jpg) ![Snickers ad featuring a stern man in a suit and bow tie with the tagline You're not you when you're hungry](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks7-724x1024.webp) 💡 **How?**​ Ask: Who else, instead? What else, instead? Other ingredients? Other material? Other processes? Other power? Other places? Other approaches? Other tones of voice? Can I change the rules? ## 6\. Rearrange ![Snickers banner ad on ESPN website reading Get one for the price of two as a humorous reverse offer](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks8-1024x631.webp) When people are hungry, they make dumb mistakes online. When people clicked on these ads, Snickers offered them [a real discount](https://vimeo.com/333597243?embedded=true&source=video%5Ftitle&owner=4084472) so they can get back to themselves. ​ 💡 **How?**​ Ask: Interchange the components? Transpose cause and effect? Other patterns? Other layouts? Other sequences? Change pace? Change schedule? ## 7\. Reverse ![Snickers ad showing a zebra chasing a lion across the savanna with the tagline You're not you when you're hungry](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks9.jpg) ​ 💡 **How?**​ Ask: Interchange the components? Transpose cause and effect? Other patterns? Other layouts? Other sequences? Change pace? Change schedule? ## 8\. Combine ![snickers ad, combining the angry internet with hungry people](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks10-1024x580.webp) The internet is an angry place. Why? People are hungry. So, Snickers created the [Hungerithm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m07peztHv3s&ab%5Fchannel=adsoftheworldvideos&ref=unbore.com), an algorithm that monitors the mood of the internet. When anger levels rise, Snickers prices at 7-Eleven go down. 💡 **How?** **​**Ask: How about a blend, an alloy, an assortment, an ensemble? Combine units? Combine purposes? Combine appeals? Combine ideas? ## Osborn's Checklist: ![Osborn's Checklist infographic showing all 8 brainstorming categories — Adapt, Modify, Magnify, Minify, Substitute, Rearrange, Reverse, and Combine — with prompt questions for each](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/snicks11-1024x791.jpg) ### Thinking, Fast and Slow URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/thinking-fast-and-slow/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T04:04:33.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. There are ***two modes*** in which our minds operate, think, and make decisions. The first way is **automatic, impulsive, and intuitive** – *Kahneman calls it System 1\.* The second is **thoughtful and calculated** – *System 2.* The lazy mind – our mind and body are always trying to save energy. It’s called *“the law of least effort.”* But this efficiency (or laziness) can lead to errors and affect our intelligence. To show how the two systems work, the author introduced a problem: ⚾ A bat and ball cost $1.10\. The bat costs one dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? Most people (including me, haha) say $0.10\. This is the intuitive answer of System 1. But when we put in some effort and use System 2, we see that the answer is $0.05. Our brain limits our intelligence when we are being lazy, wanting to avoid System 2. --- ### Priming The words, things, and concepts we see around us can influence our behavior. *Example:* participants in a study were primed with words associated with elderly people (e.g., Florida and wrinkle). They were walking at a slower than usual pace after seeing the words. The participants, of course, ***didn’t even notice*** the impact the priming had on them. ### Halo effect When we ***like one aspect*** of a person's character, we **automatically assume that their other aspects are good too**. *Example:* if someone is good-looking, talented, or kind, people would often think good of them, even without really knowing them. ### **The substitution heuristic** When we’re asked a complex question, we **often translate it into a simpler question** (a cognitive shortcut) to make it easier for ourselves to answer. *Example:* if someone asks us: “how successful will that woman candidate be for sheriff?” We ***automatically replace the question with an easier one***, like, “does she look like someone who will be a good sheriff?” ### The availability heuristic We tend to ***overestimate the probability*** of something we often hear about or something that makes a strong impression on us. We’re afraid of terror attacks, airplane crashes, etc., although they’re not very probable. ### Cognitive ease You’d be more likely to choose an option or believe a statement that is ***easier for you to understand.*** Even the color of the font or its size can make a message more persuasive because it requires less cognitive strain. ### Repetition Messages are more persuasive when we’re repeatedly exposed to them. 〰️ In a study, people were presented with sentences that rhymed and ones that did not. They found the statements that rhymed were perceived as more insightful, even if both had the same meaning. Example: woes unite foes: a fault confessed is half redressed ### Our mood affects our creativity When in a better mood, the part of the mind that is alert and analytical **relaxes**. Then, *System 1*, which is more intuitive and **quick-thinking**, and responsible for **creativity**, can take **all our energy** for play. ### Lying with statistics How we **present** a statistic can **change** how we **perceive** it. We’ll consider a rare event as more likely to occur if it’s expressed in terms of relative frequency and not in statistical probability. ### Denominator neglect Another way to “lie” with statistics is to describe a vivid mental image that will make the reader ignore the actual statistic and decide **based on emotions rather than facts.** Both statements are equal, but the second one brings to mind a disfigured child. Doctors who read the second statement were much more hesitant to prescribe the drug. ### Reference points We don’t approach numbers objectively. We always measure them according to a reference point. Rationally, if two people have $5M, they’re supposed to be equally happy. But if we discover that one of them has started their night at the casino with 9M and the other with 1M, we immediately feel bad for the first person and sad for the second. ### Influence URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/influence/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T04:01:57.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. The world is a complex place. We can’t ponder over every single decision, so we have to make some decisions automatically. **These automatic decisions are called shortcuts.** Most of the time, they work well, but sometimes they cause us to make stupid mistakes. For instance*,* we’re more likely to agree to do someone: a favor: if given a reason (even if the reason doesn’t make sense). In a study, a few people were queuing, waiting to use a copy machine. A researcher approached them and asked them if she could skip the line and go first. Only 60% said yes, but when she gave them a reason (“because I’m in a hurry”), 94% agreed. Does **price** really indicate **quality**? That’s **another shortcut** we are used to. Most of the time, it’s true, but some companies use it to trick us. Cialdini gave the example of souvenir shops that increase the prices of unpopular products to sell them faster. Pricing tips --- ### The six principles of persuasion - Reciprocation - Social proof - Scarcity - Liking - Consistency - Authority A breakdown: **Reciprocation Rule** (or why giving = taking) Research showed that in every culture, people are **naturally prone to giving back a favor to other people.** They do it to **equalize their position.** That's why when we give away a free mini-course, eBook, or webinar, people feel like they owe us something and will be more likely to buy from us. **Rejection-then-retreat** (or why hearing ‘no’ is great) After refusing, when being asked to do or to buy something large, people will be easier to convince to do or buy something smaller. **They will feel obligated to at least buy something.** They will **compare** your new offer to your first (big) one. **Scarcity** When things are scarce, we want them more. A study showed that when shoppers were told of a **limited-time sale** on meat, they **bought 3x more** than regular. They **bought even more** (6x more) when told that the **sale was secret.** Scarcity is created when people think that there is **a limited supply, limited time, or limited information** **Consistency** Society values consistent, stable people. So we have a strong **desire to stay consistent.** Once we commit to something in words or action, we’ll try to stick to it. Sometimes, even if it harms us. *Example:* how to win a vote? People really care about **looking consistent in front of others.** If most people have spoken publicly against you, insist on making the voting private. That way, they won’t have to stay consistent with what they said before. But, if the majority was on your side, keep the voting public; even if there is new evidence against your opinion, they won’t change their mind to stay consistent. **The foot-in-the-door technique** Salespeople would sell something very small (or even ask for a small favor like signing a petition) just to change the way their prospects see themselves. Once they **perceive themselves as “customers,”** they want to **stay consistent** and agree to buy more expensive stuff. **Social proof** When in doubt, we look to see **what others are doing.** That’s why there’s **artificial laughter in TV** sitcoms. And that’s why **product testimonials work so well.** We’re so influenced by others’ actions, research shows, that when there’s a story about suicide in the newspaper, many other suicide cases follow right after. It’s called the ***Werther effect.*** **Liking** We’re more compliant toward people we like. Here are the kinds of people that we like: - People who **flatter us.** - People who look like or **behave like us** (e.g., same origin, age, occupation, etc.). - People who **look good (** *the halo effect;* we tend to think that good-looking people are better people in general). - People whom we see on the **same team as us** (e.g., if they work towards the same goal or agree with our opinions). - People whom we **associate with positive things or events** (or negative, for instance, the weathermen are often associated with negative events, so many people hate them, even if the bad weather **wasn’t their fault\***) **\*It’s called the connection rule**, and it’s why it’s important to make sure that your brand and ads don’t appear next to negative events. Otherwise, people will link the two, even if they’re not connected. **Authority** We tend to trust authority. If someone is wearing a uniform that indicates authority, we’ll be **more likely to trust them.** *Example:* In a study by psychologist Stanley Milgram, participants gave “lethal” electric shocks to others just because **they were told to do so by a person wearing a white lab coat.** \[That’s why ads for toothpaste show “doctors.”\] ### Alchemy URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/alchemy/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T15:53:45.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. 💡 The opposite of a good idea can be a very good idea. - Behavioral psychology in action: Ogilvy London painted baby faces on shop shutters to reduce vandalism. - Everything can become exclusive. Before Dyson, vacuum cleaners were generic products. Now, they're a status symbol. - What’s next? Exclusive nail clippers? Maybe. 💬 "The heart has reason in which reason knows nothing." Pascal - Why the corporate world is not creative – No one was fired for using too much logic. People try to justify their decisions with pure logic so that they won't be blamed for the results. But, the **non-rational solution** might actually be better. - Writing for **a persona** vs. writing for **one person** – If you always try to use data to determine who is your average client, you'll often target people who rarely exist. Don't design for the **average**; design for the **typical.** 💲 We enjoy buying either very cheap or very expensive stuff. These both give us a dopamine boost and make for a good story. - Show three options with Decoy Pricing - Cheap - Premium The one you want the client to take - Decoy An offer so bad that choosing the premium option becomes a no-brainer - Gifts : People often struggle to find gifts for their loved ones. **Define your product as a gift.** - That's why many online shops add "given as a gift" to product descriptions. - On how to acquire gold from iron : During a crisis, Prussia asked rich people to donate their gold jewelry in exchange for iron jewelry. A little engraving on the metal jewelry stated it was given in return for gold. *Suddenly*, wearing metal jewelry became a high-status symbol. - On creating desire : The Prussian king, Friedrich, wanted to turn potatoes into a desirable vegetable because people didn't want to eat and grow them. So he planted some potatoes and put a high fence around them. *Suddenly*, people started appreciating potatoes - Invent new words and give names to behaviors : The Belgian government wanted people to stop drinking and driving, so **they invented the term** BOB ("Bewust Onbeschonken Bestuurder"), which translates to "Consciously Non-Drunk Driver." It was easier for people to refuse a drink because they could just say, "no thanks, I'm BOB." - Market asymmetry : When the **buyer knows less about the product than the seller.** Like, with the hoverboard market. No clear product name, no clear branding, no clear features. - Reframing : Acamol Night was invented as regular medicine. But there was one problem: it made you sleepy. So they **reframed it** to be a medicine that not only cures you but also helps you to sleep better. *\[Whoa!\]* - The focusing illusion : When we pay **too much attention** to a particular event or detail **without seeing the big picture.** This phenomenon is also why focusing on one USP can help you sell better. - Porsche – Fast, Volvo – Safe, etc. - The 300M button : An e-commerce company made a button that lets customers check out as guests instead of registering. **The result:** increased sales by 300M a year. ### Hello, My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/hello-my-name-is-awesome-how-to-create-brand-names-that-stick/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T03:51:18.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. Your business name is the first impression you leave on customers. Make sure it’s sticky and makes people smile. A few principles and good name examples that make people **SMILE:** → **S**uggestive: Amazon is a big name. It makes you imagine the big Amazon river. Imagine if Bezos would have called it 'book barn' instead. → **M**eaningful: Don’t name your company after yourself (unless you are Michael Jordan, your name means nothing to your customers). → **I**maginary: A visual name like Timberland makes you think of woods and the outdoors. → **L**egs: Choose names that can be expanded. Names that create a new universe (like iPhone, iPad, etc.). → **E**motional: Try finding a name that conveys a positive feeling. Like LUSH. Bad names make people **SCRATCH** their heads. The seven deadly sins of naming. Avoid those: 🖨️ Note: You can make any name sound familiar (like Xerox) if you spend millions on brand promotion. It all depends on whether you have millions to spend on that or not. ### **A few things Watkins recommends to have in a naming brief and brand personality:** - Project goal - Consumer insights - Target audience - Competition - Ten adjectives that describe the brand’s personality - Words to explore, words the client likes - Themes, ideas, and words to avoid - Name style *likes* Five brand names the client likes and why - Name style *dislikes* Five brand names the client dislikes and why 🧠 Brainstorm on your own, not in a team, especially not in a conference room. --- ### Tips for brainstorming names: \[I recommend [this list of resources](https://guide.onym.co/?ref=unbore.com) for naming\] ### Testing the names: **Create a good domain name:** 1. Add a modifier Prefixes: get, go, hello, buy, drink, wear, a world of, here, enjoy, my, shop, try, the, re, eco, easy, smart, us, Im, get, re, anti, do, ex, inter, ad, top, super, my, your, play Suffixes: 101, group, life, online, partners, store, world, Pay, app, cloud, hq, corp, work, soft, labs, hub, list, now [Namestudio.com](http://namestudio.com/?ref=unbore.com) does that automatically. 2. Don't be afraid to use a domain that’s different from your brand name. For example, you can use a catchphrase like [ILovePeanutButter.com](http://ilovepeanutbutter.com/?ref=unbore.com) or [JoeKnowsCoffee.com](https://paramountcoffee.com/joe-knows-coffee?ref=unbore.com) Or use an action to name it like HaveItYourWay, or DressLikeNoOther --- ### Get a different extension depending on your niche (like .net, .io, .ai, .me) Avoid using .org, it's only for NGOs. 📛 Naming is a never-ending journey. You will keep naming conference rooms, job titles, products, services, and events. 📩 Changing your name is okay. You have more years in the business in front of you than behind you. Just redirect people to your new domain and spread the word on social media and email. ### Cashvertising URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/cashvertising/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T03:54:27.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. ***Life-Force 8 (LF8)*** Eight desires that every human being has: 1. Not dying; staying alive 2. Satisfying hunger and thirst 3. Being safe and free of pain 4. Sexual companionship 5. Comfortable living conditions 6. Feeling superior to others 7. Protecting your loved ones 8. Social approval 🕺 Every product and sales pitch in the world appeals to one of the LF8 desires. Selling with fear works, but only if it follows the following criteria 1. It’s a real, relevant fear that you can describe vividly. 2. Your product solves what causes the threat. 3. You don’t use too much fear. Otherwise, it sounds fake or just paralyzes, like a deer caught in headlights. 4. Your solution is practical enough for the customer to actually implement it. - People buy products to satisfy their egos and raise their social status. They want to show that they **belong or do not** belong to a certain group. *Example:* people who buy Mercedes show that they belong to a group of wealthy and successful people. - On the other hand, we often describe ourselves by saying **what we are not**. *Example:* An atheist doesn't believe in god. Which means he wants to separate himself from god-believers. So by buying vegan milk, we show that we’re not part of the people who consume meat/dairy. - **Add facts.** Although most purchases are driven by emotion, we still need facts and explanations to justify our decisions. --- ### Competitors There are three ways to approach them. 1. Ignore them and hope that your customers don’t notice them. *Con:* They will. 2. Bash them. *Con:* Makes you look childish and draws a lot of attention to your competitions, too. 3. Be nice to them. Praise them, even. For instance, you can make a comparison article, showing all the great things about their product while still hinting how and why yours is still better. Readers will see how confident you are about your product. - People always feel like they need to do some research before buying. If you did all the research for them, they could stop looking. You probably think: “ok, but why would they trust someone who's trying to sell them?” It's because they don't have time. This purchase is not the most important thing in their lives. As soon as they can tick the research box, they'll be happy to go on their way. - Elaboration Likelihood Model - when considering to buy decisions that can have a big impact on our lives, we do more research and use our logic. - when buying relatively cheap products, we don’t stop to think. We use our intuition based on more superficial cues like images, shape, color, and smell. 60% percent of people **only read the headline**. So make sure to: 1. Mention the main benefit in the headline 2. Mention the audience in the headline (e.g., Workaholics, New Yorkers, etc.) 3. Add words like “new,” “how,” and “free” - Readers always ask themselves (often unconsciously): **WIIFM** **w**hat's **i**n **i**t **f**or **m**e? - Break the **fourth wall :** speak to the audience; speak about what's going on as if it was an ongoing conversation. *Example:* “Now listen close,” or “here's what is going to happen next,” etc. - **Use portraits** Human faces attract the readers’ attention. That's why magazine covers and so many ads show real people. It works. To grab even more attention, make sure that the person is looking at the reader, like the *Mona Lisa*. - Benefits vs. Features:**the difference**: - a feature: printer that holds 500 sheets of paper - a benefit: don't replace your paper more than once a week. How to identify benefits? Take a feature and ask: **WIIFM,** or who cares - the pricing: a fractional price like $49.99 is associated with cheap products. If you sell a high-value product, sell it for $50 dollars sharp. Still, fractional prices perform better. It makes consumers assume that the business did everything to reduce the price as much as they could. - White space: instead of filling 100% of your space in copy and pictures, leave 50% empty. The white space around the ad grabs people's attention more. *22 Proven Headline Starters* | Starter | Example Headline | | ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **FREE** | ““Free Book Shows You How to Write Sneaky Advertising That Practically Forces People to Send You Money!” | | **NEW** | “Powerful New Seminar Teaches Flea Marketers the Power of ‘Flea-Psych’ To Drive People Into a Buying Frenzy” | | **AT LAST** | “At Last… a Bakery That Uses Only Organic Sugar, Flour, Milk, and Eggs!” | | **THIS** | “This New Invention Stops Any Attacker in His Tracks Without a Gun, Knife, or Black Belt in Karate” | | **ANNOUNCING** | “Announcing the Hottest New Sandwich Craze From Southern California: The Malibu Crust Pocket!” | | **JUST RELEASED** | “Just Released: Psychologist’s Study Reveals Little-known Speaking Patterns That Immediately Put Rude Salespeople in Their Place” | | **NOW** | “Now You Can Stop Any Attacker Without Guns, Knives, or a Black Belt in Karate” | | **THESE** | “These Three Very Italian Men Make a Pizza to Kill For” | | **WHICH OF** | “Which of These Hot Bodies Would YOU Like To Show Off?” | | **FINALLY** | “Finally… a Self-Improvement Seminar That Moves, Empowers, and Transforms You for Life!” | | **LOOK** | “LOOK! Now You Can Buy Cotton Candy Machines at Wholesale Prices” | | **PRESENTING** | “Presenting the Easiest Way Ever Developed To Learn the Piano” | | **INTRODUCING** | “Introducing the Only Water Ice Stand in Philly that Uses Real, Fresh Fruit” | | **HOW** | “How to Sing Like an American Idol in 90 Days or Less. Guaranteed” | | **AMAZING** | “Amazing New DVD Lowers Your Blood Pressure by Just Watching It!” | | **DO YOU** | “Do You Know How To Stop Vicious Dog Attacks With the Push of a Button?” | | **WOULD YOU** | “Would You Trade $2 for Our Famous Brick-oven Pizza?” | | **CAN YOU** | “Can You Be Sure Your Child Won’t Get Kidnapped?” | | **IF YOU** | “If You Hate Cleaning Your Pool, This Ad Brings Good News!” | | **STARTING TODAY** | “Starting Today, You Can Dance 97% Better… if You Follow These Rules” | ### Lateral thinking: Creativity Step by Step URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/lateral-thinking-creativity-step-by-step/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T03:40:02.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### Intro to lateral thinking De Bono describes two modes of thinking: Vertical thinking vs. Lateral thinking. - **Vertical thinking** refers to a way of analyzing, processing, and using information in a direct, conventional, and logical process. It’s like digging a hole in the most promising place to find the solution and then keep digging as deep as necessary until you find it. - In **lateral thinking**, you stay away from the obvious thinking process. Instead, you “dig holes” in random and unexpected places, opening your brain to new input to help it find solutions it wouldn’t consider otherwise. Lateral thinking means thinking outside the box. There's always more than one way to look at things. If we always keep digging in the same hole, we'll never find new solutions. But if we go out and **explore outside of our familiar thinking patterns**, we can come up with **new ideas.** Anyone can use lateral thinking. Sure, some people are better at it than others. They feel more comfortable playing with random information and finding the way back to their subject while coming up with new ideas along the way. But still, **anyone can be creative.** That’s why De Bono created different exercises and techniques that can help us practice and trigger creative thinking: --- ### Lateral thinking techniques | # | Technique | How to do it | | - | ------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Captions** | Cut out photos from newspapers or magazines, then write new captions for them. The image serves as the random input, and your brain uses its experience and associations to come up with new ideas. | | 2 | **Reimagine familiar objects** | List design concepts that we take for granted, like an umbrella or a cup, and reimagine them. | | 3 | **Challenge dominant ideas** | In every field, there are things that seem obvious. List those ideas and ask yourself if you can challenge them. \[Example: before iPhone, it was obvious that cell phones had to have key buttons.\] | | 4 | **Reversal method** | First, write down your problem or main question. Then, change the order of the words in your description. \[Example: instead of asking how high-school students can learn from history, ask, “How can history learn more about high school students?”\] | | 5 | **Analogical thinking** | Connect your subject with a similar situation or problem. Look for ways to solve the analogy, and then come back to your original problem to see if you can apply the solution there. | | 6 | **Fractionation** | Break your problem down to its components and try to solve each part separately or rebuild it differently. | | 7 | **Random exposure** | Open a book from a random field, read a little bit, and let it inspire new solutions. It’s always better to pick a book from a field different than the one you're working on. | | 8 | **Formal generation** | Go to the dictionary or a book, find random words, and try to connect them with your problem. Instead of random words, you can use visual objects and randomly pick them by their color. \[Example: pick the nearest blue object and try to connect it with your problem.\] | --- ### Two brainstorming tips 1. Don’t judge: There are no “wrong” ideas in creative thinking. Don’t discard any ideas immediately, no matter how dumb they may seem. The most obscure ideas can later become the key to your breakthrough. Also, people feel freer to speak up about their ideas if they know they’re not being judged and criticized. Creativity takes a relaxed and comfortable environment. \[That’s why good ideas often come to us in the shower.\] 2. Quantity matters: Our minds tend to fix on the first couple of ideas that come to us. But real creativity often lies beyond those first insights. So set a number of ideas you want to come up with (e.g., 10) and keep going ‘till you meet your quota. ### Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/exactly-what-to-say-the-magic-words-for-influence-and-impact/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T03:45:55.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. After years in sales and marketing, Jones discovered that you could ***influence people and change their minds*** just by using “magic” sentences and words. Here are my favorite words. I also added some examples that I wrote for [copy.ai](http://copy.ai/?ref=unbore.com), just to practice: **I’m Not Sure If It’s For You, But…** It’s a good way to introduce someone to a ***new idea***. The “not sure” part makes it feel more ***authentic and takes away the pressure*** as if you’re only suggesting something you’ve heard of instead of trying to sell. 🐈 Example: “I'm not sure if it's for you, but I know a piece of software that automatically writes marketing copy. It's called copy.ai.” **Open-minded** Everyone wants to come across as open-minded. **What Do You Know?** Rather than ***preaching to someone*** about your product, ask them ***what they know about it first***. It’ll help you adjust your pitch according to ***their knowledge*** and also ***challenge them***, making them the one who sells to you and not the other way around. **How Would You Feel If…?** People want to ***avoid pain***. With this sentence, you can stir up their fear without being too harsh. **Just Imagine...** Jones calls this phrase the "*once upon a time of adults*" because it puts us in a "*story time*" mode. You allow the person to ***time-travel to the good moments your product will create***. **When Would Be a Good Time For...?** Asking whether someone wants to ***try my product*** leaves me with a ***chance*** to receive a 'yes' or 'no.' 📳 Note: Another rather similar technique is to ask, “What number can I get you on?” instead of asking, “can I get your number?” --- **You Have Three Options** Narrow down ***your options*** while showing the prospect that ***their alternatives are not so good*** and they should try ***your solution***. > *Example: “So you hate your writer. He’s expensive and delivers bad work. You have three options: *One*, you can look for another copywriter, go through heaps of LinkedIn profiles, try a few, and maybe find one. *Two*, you can do absolutely nothing. *Or*, you can give* [*copy.ai*](http://copy.ai/?ref=unbore.com) *a try, use it alongside what you’re already doing. *What option is going to be easier for you?*”* **There Are Two Types of People** This phrase immediately makes me wonder – which type ***do I belong to***? > **⌨️** *”There are two types of people: those who *resist change*, spend their time hiring expensive copywriters who work slow, and often deliver off-brand copy that doesn’t convert. And those who *embrace the change* and use AI to write unlimited amounts of compelling copy.”* **That's Great!** This phrase helps to deal with objections like "I tried AI copywriting in the past. The copy was complete nonsense!" Instead of answering, “Yeah, but…” I should ***turn the negative objection into a positive argument***. 🤖 Example: ”That’s great! Then you already have some experience with AI. The good news is that our software is powered by GPT-3, and we developed it together with pro copywriters. So the results are nothing like what you’ve seen before.” **Most People** Human beings are ***social beings***. Knowing what others ***have done*** can often convince us to ***do the same.*** Instead of saying: "That's what you should do!" provide ***social proof*** and show what most people do. 🗓️ “Most people go for the annual subscription. It’s just much more cost-efficient.” **I Bet You’re a Bit Like Me** Makes you ***more relatable***, revealing your human side. **If… Then** We’re used to this ***conditioning from childhood***. **Don’t Worry** Show the person some ***compassion*** and explain ***why they’ve got nothing to worry about***. **Before You Make Your Mind Up** People tend to **stay consistent with their choices**. Moving someone from a *“no” → “yes”* is harder than moving from a *“maybe” → “yes.*” **If I Can, Will You?** Eliminate your prospect’s objections by ***offering a solution***. **Enough** Adding the word “*enough*” at the ***end of your offer*** makes people ***more likely*** to agree to it. **Just One More Thing** When your prospect has ***already agreed to the deal*** and the ***atmosphere calms down***, you can ***use the opportunity to add something*** more into the mix. **What Makes You Say That?** People would often ***give objections without really understanding them***, just because they’ve heard those objections from other people or on TV. When they raise up an objection that doesn’t make sense, ask them: “What makes you say that?” ***It forces an explanation for their objection***. If they can’t… **What Happens Next Is** It ***calms*** people down and gives them a ***clear understanding of what they need to do next***. It gives them clarity. --- - When people asked the author, “How does it work?” he used to start ***explaining every single feature and technical detai***l to them. ***But then he discovered another method***, he just answered: “It works great!” Conversion rates drastically improved. - By the way, Jones says that, of course, ***nothing in sales works 100% of the time***. That’s why these words should not work with ***all of the people all of the time***, they should work with ***more of the people more of the time***. ### On Writing URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/on-writing/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T03:39:03.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. Stephen began sending his first stories for publication when he was 14\. He had dozens of rejections and used to pin every rejection onto his wall. At some point, there were so many rejections that the pins fell off. When he turned 16, the generic rejection letters he used to get from publishers turned into handwritten notes. **That motivated King to keep on trying.** He hated the draft of his first book, "Carrie" and threw it away. **His wife found it in the trash bin and encouraged him to keep going. Later, it became a bestseller.** King's secrets to success: 1. Staying physically healthy. 2. Staying married. --- Most people have some writing and storytelling talent. **Practice can strengthen and sharpen anyone’s writing.** 💬 “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.” While you’re crafting the story, it’s only yours. Don’t ask for feedback and don’t share it with anyone. **When the story is ready but needs some editing, then it’s time to let others in.** 💬 “Put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn’t in the middle of the room. Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.” Vocabulary *rule of thumb:* Use the first word that comes to your mind if it is appropriate and colorful. > **Use simple words.** *”One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones.”* Avoid passive voice. Avoid adverbs. Especially in dialogs. --- ### Every story is built on three elements **Narration:** takes the story from A to Z. **Description:** helps the reader imagine and sense the story. **Dialogue:** brings the characters to life through the things they say. 👁️ “Everything I’ve said about dialogue applies to building characters in fiction. The job boils down to two things: paying attention to how the real people around you behave and then telling the truth about what you see.” --- ### On adding your personal expertise into your stories/ads “What you need to remember is that there’s a difference between lecturing about what you know and using it to enrich the story. The latter is good. The former is not.” - **Don't overwrite the details. Let people imagine.** That's your benefit over film, that many times it reveals too much. *\[If I wanted to read clothes descriptions, I'd buy a ZARA catalog.\]* - **Use metaphors; they're great for making a point.** *But* don't use the obvious ones, like "she was pretty like a summer day" or "he fought like a tiger." These are boring. Find something original. - **Wait as much as you can before you edit.** After finishing your first draft, do something else. King comes back to the draft *only after six weeks*. The book will look familiar somehow, yet not like it's yours. It'll be easier to *look at objectively*. It's easier to kill someone else's babies than your own. *\[In advertising, you usually can’t wait six weeks. Still, even a few hours or a coffee break is better than nothing.\]* - **You can make any text at least 10% shorter.** It's easier editing after you’ve let the text cool off for a few hours (or days). - **Ideal reader** – everyone writes for one person. It can be a parent, spouse, friend, or anyone else. **Imagine that person while writing.** Ask: what would be his reaction? - **A storytelling technique:** In Medias Res (Latin: *into the middle of things*). It means going straight into the middle of the plot. ***\[Like in The Queen's Gambit. And many more.\]*** - You don't always have to work in a sterile environment. **Interruptions can actually help and inspire sometimes.** - *On writers' workshops* – *"It is the dab of grit that seeps into an oyster's shell that makes the pearl, not pearl-making seminars with other oysters.”* **No amount of seminars or books on writing can replace practicing the craft itself.** - **There are no shortcuts to becoming a writer.** You have to read and write a lot. Also, the most valuable lessons are the ones you teach yourself. - **Sometimes, it's good to read bad prose.** It can teach us a lot about writing because it's easier to notice mistakes. 💬 “Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference.” Every good writer kept writing because someone flattered and encouraged them. So let others encourage you. ### How to Get to the Top of Google: The Plain English Guide to SEO URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/how-to-get-to-the-top-of-google-the-plain-english-guide-to-seo/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T16:26:34.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### SEO is all about - Content (keywords, good writing, and photos) - Conversion rates - Usability - Credibility (links to your site) *How to start your SEO research* - Learn from forums on how people speak about your niche. We want to **match our language** to the **audience’s language.** Start with optimizing your best-selling products. - Download **keywords** from Google Console. - Find words on **SEMrush.** 🔍 SEM will show you the search volume, but don’t give up if your phrase has low search volume. It might also be wrong. Even in SEO, common sense often comes before data. - Then, for each keyword, check the **CPC (cost per click);** what is the search volume, and what is the competition level? - Is this search too broad to be relevant? Try to niche down to a **specific phrase**. - Create **key pages** the most popular pages that bring the most traffic to you. On those pages, make sure the articles have more than 300 words. Blog posts should aim for 500-1000 words. Make sure that the **headlines and sub-headlines have your keywords**. *Competitor analysis* - Check **who your competitors are** in the keywords you want to rank on. - Check what **phrases they’re using**. - Go to **pages that rank first**, hit *CTRL+F,* and check how many times **your keyword appears on those pages**. - Write down **different keyword variations.** Check how your competitors used those keywords. - Then, open the **source code of your competitor’s website.** - Check ** of the website: how many times has the website used the keywords in the title? If the page title doesn’t include the keyword, it means the website isn’t optimized. - Search for the *meta description* it’s a description of what’s on that page. Its length should be between 275-300 characters. - *Meta keywords* Google doesn’t take that category seriously, but it can inspire you on which keywords to use. - Open *site explorer* – it shows you how many **backlinks the website has.** It will show you the *relative authority of your website.* --- ***More tips*** ⚓ Anchor text: the text used in a link (e.g., “click here”). Use target keywords for your anchor text. 📄 Create a different page for each topic/service and USP. 🗺️ Sitemap: download a sitemap plugin and add it to your website. --- --- #### Duplicated text (plagiarism) Try to avoid as much as possible. Rewrite product descriptions because everyone uses the same ones. ### Headers Only for the main topic of the page (H1) For the secondary headlines (H2) For even less important headlines (H3) #### Page Title there’s the regular WordPress title of every page. But you want to overwrite this title using an SEO plugin like Yoast. #### Meta description Google doesn’t analyze your meta description, but you should make it as enticing as possible for more click traffic Meta keywords: don’t spend time adding meta keywords. Google doesn’t care about it. ### Alt image text a description that precisely describes the image. It helps the images appear in Google photos (and most importantly, it helps visually impaired people to read the page with their screen reader). --- ### Schema markup add those to your website code. It can be reviews, event information, contact information, TV episode and film details, restaurants, and product info. Check the website’s speed it should load within two seconds. Every extra second reduces your conversion rate by one second. --- ### Links You can link your website on directory websites like Google, Yelp, Yahoo, etc. ### PR and SEO tip use surveys to create your own “research-based articles” How? 1. **Pick a headline** you’d like to create. For instance, “90% say that AI copywriting is disrupting the market.” 2. **Create a survey** that will encourage people to answer it the way you want. 3. **Find people** to take it. 4. **Publish** your finding. 5. If you’re able to have other websites **share** this too, then you’ll even see **some nice backlinks**. *How influencers can promote your website:* ☐ Send them free and extra products they can share with their audience. ☐ Content ideas on how they can use the product (e.g., recipes). ☐ Provide them with a unique discount code. ☐ Share their post on your account. ☐ Invite them to an event --- ### Want press coverage? - Sign up for websites like [helpareporter.com](https://www.helpareporter.com/?ref=unbore.com) and [responsesource.com](https://www.responsesource.com/?ref=unbore.com), where journalists find **specialists for their interviews.** - Follow Twitter hashtags like *#journorequest* and *#prrequest* --- ### Need more reviews on Google? - Automate the process - Include a review request along with every email/giveaway/receipt you send. ### Contagious URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/contagious/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T03:34:47.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### Why word of mouth is awesome - Word of mouth is the primary factor behind **20% to 50%** of all purchasing decisions. - Word of mouth is **10x more** efficient than traditional advertising. - **One 5-star** review on Amazon leads to about twenty more books sold than a one-star review. - Although we live in a digital world, **only 7%** of word of mouth happens online. - AI-based targeting is nice, but when we recommend products to our friends, our targeting is much more precise. We know our friends better than any algorithms. - *Example:* A book publication sent the author two copies of a book so that he could pass the other one to a colleague. The publication knew that he would pick someone who would be able to appreciate the book. --- ### The Six Principles of Virality 1. **Social Currency** When people talk about products/content they like, they (often subconsciously) want to impress others. It’s the same as buying a nice car or wearing expensive clothes. They want to sound smart, cool, and rich. 💬 ”Give people a way to make themselves look good while promoting your products and ideas along the way.” ✨ Things that make people look good when they share them with others: Remarkable things: we want to share things that are extraordinary, novel, and entertaining. A good way to create such content/products is to take existing patterns and break them. Example: a low-cost airline in which there are unlimited snacks and big seats is a remarkable thing. Leverage game mechanisms: we like to compete and compare ourselves with others. So if we turn our product into a game, like Duolingo or Wordle, people will want to share them. Insider knowledge: when we have something exclusive, it makes us feel unique and of high status. That makes us like the product more and tell others about it. Example: a secret menu on the KFC menu. 1. **Emotions** Caring leads to sharing, and certain emotions make people share more. Awe: when something is inspiring like a blind skateboarder or Susan Boyle. Content that arouses you: like funny content and stuff that make you angry. Sad things are rarely shared. Most people don’t want to carry bad news. --- 1. **Relevance, Triggers, and Associations** “Top of mind leads to tip of tongue,” meaning that our ideas have to be close to other subjects people might talk about. Consider the environment and triggers that your customer will see/hear/feel while making the buying decision. It's not about making a catchy slogan but a relevant one. Environmental triggers make the difference between “immediate word of mouth,” which occurs right after you’ve seen or experienced something, and “ongoing word of mouth,” a conversation that always keeps going. Examples of triggers: - Music in French triggered people to buy French wine. - Mentioning the word 'tray' in a slogan triggered students to eat more fruits because they lay on a tray. - People who vote in a school are more likely to vote for candidates who talk about education and schools. *Tip:* When people are already emotionally triggered, it is easier to make them share or take action. 1. **Practical Value** 2. **Public** We are more likely to discuss things that are visible and public. Things that we can observe. *Example:* Men grow their mustache to raise awareness for cancer. Other men see it, talk about it, and join too. *Bottom line:* When you create an idea, make it sharable, and make it public for everyone to see.Turn the private into the public: Lance Armstrong created his bracelet, bright and yellow, to collect donations. You could recognize it everywhere. This turned charity, which was considered a private matter before, into a public thing. 🍏 Some products have publicity built in. Like Apple’s email with its “sent from my iPhone” feature. People like to help each other, and if there's a video that shows how to save a few dollars or a usable life hack, they will share it to help others. It strengthens social bonds. 1. **Story** When the product is baked into a good story, people will share it and mention the product naturally. --- ### Some pricing tips - The price that people are willing to pay for a product is always relative to another price. - Meaning that $10 sounds cheaper if it's discounted from $50 and not from $12. R*ule of 100* for promotional offers or discounts: > **⬆️** If it’s higher than $100, **give a $ discount** > **⬇️** If the price is lower than $100, **give a % discount** ### Ogilvy on advertising URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/ogilvy-on-advertising/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T03:13:28.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. 🎉 Repeat your winners. You're not selling to a standing army; you're selling to a moving parade. If you write a good ad, don't be afraid to repeat it until it stops selling. - In ads and business, **always call to action.** Be the one who dictates the next steps: - *Examples:* I'll call you on Wednesday to see when it is convenient for you to meet," "I'm free at this, this, and that time." - How to recognize a good idea: - It makes you **gasp**. - It makes you **jealous**. - It will work in **30 years**. 💬 "The ad that sold a fridge to couples who got married last year will sell it to couples who got married this year." - **Don't** misspell names. \[Always happens. Even Grammarly can't help you with that.\] - The creative's destiny is to live with fear. *"I have never sat down writing an advertisement without thinking: 'this time I'm going to fail.'”* - When people aren't having any fun, they don't produce good advertising. *"Get rid of sad dogs who spread gloom."* \[And the toxic people who spread poison.\] - Go to the meeting if you want things to go your way. *"He who is absent is always wrong."* - When writing for a **local** media channel, **mention the city's name in the headline.** People are more interested in what's related to them. \[Same for products that solve a specific problem like asthma, hair loss, etc. Always try to narrow down your audience.\] - Specific headlines are better than vague, generic statements. *Example:* "Sears makes less than 5% profit" by Ogilvy. It's better than saying "less than you'd imagine." - 75% more people read **helpful information** than just product-focused copy. *Example:* How to remove stains → use Tide and follow these easy steps. > One of Ogilvy's favorite headlines: > *"Send us your dollar, and we'll cure your piles, or keep your dollar and keep your piles."* - **Before and after** is a highly effective method to **increase sales.** But it's not always the cleverest way you can show a benefit. - As a copywriter, your goal is also to **find the right illustration/photo.** Make sure your photo or illustration has a fascinating subject. That it tells a good story. If you don't have a story to tell, make the product the ad's hero. **Make it look good.** - Do not address your readers as though they were gathered together in a stadium. **When people read your copy, they are alone.** Pretend you're writing each of them a personal letter on behalf of the company. - You can't **bore people** into buying your products. You can only **interest them in buying it.** - Long copy might sell better because it has more facts in it. **And more facts sell. But make sure that you show the facts as benefits.** Also, the first paragraph has to be a grabber, not something generic like: "Going on vacation is a pleasure to which everyone looks forward." Using famous people and influencers increases customer engagement. Ensure that your **audience knows the famous person** and that they are **relevant to your concept.** > ***A little poem:*** > "When the client moans and sighs, > Make his logo twice the size. > If he still should prove refractory > Show a picture of his factory. > Only in the gravest cases > Should you show the clients' faces." 🧑‍🌾 What Ogilvy told people who wanted to use esoteric words in their copy: "Get on a bus. Go to Iowa. Stay on a farm for a week and talk with the framer. Come back to New York by train and talk to your fellow passengers in the day coach. If you still want to use the word, go ahead." - **Social proof.** James Webb Young says, "Every advertiser has the same problem: to be believed." - Testimonials are a good solution. **When writing testimonials, take someone credible.** Like an old lady. Not some hot guy who's obviously an actor. \[The more authentic, the better.\] - **Don't be afraid to get inspired.** Some would even say copy others. If you write it, your character and ideas will be there whether you want it or not. - *Chameleon ads.* **Don't make your ad look like an ad. Make it blend into its environment.** If it's going to appear in a newspaper, see what the other articles look like and make it in a similar style. Otherwise, people will just skip it. \[The antidote is *stand-out ads:* ads that look completely different, you can't miss.\] - *Typography.* **Don't use capitals too much. They make text hard to read.** 🤔 Another mistake is to put a period at the end of headlines. Periods are also called full stops. They stop the reader from reading on. - *Brand campaigns.* **Advertise your company without relation to any product.** It makes people more likely to buy your products when they see them. It also attracts employees. - *Business naming tip.* **Never use initials** (e.g., KLM). You'll spend too much money and time trying to make people remember them and their meaning. - *Thoughts on B2B.* **Different people in the company make buying decisions.** We call them 'buying influences.’ 👨‍💻 Captions. People read them more than the body copy. - *Promise something useful for them*, like service, responsiveness, and support. **Be specific.** Instead of generalities, use percentages, time, or dollars saved. You are talking to engineers. \[We already know that you're speaking to engineers, but most importantly – to humans.\] - *Advertising for good.* Howard Gossage used to say that advertising should exist only because of its power to do good. Even if that's not your purpose, now, with your skills, **use any opportunity to do good.** It can be a great way to develop your portfolio, too. - *Show the product in the right environment.* If the product is for use bathroom, show it in the bathroom, not in a laboratory. - *Provide news about the product.* For an old product, we can create news by **advertising a new way to use it,** like using baking soda to keep refrigerators smelling sweet. "Products, like human beings, attract the most attention when they are first born." - *"Headlines get five times the readership of the body copy. If your headline doesn't sell, you have wasted your money."* - *How to create *a sense of urgency** → limited edition, limited supply, last time at this price, special price for the early-bird 🗯️ Advertising which promises no benefit to the customer does not sell, yet most campaigns contain no promise whatsoever. - *A/B testing. And testing in general.* Recommend to your clients two headlines that promise different things about the same product, and ask them to test which works the best. \[Buzzfeed is the master of A/B testing. They test like ten different headlines for each piece of content.\] - *Pricing.* No one has the best scheme. It's a matter of trial and error. But a rule of thumb is that consumers *prefer superior products at a premium price*. ***\[Relevant tip for freelancers.\]*** > *Human nature.* **Bill Bernbach:** "Human nature hasn't changed for billions of years. It won't even vary in the next billion years. Only superficial things have changed. It is fashionable to talk about changing man. A communicator must be concerned with unchanging man: what compulsions drive him, what instincts dominate his every action, even though his language too often camouflages what really motivates. For if you know these things about a man, you can touch him at the core of his being. One thing is enchantingly sure. The creative man with an insight into human nature, with artistry to touch and move people, will succeed. Without them, he will fail." > \[Amen. Reminds me of Warren Buffer's approach to investing, ‘don't try to guess what will change. Instead, think what will always remain the same.’ ### Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/dont-make-me-think-revisited-a-common-sense-approach-to-web-usability/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T02:21:17.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### Designing usable websites What is a usable website? A person of average (or even below average) ability and experience can figure out how to use the thing \[i.e., it’s **learnable**\] to accomplish something \[**effective**\] without it being more trouble than it’s worth \[**efficient**\]. 💬 ”My personal standard for a delightful app tends to be, ‘do something you would have been burned at the stake for a few hundred years ago.’” When we download a new app or buy a new product, we usually don’t read the instructions. Instead, we prefer to play around and see what’s working, even if it’s less efficient. This decision-making “strategy” is called *satisficing*. We usually aim for satisfactory results rather than the best possible solution. That’s how we behave on the internet, too. Rather than reading every single word on a website, we click on different links and buttons and hope they’ll take us where we want. That’s why user experience should be more intuitive than informative. Why do people scan and skim websites? Because most of the time when we are on a website, we're on a mission. We want to get what we came for and leave. That's why a website's design should have a **clear, visual hierarchy**. The most important stuff should be **big and bold**. People are skimmers, and that’s why “happy talk must die.” Happy talk is all the throat clearing we do before we start writing. \[Don’t waste their time telling them that “The COVID 19 pandemic has a major impact on the way people work.” They know it.\] How to make it easier for users to navigate your website: 1\. **Search bar** – every website should have a search option. There are two types of people, the people who enter Home Depot and search for what they need and those who ask an employee. 2\. **”Where am I now?”** – a visual element that indicates where (on which page) you are now. 3\. **A logo** that leads to the **home page**. 4\. **Links at the bottom** of the page (FAQ, site map, etc.). Designers often abandon UX conventions that most people are used to in order to create unique, unprecedented designs. They look cool, but it's usually not working as well as the normal website patterns that users are familiar with. Web design conventions are like traffic signs that look pretty much the same all around the world, and anyone can recognize them. Use familiar web elements unless you have a truly genius idea. \[That’s why Amazon has such a boring-looking, even outdated website. It works.\] --- ### The Home Page The first impression users get. Here’s how to make it better: - Focus on what’s truly essential. Don’t clutter it. - Here’s where to start… - if I want to search - if I want to browse - if I want to sample their best stuff - Add a clear one-liner that explains what you do. - People don’t always land on your website from your homepage. They’d often come from a blog post, a specific product page, etc. - For this reason, every page of your site should do as much as it can to orient them properly to give them the right idea about who you are, what you do, and what your site has to offer - They should be responsive. Designing links that don’t look like links is like having a door at your business that people are not sure if they should push or pull Make it easy to understand what’s clickable (buttons, links, etc.) 💬 ”You might want to pack lunch, this is a long chapter” \[Love this\] --- ### Forms and navigation On pages where a form needs to be filled in, the persistent navigation can sometimes be an unnecessary distraction. For instance, when a customer is about to check out on an e-commerce site, we don’t want them to do anything but finish filling in the forms. The same is true when a user is registering, subscribing, giving feedback, or checking off personalization preferences. --- ### On testing Don’t just ask friends, family, and co-workers what they think about your website. Conduct tests, preferably with people from your target audience. Let them play around and see how they interact with it. 💬 ”But I finally realized that testing is really more like having friends visiting from out of town. Inevitably, as you make the rounds of the local tourist sites with them, you see things about your hometown that you usually don’t notice because you’re so used to them. And at the same time, you realize that a lot of things that you take for granted aren’t obvious to everybody.” Testing is not a one-time thing. Throughout the project, continue to test everything the team produces, beginning with your first rough sketches and continuing on with wireframes, page comps, prototypes, and finally, actual pages. 💯 When we don’t have enough time or resources to test: “Testing one user is 100 percent better than testing none.” How to conduct a website test: In a test, you'd usually discover more problems than you have the time and resources to solve. Don't worry. Just prioritize the most important ones. 1\. Find someone (or a group) who'd agree to test the website. 2\. Find a facilitator (can be you) who would watch and take notes. 3\. Sit by the user, or better, use a screen sharing app to see their screen on yours. You don't want to stress them or make them act unnaturally just to please you. 4\. Start with the home page. Ask them to click around. 5\. Ask them to think out loud. 6\. Ask questions like: "What are you thinking?" "What are you looking at?” 7\. Get them to try as many features as possible such as logging in, creating a profile, etc. 8\. If the tester fails, let him or her figure it out (or keep trying until they're too frustrated to continue). --- ### Accessibility --- ### Alt image text on websites is not just for SEO. It provides a **text description of an image** (“picture of two men on a sailboat,” for example), which is essential for people using screen readers. **Screen-reader users** scan with their ears. Most blind users are just as impatient as most sighted users. They want to get the information they need as quickly as possible. They do not listen to every word on the page – just as sighted users do not read every word. They “***scan with their ears***,” listening to just enough to decide whether to listen further. They listen to the first few words of a link or line of text. If it does not seem relevant, they move quickly to the next link, next line, next heading, and next paragraph. --- ### More tips • Content tip – experts are rarely insulted by something that is **clear enough** for beginners. • About companies that hide prices, phone numbers, etc. – the most common things to hide are customer support phone numbers, shipping rates, and prices. The usual effect is to diminish the customer’s goodwill and ensure that they’ll be even more annoyed when they do find the number and call. Be upfront about things like shipping costs, hotel daily parking fees, service outages – **anything you’d rather not be upfront about.** ### The War of Art URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/the-war-of-art/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T02:15:07.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### Resistance a negative mental force. It comes from within you and tries to prevent you from realizing your true potential. It’s this feeling that holds you back when you sit down to write a campaign or start your side hustle. Resistance can appear when you break your routine and do something new to improve your life and fulfill your potential. 🫂 Resistance includes many feelings and states, such as laziness, self-doubt, perfectionism, fear of failure, and procrastination. But feeling resistance is good. It means you care. Most people don't feel resistance before going to the supermarket or watching TV. They only feel it when they’re doing something they’re **passionate about** and means a lot to them. Resistance is a good sign that you’re moving in the right direction. --- ### Resistance is universal. Even the greatest artists and creators feel it Don't blame yourself for being lazy or procrastinating. Everyone has felt it at some point, and although it often gets better with time, it never completely goes away, no matter how good or successful you become. **So don’t wish resistance away; instead, fight it.** *How to fight resistance:* - **Always keep learning. Stay curious about your craft.** Constantly learning and improving makes you stronger against self-doubt. - **Know your limitations. You have to work hard to succeed.** Though, constantly overworking will eventually burn you out. **Learn how to ask for help** and learn from those who have done it before. Delegate some of your work to others. You can’t always do everything. - **Have a structure.** When you develop a clear schedule and self-discipline, and you work in a neat environment, it gets easier to combat resistance. - **Trust your muse; the opposite of resistance.** It isn’t always there for you, and it’s impossible to be in a state of flow all the time. But you should remember that if you show up every day, at some point, your muse will appear and charge you with its strong creative force. - **Ignore hierarchies.** Most people define themselves according to social hierarchies, like the corporate ladder, age, education, or follower count on social media. Don't do it. **Those hierarchies will keep you stuck in the same place.** If you let go of hierarchies, you can discover new possibilities. Stick to **your own vision and beliefs** instead of satisfying others. When you’re creating work that you’re proud of, others will like it too.*For example: “I can’t start a company; I’m only 18”* - **Commit to a specific field.** Being curious about many things is good. But at some point, you can't do it all. You must have one major territory in which you want to excel. If what you’re doing makes you feel good almost every time, and you can see an unlimited world of possibilities to explore within it, it’s probably your territory. Keep doing it and claim your **success through persistence, hard work, and dedication.** ### Building a StoryBrand URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/building-a-storybrand/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T02:08:46.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. Since we were kids, we were used to appreciating and listening to stories. That’s why businesses that harness the power of stories improve their chances of success. > The basic structure of a story – *“The character desires something, but that something is hard to get. That’s the problem. When the character is on the verge of giving up, a guide appears. This guide provides a plan and calls the character to take action. The character then avoids failure and manages to get that something they initially desired.”* No matter how fancy your website or social media is, if readers can’t immediately understand **who** you are, **what** you’re here to do, and **why** a customer should choose you instead of someone else, you’ll struggle to get new clients. **The SB7 system breaks this structure into a template that can fit any business. Here’s the system:** \[You can fill in the story template on [mystorybrand.com](https://www.mystorybrand.com/?ref=unbore.com). I do it by myself for every client I work with\] ☐ **A character (hero)** the hero of your brand’s story isn’t you. It’s **your customer**. Your brand is the guide who helps the hero overcome the challenge and get what they want. Define what the hero wants the most. *One main desire.* ☐ **Has a problem (villain)** by speaking about your customer's problem, you'll make them feel understood. So make sure to cast their problem as the villain you'll help them overcome. ☐ **And meets a guide** at this step, show that **your brand (the guide)** has two characteristics, empathy and authority. ☐ **Who gives them a plan** the plan consists of a **clear process of their journey** and an “**agreement plan**” that helps them feel safe. ☐ **And calls them to action** there are two types of *CTAs*. **Direct** – the thing you want them to do the most (usually buy), and **transitional**, in case they’re not ready for the main action. ☐ **That ends in success and helps them avoid failure** people want to avoid pain. To have them take action, they should be aware of the risks of not taking action. *Example:* The cost of not having business with us. ☐ **Show them how great a transformation their life can have with your product** most stories have a **happy ending**. We see how the status quo has changed, and the hero is not transformed into a new reality. Define the **customer’s inspirational identity**: who does the customer want to transform into? 🦋 Examples of transformation: - The character acquires a position of power. Their social status improves. - *Example: buying Balenciaga shoes* - The character reunifies with something or someone that makes him whole. - *Example: buying flight tickets to go him and visit your family* - Experience self-realization that makes them whole. - *Example: going on a yoga retreat* 📚 The three crucial questions of a story 1. What does the **hero want**? 2. Who or what is **opposing the hero** from getting it? 3. How will the **hero’s life change** if he gets or doesn't get what he wants? **Websites and brands should have one sentence that sums them up with four elements** Include these *four elements:* The **character** The **problem** The **plan** The **success** *Examples:* retired couples a second mortgage a timeshare house spend winters in Florida, escape the winter ### More tips: - Almost every company can benefit from having an affiliate or referral program. - Three questions that should be answered within five seconds of looking at your website *The caveman test:* What do you offer? How will it change my life? What do I have to do to get it? 🌴 We help retired couples who want to escape the harsh cold and avoid the hassle of a second mortgage while still enjoying the warm beautiful weather of Florida in the winter. - How to get better testimonials? Ask the right questions: 1. **What was the problem before** you discovered our product? 2. **How frustrating was it** to try to solve the problem? 3. **What was different** about our product? 4. **Take us to the moment when you realized** our product actually works to solve your problem. 5. **Tell us what life looks like now** that you have solved the problem. ### Bird by Bird URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/bird-by-bird/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T01:49:28.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### 🤏 Break down your big, scary assignment into small ones. We often become creatively blocked because we're overwhelmed by the large assignment we need to complete. However, breaking it down into smaller tasks can make it feel more manageable and achievable. So, rather than trying to write a whole campaign at once, try starting with just one headline. This will help make the task feel more manageable and allow you to focus on one thing at a time, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the entire project. 💬 "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table, close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, 'Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.'” --- ### 🔎 Writing is observing Writing is about observing the events and happenings around us every day and telling their story from an interesting perspective. The material is already present; it's our job to notice it. 💬 "One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore. Another is that writing motivates you to look closely at life, at life as it lurches by and tramps around.” Before seeking inspiration from external sources, try looking within your own memories and finding inspiration there. 💬 “Anyone who survived childhood has enough material to write for the rest of his or her life.” --- ### 💩 Shitty first draft Writing a terrible first draft is an integral part of every writing project. No one has to see this draft unless you show it to them, so allow yourself to write freely. Experiment and have fun with it. Writing a poor first draft means letting go of perfectionism and ignoring that voice in your head that tells you you're going to fail. Even if the draft is bad, you've already made significant progress just by getting it down on paper. 💬 “I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts.” --- ### 📃 Plot treatments It's important to write plot treatments (short summaries) for your stories and scripts to help you stay focused and ensure that your plot is centered around a single concept or idea. A treatment can also reveal any holes or gaps in your plot, and it can be useful for pitching the story to others if necessary. --- ### 🎤 Finding your voice To discover your unique writing voice, you must: 1\. Continue writing and writing. Eventually, it will naturally emerge. 2\. Be truthful about your feelings: It's impossible to develop a powerful voice if you're not being honest and sharing your emotions. When you learn to embrace and feel comfortable with all of your emotions, it becomes much easier to find your voice. 💪 Weakness is strength Don't be afraid to approach your weaknesses and emotions with humor. Self-deprecation is a driving force for many comedians and writers because there's nothing more compelling than authenticity. 💬 “If something inside of you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. So you must risk placing real emotion at the center of your work. Write straight into the emotional center of things. Write toward vulnerability. Risk being unliked. Tell the truth as you understand it. If you’re a writer you have a moral obligation to do this. And it is a revolutionary act: truth is always subversive.” --- ### 👀Jealousy Jealousy is a natural part of trying to become a successful writer and putting yourself out there. So accept it when it happens. It's a normal human emotion. However, it’s counterproductive, so try to avoid it when possible. Remind yourself that you don't really know what the other person is going through. 💬 "Jealousy is such a direct attack on whatever measure of confidence you’ve been able to muster. But if you continue to write, you are probably going to have to deal with it, because some wonderful, dazzling successes are going to happen for some of the most awful, angry, undeserving writers you know -- people who are, in other words, not you." --- ### ⛔ Writer’s Block 1\. Admit that you're blocked. 2\. Stick to your writing routine, even if you can’t write anything. 3\. Don’t try to force it. Don't try to force it; instead of struggling against the block, try working on something else or approaching the problem from a different angle. > **⌚ Establish a daily routine** > Don't try to be a rockstar, and only write when the muse strikes. Instead, show up every morning and be consistent. That's the only way to make things happen. --- ### 🎓 Feedback Getting feedback is essential, especially when you're just starting out. But you also have to be selective about whom you share your writing with because there's no way back once you've received it. So be sure to choose someone you trust. --- ### 🗣️ Characters and dialog - Fictional characters, just like real people, should have a rich emotional world. To create deep dialogues, you need to get to know your characters well. - Dialogue can reveal much more about a character than a lengthy description. The things your characters say and how they say them can give us insight into their personalities. Test your dialogue: Read your dialogues aloud. Things may not sound as good when spoken out loud as they do in your head. ### Steal Like an Artist URL: https://www.unbore.com/readings/steal-like-an-artist/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T01:27:30.000Z 🗒️ Note: My notes are a mix of key ideas and quotes from the book as well as my own thoughts. --- ### The creative myth There’s this myth that artists can create something completely new that has never been seen before. In reality, nothing is completely original. Great work is always based on many generations of artists that came before; their work also didn’t appear out of nowhere like the Big Bang. --- ### Find your style by imitating your heroes Start with imitating your heroes, and you'll see that eventually, what you get is your own unique style. Nick Cave started by imitating his idols, and the Beatles started as a cover band. Your own style will appear when you fail to imitate your favorite artists. --- ### Find work that you like. Create an Artistic Family Tree: Pick a creative person you admire Learn their work, story, and process Find three people who influenced this person and do the same with them “Be curious about the world in which you live. Look things up. Chase down every reference. Go deeper than anybody else: that's how you'll get ahead.” --- ### Don’t abandon your hobbies Creative work can suck you in and make you forget about the other stuff in your life. The first thing that people abandon is their hobbies. Don't do it. Your hobbies, friends, and family will inspire you when you hit a creative block. #### Don't rush into fame Most creatives want to become famous or grow an audience immediately. Sure, it's important. But let yourself enjoy the time while you are still anonymous. During that time, you can play, explore, and make mistakes. --- ### Collect work that you like. But don’t be a hoarder. Hoarders collect everything. Be selective about the stuff that you keep. Surround yourself with great work and talented people. --- ### Work with your hands Don’t be tempted to always use the computer. Creativity often comes from sketching or simply writing in notebooks. --- ### Move to a different place to get a new perspective Kleon is from Texas, but he has lived in many other places like Italy and the UK. He says that living abroad had a great impact on his life and career. --- ### Don’t waste your time replying to haters There will always be negative idiots who have something bad to say. --- ### Praise others The more you praise others, the more praise you’ll receive. --- ### Praise file: Save the most positive emails and comments you get. Whenever you feel down, pull up your praise file to remind yourself that others appreciate what you do. It’s ok to be lazy and procrastinate sometimes “Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing.” Surround yourself with talented people “If you ever find that you're the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room.” “Google everything. I mean everything. Google your dreams, Google your problems. Don’t ask a question before you Google it. You’ll either find the answer, or you’ll come up with a better question.” ### How to disarm ad haters URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-disarm-ad-haters/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:17.000Z Let’s face it. People hate try-hards and hate being sold to. But most ads are a combination of the two. ![meme: unskippable ad, me looking away to not let them win](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379033954-adhaters1.jpg) So, here are three techniques that help me create ads that don’t sound like a sleazy salesman: ## 1\. Use self-deprecation ![old ads, making fun of themselves](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379034352-adhaters2.webp) 🎓 **Why?*​* *​*[The ‘beautiful mess’ effect:](https://bigthink.com/personal-growth/the-beautiful-mess-effect-other-people-view-our-vulnerability-more-positively-than-we-do/?ref=unbore.com) Revealing our weaknesses makes us more likable. 💡 **How?*​* *​*Ask: What are the disadvantages of my product that everyone is aware of but no one dares to mention? ## 2\. Tease them ![ads that tease](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379034883-adhaters3.jpg) 🎓 **Why?*​* *​*[Playful teasing leads to closeness between the teaser and the recipient.](https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0370?ref=unbore.com#RSBL20200370C10R)*​* 💡 ***How?*** **​**Ask: What do our customers secretly do while thinking we don’t notice? ## 3\. Break the fourth wall ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379035466-adhaters4.jpg) 🎓**Why?**​ Prof. Stephen Brown said: “Marketers know about consumers, consumers know about marketers, marketers know consumers know about marketers, and consumers know marketers know consumers know about marketers.” *So why pretend?* 💡 ***How?*** ​ Drop the tricks. Tell them it’s an ad. ### How to find names for startups and products URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-find-names-for-startups-and-products/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:18.000Z There are 16 common name types. Below, I’ll show you how I come up with them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379036254-Frame-124.jpg) ## 1\. Brief Mining I write down interesting words as I read through the brief, the brand strategy, history, audience insights, benefits, roadmap, and so on. 💡 Tip: [Use my 44 research prompts.](https://shlomo.wpengine.com/?ref=unbore.com#copywriting-research-with-chatgpt) ## 2\. Word Lotus Around each word I find, I add eight more. I keep going until I have \~500 words. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379036828-naming-2.jpg) To find new words, I use these websites: ​[Visuwords](https://visuwords.com/?ref=unbore.com) Create visual mind maps. ​[Idioms by The Free Dictionary](https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/?ref=unbore.com) Find idioms. ​[Reverse Dictionary](https://reversedictionary.org/?ref=unbore.com) Search for words by their definition. ​[Power Thesaurus](https://www.powerthesaurus.org/?ref=unbore.com) My favorite thesaurus. It can also find idioms and phrases. ​[Related Words](https://relatedwords.org/?ref=unbore.com) Find words that are related to a specific word or phrase. Great for mind mapping. ​[Word Associations](https://wordassociations.net/en/?ref=unbore.com) Find associations to words. Pretty similar to Related Words. ​[Spruce by OneLook](https://www.onelook.com/spruce/?ref=unbore.com) Find quotes, lyrics, proverbs, and jokes. ​[Tiny Budhha](https://tinybuddha.com/?ref=unbore.com) The best place to find quotes on any topic. ​[Describing Words](https://describingwords.io/?ref=unbore.com) Find the right adjective for any word. ​[Urban Thesaurus](https://urbanthesaurus.org/?ref=unbore.com) Find slang words related to your topic. ## 3\. Brainstorm I go through the 16 name types, one by one, trying to come up with new names. I spend 10-15 min on each category and use these tools: - [This Word Does Not Exist](https://www.thisworddoesnotexist.com/?ref=unbore.com) – AI imaginary word generator. - [Novanym](https://novanym.com/?ref=unbore.com) & [Namelix](https://namelix.com/?ref=unbore.com) – AI name generators. - [Punpedia](https://punpedia.org/?ref=unbore.com) & [Pun Generator](https://pungenerator.org/?ref=unbore.com) – find and generate puns. - [Word unscrambler](https://www.wordunscrambler.net/word-combiner.aspx?ref=unbore.com) & [Werd Merge](https://www.werdmerge.com/?ref=unbore.com) – tools that combine words. - [Pantheon](https://pantheon.org/?ref=unbore.com) & [Theoi](https://www.theoi.com/?ref=unbore.com), [Comicvine Gamespot](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/characters/?ref=unbore.com) – collections of names and terms from mythology, folklore, comics, and religion. - [Dictionadrydotcom](https://www.dictionary.com/list/0?ref=unbore.com) & [Wordnik](https://www.wordnik.com/randoml?ref=unbore.com)’s random words – look for unique words in a dictionary. - [List of negative words](https://7esl.com/negative-words/?ref=unbore.com) – come up with offensive and negative names. - [Wikirhymer](https://wikirhymer.com/?ref=unbore.com) & [Rhymezone](https://www.rhymezone.com/?ref=unbore.com) – play with rhymes. - [Name Berry](https://nameberry.com/?ref=unbore.com), [B](https://nameberry.com/?ref=unbore.com)[ehind The Name](https://www.behindthename.com/?ref=unbore.com), [Fantasy Name Generators](https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/?ref=unbore.com) – browse and generate human names from all times, places, and dimensions. - [A cheatsheet with literary devices by Florian Mueck](http://www.florianmueck.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/FM%5F25Giants.pdf?ref=unbore.com) - [Phrontistery](https://phrontistery.info/?ref=unbore.com), [Old Occupations](http://www.worldthroughthelens.com/family-history/old-occupations.php?ref=unbore.com), [Native Languages](http://www.native-languages.org/?ref=unbore.com) – explore rare, extinct, and unusual words. - [Wikipedia’s list of glossaries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikipedia%5Fglossaries?ref=unbore.com) – borrow terms from other fields. - [Birds of the World](https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home?ref=unbore.com), [Reptile Database](http://www.reptile-database.org/?ref=unbore.com), [Sea and Sky Names](http://www.seasky.org/?ref=unbore.com), [WFO Plant List](https://wfoplantlist.org/plant-list/?ref=unbore.com) – Lists of names of birds, reptiles, plants, and other things found in the sea, sky, and space. - [A list of onomatopoeia words](http://www.alisonreynolds.com.au/?p=1407&ref=unbore.com) - [Namingschemes.com](https://namingschemes.com/Main%5FPage?ref=unbore.com) – A comprehensive list of naming schemes and systems. - ChatGPT prompt: > *Act as: A brand strategist and naming expert with 20 years of experience* > *Background: \[A detailed description of your company and audience\]* > *Brand keywords and adjectives: \[Insert 5-10\]* > *Task: Generate 15 creative \[Name type\] brand names* 💡 Tip: Work alone. Favor quantity over quality. No filtering or editing at this stage. ## 4\. Prescreen Time to grab my ~~eraser~~ knife. I use these methods to filter out bad names: Method A: SMILE vs. SCRATCH ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379037237-Frame-23.jpg) Credit: Alexandra Watkins. I recommend her book, "Hello, My Name is Awesome." ![bad names make you scratch your head](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379037602-naming-4.jpg) Credit: [Alexandra Watkins](https://eatmywords.com/?ref=unbore.com). Method B: Positioning ![name mapping insurance companies](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379038028-naming-5.jpg) Map the competitors. Do you want to fit in or stand out? Method C: Look & Sound​ – How does it look in a sentence? – Handwritten, typed, small caps, all caps, backward? – How does it sound? – Try using it as a verb. Method D: Negative meanings​ Use [Urban Dictionary](https://www.urbandictionary.com/?ref=unbore.com) and [Word Safety](http://wordsafety.com/?ref=unbore.com) to ensure that it doesn’t have hidden negative meanings. ## 5\. Domain and Trademark Now, I have a shortlist. I organize the remaining names in a table and do a preliminary trademark, social, Google, and domain search. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379038301-60.jpg) Domains ​[Name Cheap’s Beast Mode](https://www.namecheap.com/domains/registration/results/?domain=&type=beast&ref=unbore.com) – the best way to find good domains. ​[namecheck.com](https://www.namecheck.com/?ref=unbore.com) – check the availability of your business name across various social platforms and domains. ​[Snapnames](https://www.snapnames.com/?ref=unbore.com) – Find expiring domains. 👉 Rule of thumb If the *.com* is taken, either use an alternative extension or add a modifier – avoid doing both. A few examples from the startups I work with: ![if the .com is taken](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379038763-naming-6.jpg) Trademark ​• [US trademark search](https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/?ref=unbore.com)​ • [Trademark search in the UK](https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmtext?ref=unbore.com)​ • [WIPO Global brand and trademark database](https://branddb.wipo.int/?ref=unbore.com)​ • [TM View another global brand and trademark database](https://tmdn.org/?ref=unbore.com)​ • [USPTO trademark classes](https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/trademark-classes-the-complete-list?ref=unbore.com) And finally, I select my favorites and let the trademark lawyer take it from there 🙂 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379039137-61-2.jpg) ### How to write puzzle ads that make people think URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-puzzle-ads-that-make-people-think/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:19.000Z Whether it’s Cannes or D&AD, the most awarded print ads have one thing in common: *Puzzle Advertising.* 🧩 **What’s a Puzzle Ad?**​ An ad that takes a second to understand, but when the penny drops, you feel awesome. ​ 🎓 **Why does it work?**​ You get a [dopamine hit](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29665228/?ref=unbore.com) when you solve a puzzle. ​ 👩‍🍳 **What’s the recipe?**​ Puzzle ads consist of three main ingredients: Reductionism, Punchline Layout, and Story Gap. ​*Let’s break it down:* ## 1\. Reductionism The art of keeping only what’s essential for the message. ![simplistic Ikea ad, keeping only what's essential for the message](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379040221-puzzle-1.jpg) ![simplistic](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379040790-puzzle-2.jpg) “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 🛠️ **How do I use reductionism?** **​**a. Create a rough layout b. Add all the visuals and text you want c. Then, carefully start deleting unnecessary elements ​Ask:​ ​*“Do we really need the website address?”* *“Can the headline be shorter?”* *“Can we remove it altogether?”* *“Delete the tagline?”* *“The logo?”* ![pink ad for barbie movie using reductionism](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379041298-puzzle-3.jpg) The Barbie Movie. h/t Jennifer Killens. ## 2\. Punchline Layout Comedians never tell the punchline before the joke. Great ads follow the same principle by using visual hierarchy and layout scanning patterns. ![layout scanning patterns, f & z - punchline layout](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379041812-puzzle-4.jpg) ![punchline layout - car ad, don't try this at home, “Legendary cars, legendary toys.”](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379042225-puzzle-5.jpg) Small caption: “Legendary cars, legendary toys.” ![visual hierarchy, visual hook (large), setup (medium), punchline (small), another car ad, do try this at home](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379042718-puzzle-6.jpg) ![coyote buttes canyon in usa, ad reading latte skatepark in the middle of the desert in mars](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379043243-puzzle-7.jpg) ![z-pattern of visual hook, setup, and punchline](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379043768-puzzle-8.jpg) ## 3\. Story Gap Puzzle ads don’t reveal the full story. They create a gap, inviting the reader to fill it. It’s risky because we assume readers would “get it.” If they don’t, the ad is wasted. So, even before testing the ad with real customers, I write my assumption down to see if it makes sense. Here are some examples: **Assumption: my audience knows how drunk people behave.** ![beer ad, marathon runner, marathons are our kind of party](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379044267-1-1024x726.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379044667-2-1024x726.jpg) **Assumption: my audience knows some restaurants fill Heinz bottles with cheap ketchup.** ![ketchup ad, restaurant working, even when it's not heinz it has to be heinz](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379045115-3.jpg) ## tl;dr ![puzzle ads cheatsheet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379045497-Puzzle-ads-cheatsheet-1024x676.jpg) ### How to write and format video scripts with AI URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-and-format-video-scripts-with-ai/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:20.000Z Let’s write a short video script for my audience – freelance creatives. ## 1\. Relatable topics People love content that makes them feel seen. So, to find relatable topics, I’ll list my audience’s FFWAs: ![scriptwriting with ai, asking to list audience's FFWA (fears, frustrations, wants, aspirations)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379046525-scriptwriting-1.jpg) ## 2\. Dive deeper Then, I’ll ask ChatGPT to dive deeper into “difficult clients.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379047043-scriptwriting-2.jpg) ## 3\. Surprising setting Now I have a topic that my audience knows and resonates with. But, when something is too familiar, it becomes boring. (Like *“10 signs you’re dealing with a toxic client.”*) So, I want to give my script a fun twist by choosing an unexpected setting. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379047417-scriptwriting-3.jpg) 💡 It’s also a great creative springboard. Wes Anderson once said: *“The story grew out of the setting as much as the other way around.”*[¹](https://www.a-rabbitsfoot.com/editorial/film/wes-anderson-on-les-temps-perdu-2/?ref=unbore.com) ## 4\. Get writing I try to bring my story to life in different settings. No AI here, just me. Savannah > Narrator: “And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the elusive creature known as the Client From Hell. This fascinating specimen emerges from its slumber only at night. It is during these nocturnal hours that the CFH suddenly recalls pressing deadlines and imparts his feedback with unwavering urgency.” *Nah, too cliché.* ​Jail > Prisoner 1: I shot my best friend. And his brother. What you in here for? > Prisoner 2: I’m a client from hell > Prisoner 1: \*gasps\* *Mmm… too violent.* Hospital > Detective: How is she, doc? > Doctor: Still unconscious. > Detective: Her laptop came back from the lab. > Doctor: Did they find anything? > Detective: There’s something in her inbox. Looks like a brief. It says: “Target audience – everyone. Deadline – yesterday.” > Doctor: Oh, God. > Detective: Incoming calls at 10:30 pm and on weekends. And look at those ads – the logo keeps getting bigger with each version. > Doctor: Did you check her bank account? > Detective: Yes. Nothing. She’s probably being paid in exposure. > Doctor: What a monster. > Detective: Wait, you don’t really think this was – > Doctor: Shh! She’s waking up… > Freelancer: Revisions. More revisions. He kept telling me, “I’m not sure what I want, but I’ll know it when I see it.” Finally, after three weeks, he said… > Detective: What, what did he say? > Freelancer: He said his cousin is a prompt engineer and he will write it for free with Cha… > ​ > Suddenly, the steady rhythm of the EKG machine becomes erratic. Nurses rush in. Then silence. The constant tone of the EKG machine is the only sound left. > ​ > Doctor: Time of death, 23:47\. Cause of death… > Detective: A client from hell. *​Ok, not too bad.* ## 4\. Formatting Finally, I want it to look like a real script with screen directions and sound effects. ![scriptwriting with ai, turning the script into a real script with directors and sound effects](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379047853-scriptwriting-4-756x1024.jpg) This is the most common script format in advertising – the AV (two-column) script,which has video on one side and audio on the other.If you prefer the Hollywood-style formatting, ask ChatGPT for a one-column script. ### How to write question headlines that readers want to answer URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-question-headlines-that-readers-want-to-answer/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:20.000Z Hey! It turns out you don’t need to say anything clever for people to like you – you just need to ask them more questions.[¹](https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/Huang%20et%20al%202017%5F6945bc5e-3b3e-4c0a-addd-254c9e603c60.pdf?ref=unbore.com)​ And I think this goes for brands too. So, here are 10 types of questions I use in my ads: ## 1\. Challenge Your customers are part of an exclusive club. Ask readers if they have what it takes to join. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379048590-fLpdCMNBxPoMUa4Qhw28sw.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379048981-qJz48NtJUEawvhdeDyD6Gg.jpeg) ## 2\. Hypotheticals Invite readers to imagine themselves in someone else’s shoes to explain the problem you’re solving. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379049491-iqnRfDC5eEwcfRFgqa4m4g.jpeg) ## 3\. Objections What stops them from buying? Turn it into a headline, and then handle the objection in the copy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379049924-aAT3YG8Uv2dRdmBeUWSDMx-768x576.jpeg) ## 4\. The concierge Inspire and encourage the customer to explore your product. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379050329-i5xzjbeCGRAvdASNYajz93.jpeg) ## 5\. If X, then why Y? Point out the things that just don’t make sense in your industry. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379050717-2jQDkwzNjkt5Wki5siax2N.jpeg) ## 6\. Shower thoughts Look for insights – interesting observations hidden in plain sight. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379051228-2VQopQUcXVkC6ro726SCUK.jpeg) ## 7\. Warnings Your reader is on the wrong path. Ask if they know, and then offer your product as the solution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379051740-aNytM95m6vPqxfHwxVwEgF.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379052132-5JbsuxY5x3aizZzp6HrGD8.jpeg) ## 8\. Promises Want to brag but not too much? Disguise your promise as a question. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379052661-fpqH2Y1mv5AVPm9o1CssNR.jpeg) ## 9\. Pain points Ask if they’re dealing with the problem you’re solving. Works best with an interesting visual. Otherwise, it can be boring. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379053108-cr9Ubp3TqUe7KUoXVCZhG8.jpeg) ## 10\. FAQs Not all questions have to be witty. Sometimes, people just want to learn about your product/industry. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379053435-3S1E856PzfhwzJVmYEABk7.jpeg) ## Cheatsheet ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379053836-94XpiJ4jeTLPtWaPTYmGXe-724x1024.jpeg) P.S. Want more inspiration? Here’s an album with [45+ question headlines.](https://photos.app.goo.gl/K5rvY8ZQEidzxEzk6?ref=unbore.com) ### How to write comedy ads like Ryan Reynolds URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-comedy-ads-like-ryan-reynolds/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:21.000Z ##### **Today we’ll explore:** - Reynolds’s greatest ads - His comedy toolbox - 18 thought-starters that will help you write funny ads --- Edward de Bono said: *“Humor is probably the most significant characteristic of the human mind. Far more significant than reason. In fact, reason is actually a cheap commodity.”* In 2023, it’s truer than ever. ChatGPT might be smarter than us, but it’s less funny than an algebra book. You know who *is* funny? RR. Let’s break down his techniques: ## 1\. Surreal Create an illogical, absurd, or bizarre situation around your product. ![surreal ad, ryan reynolds jack in the box ad](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379054517-rr-1.webp) “When you’re busy at work, there’s simply no time for lunch – introducing: Shoulder Patties from Jack in the Box. Stylish in the morning, delicious in the afternoon!” [Watch the ad](https://youtu.be/Ei2cD61Je7A?t=162&ref=unbore.com). ## 2\. Prank Play a prank that will make your audience laugh. ![prank ad, ryan reynolds fake movie leak ad](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379055015-rr-2.jpg) The fake movie leak starts like a real movie, but then it’s just 90 minutes of Pikachu dancing. [Fake movie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAA%5FyWX8ycQ&ab%5Fchannel=InspectorPikachu&ref=unbore.com). ## 3\. Satire Use irony and exaggeration to expose and criticize your enemy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379055371-rr-3.jpg) Satan works for Big Wireless, Mint Mobile’s enemy. [Full ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B0OsoxoE1g&ab%5Fchannel=RyanReynolds&ref=unbore.com). ## 4\. Slapstick Create a physical (often painful – falling, slipping, crashing) situation that involves your product. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379055728-rr-4.jpg) Steve-O from Jackass eating the world’s hottest peppers while reading an ad for MNTN. [Watch the ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5X7J6%5FrUJs&ref=unbore.com). ## 5\. Cringe Create an embarrassing or inappropriate situation around the product. ![cringe ads, ryan reynolds, kraft mac n cheese ad](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379056159-rr-5.jpg) Kraft’s unhinged brand ambassador. [Full ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMdrHHh2aJc&ab%5Fchannel=RyanReynolds&ref=unbore.com). (Warning: explicit content) ## 6\. Parody Imitate or exaggerate the style of a particular artist, industry, or genre. ![parody ads, ryan reynolds making fun of cliche tenchology ads](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379056650-rr-6.jpg) A parody of cliché tech ads that promotes the collab between HP and Wrexham (Reynolds’s team). [Full ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-uaEinsVlg&ab%5Fchannel=HP&ref=unbore.com). ## 7\. Observational Highlight the humor in everyday situations. 💡 Tip: Start writing your ideas with **‘Do you ever wonder why?’* or **‘Have you ever noticed?’* ![observational ads, ryan reynolds mint mobile ad](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379057165-rr-7.jpg) Opening the wrong file while sharing his screen in a Mint Mobile ad. [Full ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvW5YS6iXPA&t=4s&ab%5Fchannel=RyanReynolds&ref=unbore.com). ## 8\. Wit Use wordplay, puns, and different [rhetorical devices.](https://shlomo.wpengine.com/?ref=unbore.com#25-literary-devices-that-make-ideas-stick/) ![wit ads, ryan reynolds linkedin ad](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379057573-rr-8.jpg) ​[Full Linkedin ad](https://youtu.be/v-S9QsMk%5FVw?ref=unbore.com). ## 9\. Self-Defeating Make fun of yourself or the brand you’re promoting. 💡 Ask: What is everyone thinking but no one is saying? ![self-defeating ads, ryan reynolds mint mobile ad](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379057868-rr-9.jpg) From Mint Mobile’s [acquisition announcement](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vancityreynolds%5Fi-only-want-the-best-for-mint-mobile-customers-activity-7041757727009759232-PdIl?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop). ## 10\. Dark Humor Make fun of subjects that are typically considered serious or taboo. ![dark humor ads, ryan reynolds rom com ad](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379058289-rr-10.jpg) A RomCom about Satan’s new relationship with “2020.” [Watch it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KABSYzPqTTg&ref=unbore.com). --- #### **Cheat sheet:** ![making a funny ad cheat sheet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379058703-rr-11.webp) ### How to use my Creative Block SOS kit to get unstuck URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-my-creative-block-sos-kit-to-get-unstuck/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:22.000Z Here’s everything I know about my nemesis, creative block: ## tl;dr ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379059408-fajFx1Rx85YkQ4hNVrGQbD.jpeg) ## 1\. Lack of Research **Symptom: “I have zero ideas”** Copywriter David Abbott said, *“I spend a lot of time fact-finding. I don’t start writing until I have too much to say.”* That makes sense. Creativity is just connecting things. But to connect the dots, you must first find them. **Treatment: Reasearch** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379060021-vwmw6kz3iC3NMwztxz6Mj6.jpeg) ## 2\. No Structure **Symptom: “I don’t know where to start”** Pixar has used Kenn Adams’s [​Story Spine​](https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2013/06/05/back-to-the-story-spine/?ref=unbore.com) structure for Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Coco, The Incredibles, and many others. Even the most creative people don’t reinvent the wheel each time. **Treatment: Use a Formula** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379060481-nKtFD3GTZidB1NFbrGMVyN-768x576.jpeg) ## 3\. Fear of Failure **Symptom: “This time, I’m going to fail”** After releasing her album ’21,’ Adele’s fear almost led her to retire from music. *“I didn’t think I had it in me to write another record. I didn’t know if I should, given how successful ’21’ was.”* **Treatment: Negative Brainstorming** Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl used to recommend his insomniac patients try to stay up as long as possible. Intentionally doing what they feared relieved their anxiety, and they fell asleep. So, when I’m afraid of writing bad headlines, I do just that. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379061057-co9jrdpwqNytHPwj5pK5my.jpeg) ## 4\. Bad Mood **Symptom: “I would do it, but not today”** **Treatment: Mood Boosters** Kat Norton (aka Miss Excel) has generated over $2M with her content and courses. Before recording her videos, Norton does something she calls a “mood boost”: *“I blast some music and dance! Because when I feel really good, the person on the other side of the screen can’t help but smile.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379061423-tpVKoJyTGg2i1zxJ2UZt6Q.jpeg) ## 5\. Empty Well **Symptom: “I’m sick of this job”** *“I had learned already never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.” –* Hemingway **Treatment: Creative Rest** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379061915-wd1LPfNsTbXoZjg8XrqDgF.jpeg) ## 6\. Rigid Routine **Symptom: “My ideas are always the same”** Rory Sutherland says that structure is good for creativity, but too much predictability and logic kill the magic. **Treatment: Make a Change** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379062251-koJmfU8Q3BA8F7nTkrKexn.jpeg) ## 7\. Too Much Freedom **Symptom: “I’m overwhelmed”** The mechanical shark Steven Spielberg used for filming ‘Jaws’ kept breaking down. So, Spielberg had to find a way to create suspense without even showing the shark. *“It was just good fortune that the shark kept breaking because it is a scarier movie without seeing so much of the shark,”* he said. Boundaries boost creativity. Open briefs often do the opposite. **Treatment: Creative limitations** Limit yourself to just one: So, next time you're feeling stuck, find the cause and try treating it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379062593-bTHmBrTdJsYRyurAGKPc4Y.jpeg) ### How to use ChatGPT to do copywriting research with these 44 prompts URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-chatgpt-to-do-copywriting-research-with-these-44-prompts/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T12:16:35.000Z Yeah, ChatGPT isn’t very creative. But it’s a brilliant research assistant. Here are 44 research prompts I use every month: ## 🏛️ Basics **1) Features and USPs** ```prompt List ten features and unique selling points of [Product/Service]. ``` **2) Benefits** ```prompt Context: Here are the features of [Product/Service]: [Insert here]. Task: List the benefits of each feature. ``` **3) Transformations** ```prompt Context: These are the benefits of [Product/Service]: [Insert here]. Task: For each benefit, give an example of a specific situation in which it improves the customer’s life. ``` **4) Before and after** ```prompt Describe the before-and-after effects of using [Product/Subject]. ``` **5) Challenges** ```prompt What are the main challenges or “enemies” that [Product/Service] helps customers overcome? ``` **6) Competitors** ```prompt Who are the main competitors of [Product/Service] in the market? Who are the main players in the [X] industry? ``` **7) Alternatives** ```prompt What are the alternatives to [Product/Service]? ``` **8) Disadvantages** ```prompt Here are the alternatives to [Product/Service]: [Insert here]. What are the disadvantages of each one of them? ``` **9) Cons of the product** ```prompt What are some potential downsides or negatives of [Product/Service]? ``` ## 🙍‍♂️ Customer **1) Target audience** ```prompt Describe the main target audience of [product/service]. ``` **2) Channels** ```prompt List ten places, online and offline, where the target audience of [product/service] is likely to spend their time. ``` **3) Voice of Customer** ```prompt Find customer reviews and forum discussions about [Product/Service/subject] (Note: browsing mode must be on). ``` **4) Inside jokes** ```prompt What are some inside jokes or memes popular among [target audience]? ``` **5) Brand touchpoints** ```prompt Can you provide a daily timeline for a typical [product/service] customer, highlighting the moments in the day they engage with [product/service] and any associated activities? ``` **6) Customer interview** ```prompt Act as: [target persona] Context: We are two old friends sitting in a bar. I will ask you questions, and you will respond openly and honestly. First question: [e.g. “What is stopping you from buying the product?”] ``` --- ## 👩‍💻 Strategy **1) Clichés** ```prompt What are some clichés often associated with [Product/Service/Industry/Subject]? ``` **2) Social issues** ```prompt What social issues are connected or related to [Product/Service/Industry/Subject]? ``` **3) Tech trends** ```prompt What are the latest technological trends that could help in promoting [Product/Service]? ``` **4) Cultural trends** ```prompt What are the latest cultural trends that could help in promoting [Product/Service]? ``` **5) Nostalgia** ```prompt What nostalgic memories are commonly associated with [Product/Subject]? ``` **6) Customer objections** ```prompt What are common objections or criticisms related to the use of [Product/Subject]? ``` **7) Fun Facts/Today I learned** ```prompt Find ten fun and fascinating facts about [Product/Subject]. Begin each fact with “TIL.” Provide URL sources. ``` **8) Statistics** ```prompt Find ten important statistics or studies on [Product/Subject]. Provide URL sources. ``` **9) Movies and shows** ```prompt List ten movies, shows, and documentaries related to [Product/Subject]. ``` --- ## 🛍️ Product/Brand/Industry **1) Aesthetic Universe** ```prompt Describe the aesthetic universe that encapsulates [Brand Name/Industry]. Consider its visual identity, color palette, typography, imagery, and overall design approach. How do these elements align with its values, mission, and target audience? What mood or atmosphere do they create? How do these elements differentiate it within its industry or market? Consider any cultural, historical, or thematic influences that shape its aesthetic. How does this aesthetic universe evolve or remain consistent across different platforms and over time? ``` **2) Brand personality** ```prompt Imagine [Brand name] as a person. Describe their characteristics, personality traits, lifestyle, and values. Consider how [brand name]’s brand philosophy and design principles might translate into this person’s behavior, interests, and appearance. ``` **3) Myths** ```prompt Are there any urban legends or myths about [Product/Subject] or its users? ``` **4) Overlooked wisdom** ```prompt What are the obvious aspects of [Product/Subject] that we often overlook? ``` **5) Social Norms** ```prompt What social norms exist around the usage of [Product/Subject]? ``` **6) Situations** ```prompt In what circumstances or scenarios do people typically use [Product/Subject]? ``` **7) Users vs Non-users** ```prompt How do non-users perceive those who use [Product/Subject], and vice versa? ``` **8) Rituals** ```prompt Can you describe the common habits or rituals associated with [Product/Subject]? ``` **9) Brand history** ```prompt Describe the current and previous marketing campaigns and slogans for [Product/Service]. ``` **10) Unspoken truths** ```prompt What does everyone know about [product/service/industry] but no one dares to say? ``` --- ## ✍️ Words **1) Mind Map** ```prompt Create a mind map with [Product/Subject] as the central topic. ``` **2) Expand Mind Map** ```prompt List 20 associations and words related to [Product/Subject]. ``` **3) Phrases** ```prompt List phrases related to [Product/Industry/Subject]. ``` **4) Idioms** ```prompt Provide 10 idioms related to [Product/Industry/Subject]. ``` **5) Quotes** ```prompt Find quotes related to [Product/Industry/Subject]. ``` **6) Poems and songs** ```prompt Find poems and lyrics related to [Product/Subject]. ``` **7) Thesaurus** ```prompt Context: You are a thesaurus. Task: Find synonyms, antonyms, homophones, similar sounds, rhymes, and near rhymes for the word [insert word]. Delivery: Deliver your findings in a table. ``` **8) Puns** ```prompt Create 10 puns related to [Product/Subject]. ``` **9) Metaphors** ```prompt Provide ten metaphors comparing [Product/Subject] to something entirely unrelated. ``` **10) Jokes** ```prompt Act as a stand-up comedian. Task: Use your wit, creativity, and observational skills to create a stand-up routine on [Brand/subject/industry]. Guidelines: Incorporate personal anecdotes and experiences. Make it relatable and engaging. ``` --- 💡 **Pro tip 1:** To get even better results, add this to your prompts: Act as: An award-winning creative strategist with 20 years of experience in marketing and advertising. Task: \[Your prompt here\] ​ 💡 **Pro tip 2:** Keep using your brain. It’s way more creative, empathetic, and profound than AI. --- *Big thanks to Mattie Holtzberg, Alex Moscow, Oren Hadash, Alisa Siddiq, and the legendary Dan Nelken for their contributions.* #### ### How to run better briefing calls with my one-page template URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-run-better-briefing-calls-with-my-one-page-template/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T09:15:18.000Z Congrats! You’ve just landed yourself a new client. Now you need a brief to start working. But, your client is either too busy or simply doesn’t know how to write a creative brief. The solution? A briefing call. I went through 50+ briefs from the world’s top brands and created the template below. ## How I use it 1. Schedule a 30-minute call with your client. 2. Go question by question together. Take notes. 3. Ask for all the extra files and links that you need. 4. Fill in the missing pieces, and then get to work. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to define your brand voice using the 100 Characters exercise URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-define-your-brand-voice-using-the-100-characters-exercise/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:23.000Z Vikki Ross’s technique for developing an engaging brand tone of voice, with and without AI. ## Characters > Guidelines In [this](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bit-branding-vikki-ross/?trackingId=&ref=unbore.com) article, Vikki Ross gives a great tip for developing brand Tone of Voice guidelines: “When we find or create a character – or use their founder (think Steve Jobs for Apple, Gabrielle Chanel for Chanel, and Richard Branson for Virgin) – to represent a brand, we find it easier to write with them in mind. We can imagine what they’d say, how they’d say it, and what words and phrases they’d use. All this helps define a brand, and differentiate one from another.” ## Brilliant, right? Instead of only giving boring TOV guidelines like: • Conversational: Relaxed, everyday language style that feels like a natural conversation. • Witty: Capture the relatable aspects of life’s complexities without being judgmental. • Authentic: Maintain a genuine emotional core, allowing for transitions from humor to more heartfelt moments. • Fourth-Wall Breaking: Acknowledge the audience directly to add an extra layer of engagement. You can simply say: write like Jim Halpert from The Office. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379064536-Screenshot-2023-11-27-at-13.13.20.jpg) ## And now with AI It works with ChatGPT too. If you’re sick of its “Hello sir, I hope this email finds you well” tonality, simply add this snippet to your prompts: \[Write like \[Character\]. Focus solely on his/her distinctive writing/talking style. Emphasize the unique elements of their writing/speaking, such as tone, complexity, formality. Avoid references to specific works, characters, or notable events associated with them.\] ## Cheat Sheet And here are 100 different characters that you can use to define your writing tonality, sorted by brand archetypes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379065031-Frame-104-2.png) Click on the image to open the Google Doc (text) version ### How to write Silver Lining ads that flip a negative into a hook URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-silver-lining-ads-that-flip-a-negative-into-a-hook/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:24.000Z I created this ad in my first year of ad school. I would probably change a few things now. But back then, this was my best work, which helped me land an internship at Ogilvy Berlin. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379065772-nvsdcci6Jj4hjFmHUBir2T.jpeg) This simple creative technique is called: The Silver Lining. Here’s the recipe: ## 1\. List the product’s disadvantages IKEA: • Getting lost in the store • Impulse buying • Assembly agony • Arguing with your partner 🤖 **GPT prompt** List all the disadvantages of \[product\]. Guidelines: 1) Write in the first person 2) Focus on relatable situations and human insights 3) Use short bullet points. ## 2\. Find an advantage for each disadvantage • Getting lost → Yeah, but at least I can count it as a workout. • Buying stuff → Yeah, but at least I’ll finally get that stuffed shark my mom never got me. • Assembly agony → Yeah, but at least I can feel like a handyman for a moment. • Arguing → Yeah, but at least you’ll spend the night on a comfy couch. 🤖 **GPT prompt** Now, find an advantage to each disadvantage.Follow this framework: \[Disadvantage\], yeah, but at least \[silver lining\]. Guidelines: Use various humor techniques such as exaggeration, understatement, wordplay, sarcasm, irony, self-deprecation, misdirection, and parody. ## 3\. Expand the best line into a series ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379066388-iz9LaSjPquM2H2MWDaMtM3.jpeg) ## 🤖 And with GPT, we can go on and on: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379066892-49ZxSL1b6gQAYdgxC7e4iM-768x576.jpeg) Outcome: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379067366-af2TCR5k3jBgww9Zij1Ky1-1.jpeg) 🤬 “BuT, ShLomO, wE shOulDn’t rEveAl oUr weAkNessEs!” 💡 I hear you, but ads need to be interesting. And like designer Stefan Sagmeister says, *“Everyone who is honest is interesting.”* ### How to create pattern-breaking LinkedIn ads URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-create-pattern-breaking-linkedin-ads/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:25.000Z Most LinkedIn ads look something like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379068122-fYY7Esd9eyzhz8XdkFk6bn.jpeg) And that’s a great opportunity for B2B brands that dare to be different. So let’s create some ads for NordPass, a business password manager. ## 1\. Message First, I use Luke Sullivan’s “This ad is about…” technique to define my message: *“This ad is about how risky it is to manage and share your passwords* *manually.”* Now, I want to find a more creative way to say that. ## 2\. Image I break down my “This ad is about” statement into keywords: • risky • manage • share • passwords • manually Then, I search the keywords on Shutterstock, one by one. “*Risky*” brings up some interesting results: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379068736-391E1eCb5fgkeYf1AxoDua.jpeg) No office, no computers. It immediately stands out. So I use Photoshop’s AI feature to make it look even riskier. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379069095-vyGhCinWfq4YtxYFgTZDhN-768x576.jpeg) ## 3\. Headline Next, I do some research and come up with a headline and sub-line. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379069478-6AJAGrgULJPd8C77aVEtjX.jpeg) ## 4\. Validation The only way to truly validate an ad is to run it. But these two tests help me know if I’m heading in the right direction. **The “Get it?” test** When I try to be clever, there’s always a risk of being unclear. So I ask GPT-4. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379069948-iXCJsj34CTEfD5c5BTAXop.jpeg) GPT’s response: *“This ad uses a visual metaphor to draw a parallel between the obvious physical risk in the image and the risky behavior of using ‘password’ as a password.​The statistic “Over 700,000 business managers…” emphasizes the prevalence of this insecure practice. The logo suggests that NordPass is the solution.”* **The “Three Executions” test** If I can turn my idea into a series, it means I have a concept, not just a one-off. Okay, I think I’m good to go. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379070442-mgQNBZevLTLA5YxJ8pkZEF.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379070867-kjLyX9qRd7FRdTxR1Lncep.jpeg) ## 5\. Captions I go through NordPass’s website and see that it has three strengths: - 4,400+ business customers - 24/7 premium support - Great prices Let’s show that: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379071398-g83UV7s3v55MdkmBbQkziZ.jpeg) ### How to write headlines fast in five simple steps URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-headlines-fast-in-five-simple-steps/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T14:34:37.000Z ## 1\. Find an Enemy ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/cup1-1.jpeg) ## 2\. Gather Intelligence ♻️ Paper cups contain plastic. ⌛ Every second, we use 20,000 disposable cups. 🌊 Coffee cup lids are made from single-use plastic, so they often end up in the ocean. ## 3\. Mind map ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/mindmap2-1.jpeg) ## 4\. Find Phrases I search each keyword on the websites below to find expressions, lyrics, jokes, etc. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/spruce-1.jpg) https://www.onelook.com/spruce – find phrases, quotes, lyrics, and jokes ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/dictionary3-1.jpeg) https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com – find idioms and phrases. ## 5\. Connect Facts + Phrases = Headlines 👇 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/line14-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/line25-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/line57-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/line48-1.jpeg) ### How to manipulate ad visuals with Photoshop AI URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-manipulate-ad-visuals-with-photoshop-ai/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:32:08.000Z I’m not a big fan of Adobe software, but Photoshop has three incredible AI features that I use all the time. Let me show you 🙂 ## I. Generative Fill Remove anything from your image – like Ringo Starr, for example. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379076963-email.gif) ****Flow:** Select an object -> Press “Generative Fill” -> Type prompt: “Remove this man from the picture.” ### Result: Ad #1 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379092067-email-1024x1024.jpg) Now that I have a clean background, I can also play around with Ringo a little bit. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379092711-Remove-BG.gif) Flow: Select object -> Mask -> Go to “Edit” -> Transform -> Flip Horizontal. ### Result: Ad #2 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379101621-Result-Ad-2-1024x1024.jpg) --- ## II. Text to Image Generate or replace objects. In this case, pants. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379102181-Replace-Object.gif) ****Flow:** Select object -> Prompt: “Replace his pants with brightly colored (very short) shorts and his shoes with house slippers” -> Press “Generate.” ### Result: Ad #3 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379121786-Result-Ad-3-1024x1024.jpg) --- ## III. Generative Expand Allows me to think outside the box, literally. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379122343-Generative-Expand.gif) Flow: Press: “Generative Expand” -> Drag the corners -> Press: “Generate.” -> Select the best version. ### Result: Ad #4 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379127701-Result-Ad-4-1024x854.jpg) ### How I created and promoted my online course ($34k launch) URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-i-created-and-promoted-my-online-course-34k-launch/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T16:25:31.000Z Today, instead of our usual creative techniques, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my new course. I’ll share my: 👷 Process and mistakes 🧰 Tools and frameworks 💰 Expenses and revenue Let’s dive in. ## Leaving my job Until February, I had the perfect part-time job at a VC firm. I worked with awesome people, made good money, and still had plenty of free time to create content. ​ ​**The problem? I was deep in my comfort zone.** ​[Paul Graham says](https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html?ref=unbore.com) there are two forms of procrastination: Per-day procrastination and per-project procrastination. “Per-project procrastination is far more dangerous,” Paul explains. “You keep postponing that ambitious project year after year, waiting for the perfect moment… and you’re too busy to even notice.” The project I had been putting off was my longtime dream—creating an online course. ## 1\. Validation I called the course *Writing with Robots:* Using AI as a creative partner. But [The Lean Startup](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10127019-the-lean-startup?ref=unbore.com) taught me that nothing’s more unproductive than productively building a product no one needs. So I had to validate my idea: **•** **Poll** This LinkedIn poll showed that people didn’t want another AI course. It was time for plan B. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379128609-v957yZdDwbfuA5fav2RF9a.webp) **• Post** So I shared a beta version of Boring Products, Fun Ads. It performed well and opened new doors for me. The most important one was a talk at a B2B marketing conference in Tel Aviv. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379129017-tg1RWUoQeae7AJUoyCnW7b.webp) **• Talk** At the end of the talk, 30 out of 150 people signed up for the waitlist. And more importantly, another speaker, a CMO, offered me a collab: He’d let me record the course at his company’s studio for free, and in exchange, I’d give his team free access to the course. That was the final reassurance I needed—people actually wanted the course! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379129559-dRBpN4bRdiHq1A7dCkE63o.webp) (I added a QR code leading to [this waitlist](https://forms.gle/d3mgNeiL3VEvWwYU6?ref=unbore.com) on the last slide.) ## 2\. Curation *1 month | Feb – March, 2024* I collected and reverse-engineered thousands of ads, looking for the recipe behind them. 🛠️ **Recommended ad collections:** ​[​Luerzers Archive​](https://www.luerzersarchive.com/work/?ref=unbore.com), ​[Adforum](https://www.adforum.com/creative-work?ref=unbore.com)​, and [​Best Ads On TV](https://www.bestadsontv.com/best/print?ref=unbore.com)​. I also re-read my notes from Miami Ad School and many of my [favorite marketing books](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/The-Creative-Marketer-Library-2acb316d29e34a16afc21c0a2b3eba7e?pvs=4&ref=unbore.com). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379130095-email-1.jpg) It all started with this messy board. ## 3\. Creation *3 months | March – June, 2024* **• Ads** I spent a month trying my new recipes on some of my [favorite B2B brands](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/Strong-B2B-and-tech-brands-11a3ae07b69780bf830ef1db3acfce37?pvs=4&ref=unbore.com). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379130574-udvNSS7wvZ3WgvhYsUiTWj.webp) My designer turned my ugly concept sketches into beautiful executions. **• Skeleton and learning outcomes** I organized my new ads, their recipes, and other techniques I wanted to teach into [11 chapters.](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/My-course-skeleton-11a3ae07b69780d88061ce9ed7aa796c?pvs=4&ref=unbore.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379131023-vwL2EWeXQEsGBNJESQzkEF.webp) ​[The Workshop Survival Guide](https://thecreativemarketer.kit.com/posts/The%20Workshop%20Survival%20Guide?ref=unbore.com)​ helped me structure the course. **• Presentation** I designed the slides in Figma and hired a proofreader to review them. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/998Gzvh22MpVn3yhPf8ju1) **• Anecdotes** Tahl Raz, the ghostwriter behind *‘Never Split the Difference,’* agrees to ghostwrite a book only if the client has: 1. ​*Practical frameworks* 2. *Fascinating anecdotes*, So I added personal stories to each chapter to make the material more memorable. ## 4\. Recording *1 month | June – July, 2024* **This was the most difficult part by far.** Watching hours of myself on camera made me face all my insecurities: my accent, my nose, my hand movements. Every day, I returned home drained, wanting to quit. Here’s an email I wrote to my friend Dan Nelken on a particularly tough night: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379131403-mSEc8JirBJabXYDuUq4uTk.webp) One thing that did help was my strict routine: - 7:30 AM: Meditate, shower, breakfast. - 8:30 AM: Bike to the studio, singing out loud to warm up my voice. (People thought I was insane.) - 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM: Shoot one chapter. - 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Head home, lunch break. - 3:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Review footage, edit, and prep for the next day’s shoot. - 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM: Workout. - 9:30 PM – 11:30 PM: Dinner, overthinking, and freaking out. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379131941-mfDkJR1DELD3WJqXeoxty7.jpg) 🧰 Gear and software: - **Cam:** iPhone 15 Pro — Sick quality, and it connects wirelessly to my Mac. - **Mic:** Shure MV7 — A course’s audio quality is even more important than its video quality. Shure’s mics are top quality. - **Screen recording:** [Tella.tv](http://tella.tv/?ref=unbore.com) — I also tried Loom and Descript. Loom was too basic, and Descript was laggy. ​ ## 5\. Editing (Rough cut) *1.5 months | July – August, 2024* When I finished recording, I had about 30 hours of raw footage. I cut out 90% of it in [Tella](http://tella.tv/?ref=unbore.com). Their transcript video editor feature (edit the text instead of the video) was a lifesaver. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/f8RXjq1GgXXj7wQvYKVdiu) Tella’s editor is still WIP, but their layouts are stunning. Then I used CapCut to finish the rest—it’s free, easy to use, and comes with simple transitions and animations. 🎶 **Pro tip: audio post-production** I hired ​[Roma​](https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/romad?ref=unbore.com), a sound designer, to fine-tune the audio. ## 6\. Hosting **• Course host:** EzyCourse Their video player and overall student experience are better than on Kajabi and Teachable. But the backend operation—dealing with affiliates, coupons, etc.—sucks. **• Payment Processor:** Paddle It’s like Stripe, but they also handle international taxes. **• Bonus Handbook:** Notion + [EmbedNoptionPages](https://www.embednotionpages.com/?ref=unbore.com)​ I embedded the handbook into my course platform to put it behind a paywall and improve the learning experience. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379132342-39rxYuN44ANRfKRyUkrHmX.webp) ## 7\. Testing *3 weeks | August – September, 2024* **• Workshops** **​**While developing the presentation, I ran two workshops with a tech company to test the course material. ​ Nothing compares to seeing people’s reactions in real life. **• Beta-testers** I asked 12 beta testers for feedback. I sent them [these guidelines](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/Boring-Products-Fun-Ads-Beta-Testers-951adcb0e35b4dada4d7c0b401bf1e78?pvs=4&ref=unbore.com), asking them to focus on the following feedback: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379132658-7tSCvCQknHaDPfywZCNMNK.webp) Credit: Based on David Perell’s [CRIBS formula](https://perell.com/note/cribs-my-writing-feedback-formula/?ref=unbore.com). 👎 **What Didn’t Work:** - Flaky beta testers: 20% canceled last minute. Next time, I’ll reach out to a larger group. 👍 **What Worked:** - Paid testing – The best feedback came from the proofreader I hired to watch the course. - Testimonials – I used my testers’ positive feedback as social proof. ## 8\. Editing (Final Cut) *3 weeks | September, 2024* Once I had all the feedback in one doc, I sat down to create the final version. I: ​ • Added music from [Epidemic Sound](https://epidemicsound.com/?ref=unbore.com)​ • Shortened it more • Fixed errors ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379132972-jSNfgVHRh4eTX923mASGKd.webp) Last minute recording inside of my blanket fort (aka home studio) ## 9\. Launch Campaign **​** **​Landing Page**​ I used [$100M Offers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58612786-100m-offers?ref=unbore.com) to design the offer and write the copy. I sketched the design in Figma and sent it to my newsletter readers. It served two purposes: - **Feedback**: Amazing people like [Ora](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oradangot/?originalSubdomain=il&ref=unbore.com) went out of their way to help. - **Demand**: People read the landing page and asked to buy the course. > “If you want advice, ask for money. If you want money, ask for advice.” *– Unknown* Finally, I hired this [UI designer](https://www.upwork.com/fl/~010745e80bc4b9a85f?mp%5Fsource=share&ref=unbore.com) to finalize it and this [WordPress developer](https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/sanjeevpratapsingh?ref=unbore.com) to build it. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/6VT6HiJkvKGRpY952od5T3) 💬 ****Pro Tip:** I added [Crisp Chat](https://thecreativemarketer.kit.com/posts/crisp.chat?ref=unbore.com) to my site. It’s free, and many users have used it to ask questions. **Waitlist & Email Campaign**​ I set up [this simple waitlist](https://thecreativemarketer.ck.page/c0b1fa18e9?ref=unbore.com) in May and occasionally mentioned it in my posts. On launch day, I had 550 people on the waitlist and 10,000 newsletter subscribers. On launch week, I sent four emails, each with a different purpose: ​ ​[Email #1: Nurture](https://thecreativemarketer.ck.page/posts/side-by-side-ads?ref=unbore.com)​ Pure value, no CTA. I just wanted to remind followers I’m alive since I hadn’t emailed them in a while. ​ ​[Email #2: Launch](https://thecreativemarketer.ck.page/posts/boring-products-fun-ads-is-here?ref=unbore.com)​ ​A short version of the landing page, leading straight to checkout. 👎 Mistake: Many of my subscribers didn’t read this one because it landed in their “Promotions” folder. In the next emails, I avoided salesy phrases like “limited time” or “buy now” or used visuals for those instead of text. It worked. **Pro Tip:** I used this AI prompt to test my emails: > “Identify words that trigger email spam filters (e.g., urgency, exaggerated claims, money-related terms) and replace them with softer, more conversational alternatives that keep the message intact. > > {Your email here}” [Email #3: Sneak Peek](https://thecreativemarketer.ck.page/posts/how-i-sell-my-ads-to-c-level?ref=unbore.com)​ ​Plenty of value. Soft CTA. ​ ​[Email #4: Last Chance](https://thecreativemarketer.ck.page/posts/the-quest-copywriting-formula-1?ref=unbore.com)​ I broke down the sales email itself, taking readers behind the scenes and selling at the same time. ​ **LinkedIn posts** Then, I turned the emails into LinkedIn posts: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379133456-qxXDHGQVeQWt4uvboj7cpe.webp) **​*[Find the posts and emails here.](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/Emails-and-LinkedIn-posts-11b3ae07b6978036a76be9e08c285d73?pvs=4&ref=unbore.com) 👁️ ****Insight:** Even though I have 50k followers on LinkedIn, 90% of sales came from my 10k email list. Email is still king. **Affiliates** 👍 Good: The affiliates sold about 25 copies combined. 💎 **Pro Tip:** I sent my affiliates [this guide with copy and visual templates](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/Boring-Products-Fun-Ads-Affiliate-Guidelines-11b3ae07b6978038afe8d4a8e497c716?source=copy%5Flink) to save them time. I Learned this from Michal Eisik. 👎 Bad: Initially, I offered a 50% affiliate commission, but I didn’t think of the 20% VAT in most countries and the 5% transaction fee. I ended up keeping only about 25% per sale. Now, I offer a 40% commission. ## 10\. Retention and Growth Two weeks after the launch, a student asked for a refund. I checked and saw that he hadn’t even watched the first video. ​ I refunded him right away, knowing that he probably wouldn’t have returned the course if he had actually watched the first chapter. ​ So now, I reach out to five students every day. I encourage them to start watching and continue improving the course based on their feedback. ​ I plan to add monthly office hours, more templates, prompts, and challenges. ## Revenue My goal was to sell 100 copies, but I sold over 120 in the first week. Thank you SO MUCH, guys. I’m really grateful. \*wipes tear\* **Launch week stats:** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379133863-pttjns4UMJLGz6HQtdb5ix.webp) Ignore the “Total orders” number, as it includes people who won a free copy, large teams that got discounts, and test purchases I’ve made. Internet money is so weird. At first, it almost felt like I was stealing and should refund everyone. But once I started getting positive feedback and speaking with students, I relaxed and let myself enjoy it. Since the launch, private students have slowed down. Now, most of the buyers are companies that want several copies and workshops. ## Expenses ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379134271-tQUanDLVHA2ocpZvwsd3qz.webp) **​*[Click here to see the list.](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/Expenses-11b3ae07b6978034b756c01c253e09f6?pvs=4&ref=unbore.com) **Not on the list:** - The hair transplant I’ll need after all that stress: $10K - Not taking any client work for 7 months was the biggest investment. By the time I launched, I was totally broke haha ## Summary ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379134596-qqjXFjDD5BHybvPgiKw2Jg.webp) ### How to make side-by-side ads in 5 Minutes URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-make-side-by-side-ads-in-5-minutes/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:32:19.000Z Is it possible to create a fun ad in five minutes? Sure, if you’re using the Side-by-Side recipe. Let’s try it with G2, the software review platform: ## 1\. Pain Point First, I find a pain point that’ll make my readers feel seen. Demo disappointment sounds familiar. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379135436-oc1g9pjVUWdaiF17LkNizc.webp) Prompt: “List 10 common pain points \[target audience\] deal with.” ## 2\. Pick a Comparison Framework I analyzed dozens of side-by-side ads. Most follow the same 12 frameworks: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379135860-7EpHbzLoVaKNQq5R4QkdE2.jpg) Here are a few examples of these frameworks in action: **Problem vs Solution** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379136278-a9Uu9GjCNXEzp1MKFTvq6c.webp) **Before and After** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379136675-pJwdW2ndzNZPyLfmAADdEv.webp) **Us vs Them** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379137033-q69P2yXbZzpfgTL2UfoK1i.jpg) I’ll go with **Expectations vs Reality:** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379137526-cruBSe6srhYTRHhJLzuC2X.webp) ## 3\. Find an Analogy Side-by-side ads rely on visuals, so I ask GPT: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379137871-uoA3zpaH6orLXQmyTSGshq.webp) Prompt: “Where do expectations and reality usually not line up in life?” Each one of these can work, but I’ll go with food. I search “cooking fail” and find these bad boys: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379138302-jabqiK5coQfCXhxiQP5QQc.webp) Let’s try the Pizza: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379138653-7hR4DkSbY2sNS2vDa8poSG.jpg) ## 4\. Add a Closing Line A crystal-clear closing line makes your ad not only fun but also effective. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379139061-pM7eStZwDWZ2eHf3rk16TN.jpg) ### How to create ads people keep, not skip URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-create-ads-people-keep-not-skip/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:32:22.000Z David Ogilvy believed that ads shouldn’t just be persuasive – they should be helpful. I agree. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379139707-brWPuqREK7ic7DbzubqGEK.jpg) Ogilvy’s how-to ads for his agency. But unfortunately, most lead magnet ads on LinkedIn look like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379140237-iQfEPVNJGDuvQ4vFBHhcA7-1.webp) Take BambooHR, for example. They created an excellent ebook on onboarding. Now, if they asked me to write an ad for it (which they didn’t), here’s how I’d do it… --- ## 1\. Get the Gist I download the guide and ask ChatGPT to extract the most interesting points. > **My prompt:** > 1) Help me create a useful and concise cheat sheet. > 2) Extract key points and actionable items from the PDF above. > 3) Organize your findings using headings and checkboxes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379140651-d1PPjXgn6qj1DukmiytGfz.jpg) GPT gives me this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379141060-kuhzvqVkRuKbHWUJRNR79U.webp) ## 2\. Create a Cheat Sheet I pick the best parts and create this layout in Figma: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379141540-pTZXhrB8H5p8eS1C7eYHyg.jpg) Pro Tip: Check out [r/coolguides](https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/top/?t=month&ref=unbore.com) for some awesome visual guides and inspiration. ## 3\. Captions Readers have three main objections when it comes to lead magnets: - **Spam** – “I’ll give them my email, and they’ll haunt me forever.” - **Time –** “I’m too busy to read a 300-page ebook.” - **Value –** “It’s probably some AI-generated trash.” So, I address those objections ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379142064-fQuapP7Uic7ung5EiSUVYP.webp) Only 5 out of 1,000 people will click on your document ad.[¹](https://www.theb2bhouse.com/linkedin-ad-benchmarks/?ref=unbore.com) So why not leave a good impression on the other 995? ### How to ask questions that lead to great ideas URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-ask-questions-that-lead-to-great-ideas/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:32:27.000Z Hey! Agency self-promo ads are the proof that B2B can be fun. Here are my favorites, along with 10 questions to help you create similar ideas for your brand: ## 1\. Visual Hyperboles Can you exaggerate your product’s benefit without using words? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379142875-nWgqAj6jnTdpgTxyxjPF5D.webp) Small text: The Power of Advertising / McCann Erickson ## 2\. Contrarian Thinking What important truth do very few people agree with you on? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379143270-fyiVyoVkWtW65TuVpa4HW1.jpg) ## 3\. The Butterfly Effect What are the negative consequences of your product’s benefit? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379143729-x54GZX3LbL1wfSKPqrvwLh-782x1024.jpg) ## 4\. Shock Ads Can you grab their attention with negative words and images? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379144253-pX7e1hUsirsVe444p2v2fH-747x1024.webp) ## 5\. Side by Side Can you put your offer and its alternative next to each other? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379144749-8mZv8ajXan8oj5AWZDRiRB.jpg) ## 6\. Visual Analogy What real-life objects are similar to your solution? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379145213-tBu1WEFubzYW2jx7gYu7J5.jpg) ## 7\. Customer’s Inner Dialogue What’s the inner dialogue inside your customer’s head? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379145694-nYrWWgKGxfc9q7g3KosN3Y.jpg) ## 8\. Cliché Phrase Can you twist a phrase people in your industry say all the time? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379146224-wHM5Q4gemZsgAqVyNffjpq-647x1024.jpg) ## 9\. Bash Competitors Can you highlight your competitors’ weaknesses? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379146653-b5dmpy2GeE9gaATnNCBKNq.webp) ## 10\. Double Meaning Does your message have a visually interesting double meaning? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379147031-fM5UA9xZcWCLnCW3ZrgCSw.jpg) ### How to create captivating ad compositions URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-create-captivating-ad-compositions/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:25.000Z Great composition can’t fix a bad concept, but it can really improve a good one. Let’s explore the techniques of Ale Burset, one of the world’s top ad photographers: ## 1\. Rule of Thirds Divides the frame into nine equal parts, placing the most important elements where the lines intersect. It guides the eye naturally. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379147720-mzNRQuNrrKPFn71Y8qG4m1-2.webp) Heinz ## 2\. Circle Typically conveys unity and harmony, but can also emphasize feelings of being trapped or surrounded. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379148083-594f7Ewh7kCg6bLLABsyAt.webp) Small text: "He sees what can't be shown. The burial of another undernourished child." – World Vision ## 3\. Cross Creates tension and focus at the intersection. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379148608-ebZoXcJ1iCVMdMvde88ASJ.webp) Burger King ## 4\. Tunnel Builds depth, invites the viewer deeper into the scene. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379149015-21NXeSZeHwr5c5KDQ9CnVf-768x576.webp) Small text: "Land Cruiser: Made for outdoors" – Toyota ## 5\. L-shaped Leads the viewer’s eyes through the “L” shape. It also enhances the effects of negative space. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379149476-jGBf2wfxoFbUzmshRA6Cjs.webp) Small text: "Find your summer" – Magnum ## 6\. Golden Triangles Balances conflicting elements. The mathematical ratio appeals to our sense of beauty. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379149838-tXr4UBjH4WSvB8vAiW3PSh.webp) Small text: "Escape Bad Habits" – Chirino Fitness Club ## 7\. Golden Spiral Leads the eye from the setup of your story to the climax. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379150220-fkVvhcN8mdPTtsDLGFUTaf.jpeg) Small text: "A quick response makes the difference" – Hospital Angeles ## 8\. Diagonal Creates action and makes the ad look authentic and unstaged. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379150687-hdr1UKFqgHVn5iGJGYnN42.webp) Heineken ## 9\. Double Diagonal Adds volume to flat images and builds suspense. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379151091-uxebDFGrtuqMDqBHppGbCY.jpeg) Small text: "You're Lucky" – Play Loto ## 10\. Balanced Scale Creates stability or comparison. Great for *before-and-after* or *this vs that* shots. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379151599-bwrgvHZQww6uXiJcCuawxS.webp) Small text: "No more back seat fights. 2017 Escalade with Dual Screen." – Cadillac ## 11\. Unbalanced Scale Gives a feeling of unease or excitement. Helps reflect instability or adventure. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379151945-jC68rXL5XChxSnRacAEDmn.webp) Viajes El Corte Inglés, a Spanish travel booking site ## 12\. Inverted Pyramid Directs attention to your main subject, like an arrow. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379152293-hcmqtWTjvxQ2Y4xJN2wxTw.webp) Small text, top: "Your neighbor's mother," "Your neighbor's brother," "The neighbor you crashed into." Small text, bottom right: "When you don't want to be there." – Stem Flowers ## 13\. Compound Curve Adds elegance, flow, and speed. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379152712-o5Hw5zmBauezYG8BnCrmXe.jpeg) BMW ## 14\. Three Spots Creates rhythm and evenly distributes the focus. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379153147-vvDArHPwCYis2YAbf4Jih9.webp) Small caption: "Everything has an origin" – Mcdonalds (This ad is part of a bigger campaign.) ## 15\. Radial Focuses intensely on a central figure or object (e.g., a person, a flower, or a building). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379153502-j2e9Vkg1MEyBhKGok9E7q7.jpeg) Small text: "Soon electric" – Harley-Davidson ## Cheat Sheet ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379153885-po5Yzg8P4zQTX47NfrBSSE-1024x724.jpeg) ### How to develop good ad taste URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-develop-good-ad-taste/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:18:26.000Z ## tl;dr Good taste is more important than great prompts. ’Cause even if you’re an AI prodigy, GPT will still always generate a lot of fluff. And if you can’t distinguish between trash and treasure, you’re lost. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379155005-fPGWBYqpGyVRHoNT3L2kq5.webp) The best way to develop taste is by actively viewing great ads. Here’s how: ## 1\. Find great work If you ask David Ogilvy, a great ad must tick off five boxes: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379155285-dgqzGZZJYeMKD6ExL4Mn2C.jpeg) ### In my opinion, these 20 are truly great: [​Apple // Think Different​](https://youtu.be/GEPhLqwKo6g?si=1U3KIkJKH1n088MV&ref=unbore.com) [​Burger King // Moldy Whopper​](https://youtu.be/3LaonOY16X4?si=59JbYA26p%5F3vE1q8&ref=unbore.com) [​Cadbury // Gorilla​](https://youtu.be/TnzFRV1LwIo?si=EJeA79OF5pt3ouV-&ref=unbore.com) [​CANAL + // The Bear​](https://youtu.be/3393O1uD%5Fw8?si=bBKbYzzau1-NbukA&ref=unbore.com) [​Dove // Real Beauty Sketches​](https://youtu.be/XpaOjMXyJGk?si=FeUY8oJTbIiP4ETB&ref=unbore.com) [​ESPN // Born Into It​](https://youtu.be/0ms%5Fb%5FNH3P4?si=Y0gw-W86S54b%5Fdc1&ref=unbore.com) [​Google // Parisian Love​](https://youtu.be/nnsSUqgkDwU?si=EeNMiFZNbCEJWXGz&ref=unbore.com) [​FedEx​](https://youtu.be/NeK5ZjtpO-M?si=HLcfeOVsGnBI8akT&ref=unbore.com)[​ // Fast Talker​](https://youtu.be/NeK5ZjtpO-M?si=HLcfeOVsGnBI8akT&ref=unbore.com) [​Leica // 100​](https://vimeo.com/107689519?ref=unbore.com) [​Mercedes Benz // The Journey​](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V2vHSuUJog&ab%5Fchannel=AndreasBruns&ref=unbore.com) [​Monster // When I Grow Up​](https://youtu.be/myG8hq1Mk00?si=2xs7VF-zgi8IKqWL&ref=unbore.com) [​Old Spice // The Man Your Man Could Smell Like​](https://youtu.be/owGykVbfgUE?si=%5F1hx%5FQ2IJRBCH1w5&ref=unbore.com) [​Sandy Hook Promise // Back to School Essentials​](https://biancaguimaraesportfolio.com/?ref=unbore.com#/back-to-school-essentials/) [​Samsung // Ostrich​](https://youtu.be/H7ezU9MzaUE?si=m8DLHLNnBYQajsS3&ref=unbore.com) [​Snickers // You’re Not You When You’re Hungry​](https://youtu.be/dbpFpjLVabA?si=lacFxtStqy7Tla6I&ref=unbore.com) [​The Guardian // Three Little Pigs​](https://youtu.be/vDGrfhJH1P4?si=BU74eDTHy-xs%5FogK&ref=unbore.com) [​Tide // It’s a Tide Ad​](https://youtu.be/zpaLHwwYxE8?si=TZN9LnjAaHfiwC5L&ref=unbore.com) [​Volkswagen // Funeral​](https://youtu.be/LPLNhqca0Qc?si=vXQw4NQyOYenL0RQ&ref=unbore.com) [​Volvo Trucks // The Epic Split​](https://youtu.be/M7FIvfx5J10?si=0BLKvtEsH0znvdXH&ref=unbore.com) [​Xbox // Life is Short​](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELPRVu0GxYo&ab%5Fchannel=Budding&ref=unbore.com) ## 2\. Practice active viewing Ask yourself: **• What problem does the ad solve?** Structure: \[*Business problem*\] because \[*Customer behavior/belief*\]. **• What’s the human insight?** The relatable truth that makes you see yourself in the ad. **• What’s the creative technique?** The technique they used to come up with the ad. **• What’s the hook?** The visual or verbal element that prevents you from clicking “skip.” ### Let's take this Monster ad, for example: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379155706-ut1RkCa2ULzxFkxze7VAYa.jpeg) Watch the [full video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myG8hq1Mk00&ref=unbore.com) (30 sec) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379156164-6nAvXKErDoP1r1hpFHZnRT.webp) ## 3\. Start an ad journal When I was starting out, I organized my favorite ads in an Ad Journal, like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379156576-mYx9dLT6kkeSHCLdwpAH9H.jpeg) ​[Click here](https://shlomo-genchin.notion.site/My-Ad-Journal-f32463bbc076428fbf1057400dd2e374?ref=unbore.com) to use this template. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379156993-hhm6tLMyFUxaef5rRQsqoP-724x1024.webp) ### How to use Range Ads to promote a few features at once URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-range-ads-to-promote-a-few-features-at-once/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:32:49.000Z Usually, I try to focus my ads on a single product, feature, or benefit. But The Advertising Concept Book made me realize that sometimes, showing the full range of a brand’s offerings can really pay off. Here are some great examples: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379158162-image-1.jpg) Small captions: Diving Clubs / French Restaurants. Yellow Pages. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379158494-image-1-1.jpg) Let’s try this technique with Salesforce. ## Step 1: Choose the Range 🧠 Decide: What do you want to highlight? I go to Salesforce’s website and see that they provide CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions for over 20+ industries. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379159052-image-1-2.jpg) So, I use alliteration and write these lines: - From Aviation to Agriculture: CRM solutions for 20+ Industries. - From Healthcare to Hospitality: CRM solutions for 20+ Industries. ## Step 2: Visual Symbols 🔎 Find images that represent the products, services, or solutions in your range. I find these images: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379159447-image-1-3.jpg) ## Step 3: Combine Them There are two main ways to combine images: I) Hybrid: Blend two images into one (e.g., left ad). II) Collage: Combine two or more images into a single visual (e.g., right ad). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379160001-image-1-4.jpg) Left ads’s small copy: “The lowest call rates to Japan & Scotland.” I want to try both: ### I) Hybrid I open Adobe Firefly and ask for “A photo-realistic image of a flying cow with a propeller attached to its back.” Then, I add my copy. Here’s my first ad: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379160587-image-1-5.jpg) ### II) Collage I use ChatGPT to generate an image of a Red Cross paramedic. Then I polish it a bit in Photoshop: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379160925-image.gif) And here’s my second ad: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379168222-image-1-6.jpg) ## Cheat Sheet ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379168866-image-1-7.jpg) ### How to use “Pull Back & Reveal” to surprise your audience URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-pull-back-reveal-to-surprise-your-audience/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:33:05.000Z *“Pull Back and Reveal”* is a classic cinematic technique. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379169633-image.gif) **An example of “Pull Back and Reveal” from ​What About Bob​.* Now, let’s use this technique to make some ads for ExpressVPN. I’ll base them on the “Fake Plane Challenge” trend. ## Step 1: Close-Up Limit the view to make the audience assume what’s happening. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379181895-image-10.jpg) ## Step 2: Reveal Zoom out and surprise them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379182381-image-11.jpg) ## Step 3: Brand Message ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379182881-image-12.jpg) ## Bonus: Static Pull Back and Reveal works for static ads, too. We just need the right visual hierarchy: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379183347-image-13-1024x626.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379183941-image-14-1024x626.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379184432-image-15-1024x626.jpg) ## More examples Here are some fun “Pull Back and Reveal” ads: - [Fox Sports​](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzRp1ociiNE&ref=unbore.com) - [Elementor Hosting](https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR09166146167480778753/creative/CR08379274932986576897?region=anywhere&platform=YOUTUBE&ref=unbore.com) (Turn off your ad blocker to watch.) - [Old Spice​](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uof1ufBsQ5o&ref=unbore.com) ### How to write creative headlines using Osborn’s Checklist URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-creative-headlines-using-osborns-checklist/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:33:12.000Z Dan Nelken once said, “Great headlines aren’t great sentences – they’re great ideas expressed in words.” So today, I’ll show you how a classic ideation method, Osborn’s Checklist, can be used to write headlines. ## tl;dr ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379185227-image-724x1024.jpg) Save and print the PDF version [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K9Pdr9R6Jl0A8z8isl92L57RtMPiZiBM/view?usp=sharing&ref=unbore.com). ## 1\. Adapt 🤔 Ask: - What could I adapt or copy? - Emulate another ad or brand? - Borrow from other industries? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379185899-image.jpeg) - Can I take from the past? - Borrow from pop culture? - Try something else like this? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379186374-image-1.jpeg) ## 2\. Modify 🤔 Ask: - Is there a new twist I can add? - A different color or sound? - A changed format or layout? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379186906-image-2.jpeg) - Can I change the meaning? - Change the tone or style? - Explore other possibilities? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379187330-image-3.jpeg) ## 3\. Magnify 🤔 Ask: - What can I add to improve it? - To duplicate or exaggerate it? - To add urgency or excitement? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379187689-image-4.jpeg) - Can I add extra value? - Make it bolder or longer? - Exaggerate or dramatize? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379188082-image-5.jpeg) ## 4\. Minify 🤔 Ask: - What can I subtract? - Tone down or delete? - Split up or understate? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379188507-image-6.jpeg) Small text: “Don’t drink and drive.” - Can it be miniature, lower, or shorter? - Lightened, omitted, or streamlined? - Smaller or more condensed? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379188838-image-7.jpeg) ## 5\. Substitute 🤔 Ask: - Can I use something else instead? - Other ingredients or shapes? - Different tones of voice? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379189190-image-8.jpeg) Replacing visuals with text. - Can I change the rules? - The processes or tools? - Take a different approach? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379189467-image-9.jpeg) Replacing text with visuals. ## 6\. Rearrange 🤔 Ask: - Can I interchange components? - Try other patterns? Other layouts? - Reorganize sequences? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379189978-image-10.jpeg) - Change the order of the letters? - Flip the cause and effect? - Adjust the pacing? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379190496-image-11.jpeg) KFC’s apology for running out of chicken. ## 7\. Reverse 🤔 Ask: - Can I reverse roles? - Switch positive and negative? - Use opposites? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379190877-image-12.jpeg) - Can I change negative into positive? - Turn it backward or upside down? - Approach it from a different angle? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379191327-image-13.jpeg) ## 8\. Combine 🤔 Ask: - Can I mix ideas together? - Combine different stories? - Merge words or languages? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379191819-image-14.jpeg) - Can I combine two elements? - Use two devices at the same time? - Blend serious and silly? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379192163-image-15.jpeg) Small text: “For all of life’s twists and turns: Flexible financial plans.” ### How to make creative B2B ads like IBM URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-make-creative-b2b-ads-like-ibm/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:33:17.000Z IBM’s old ads are a masterclass in B2B advertising. Here are 9 principles I’ve learned from them: ## 1\. Features First Benefits are great, but when comparing their options, clients will list features side by side. Make sure you come out on top. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379192958-image.jpg) ## 2\. Show Use Cases, Not UI Most software looks the same, so save the product screenshots for the landing page or demo. In your ads, show how the product actually helps your users. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379193416-image-1.jpg) ## 3\. Leave Room for Curiosity Don’t spell everything out. Let them connect the dots. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379193992-image-2.jpg) ## 4\. Address the Elephant Don’t ignore the critics. Turn that tension into a story, and get people on your side. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379194587-image-3.jpg) ## 5\. Visualize Numbers Stats and figures can be confusing. But when you turn them into visuals, you don’t just make the feature clearer—you grab attention, too. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379195080-image-4.jpg) ## 6\. Use Analogies Explain the unfamiliar through the familiar. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379195559-image-5.jpg) ## 7\. Make It Relatable Step into your customer’s shoes (or office) and see things from their POV. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379196024-image-6.jpg) ## 8\. Keep It Real Too many companies overpromise. Say what you can do—and what you can’t. Users will trust you more. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379196528-image-7.jpg) ## 9\. Write Like a Human Listen to demo recordings or grab lunch with one of your prospects. They’ll never say “cutting-edge synergy” in a real conversation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379197076-image-9.jpg) ### How to make AI video ads without the cringe URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-make-ai-video-ads-without-the-cringe/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:04.000Z AI video isn’t good enough *yet* to replace real production. But here are three ways I’m already using it in my work: ## Use Case I: Surreal Ads Using AI for emotional or “realistic” ads is cringe. But for more goofy ideas, it can work. Here’s my process: - Product: Zendesk - Promise: Speed up your customer support. ### 1\. Key Frame Animating static images is usually easier than generating videos from scratch. So, I used GPT to create this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379197762-image-7.jpg) ### 2\. Animate Then, I went to [Kling AI](http://klingai.com/?ref=unbore.com) (paid but affordable) and used this prompt: *“A hand quickly grabs the snail and removes it from the table.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379198269-image-8.jpg) It took about 10 attempts to get this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379198654-image.gif) ### 3\. Edit In CapCut, I added the zoom-out effect, logo, and copy. And here’s my ad: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379207856-image-1.gif) --- ## Use Case II: Animate Static Ads GIFs attract more attention than static images. So if a static ad is already successful, I use AI to turn it into a scroll stopper. ### 1\. Pick A Static Ad Let’s take this Walnut ad, for example. They’ve been running it for years, so I guess it works. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379218856-image-9.jpg) ### 2\. Animate The Main Character I cut out the chipmunk in Photoshop and asked Kling for two videos: - *“Make this adorable chipmunk wave its hand. Keep everything else the same.”* - *“Make it chew on the walnut in the picture. Keep everything else the same.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379219469-image-10.jpg) Then, I used [Sora](https://sora.com/?ref=unbore.com) (free for ChatGPT Plus users) to blend both videos and got this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379219980-image-2.gif) Kling’s video generator is the best, in my opinion, but Sora has some cool features like “Blend” and “Loop.” ### 3\. Add Your Message and Logo Finally, I added the other elements in CapCut: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379227002-image-3.gif) --- ## Use Case III: Pitching Ideas AI video demos help me explain and sell my ideas. Once the client approves the demo, we can shoot it with real actors. I created one for Upwork, just for practice: - Pain Point: Being micromanaged. - Promise: Become a freelancer and be your own boss. ### 1\. Generate Videos This time, I needed less precision, so I generated the videos without creating images first: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379233526-image-11.jpg) ### 2\. Edit and Add Your Message Then, I added captions and a [“Pull back and reveal”](https://thecreativemarketer.net/the-pull-back-and-reveal-technique/?ref=unbore.com) effect in CapCut. And here’s my video: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379234112-image-4.gif) So yeah, still far from perfect. But I can’t wait for the day when creatives like us can write, generate, and edit ads from A to Z. ### How to turn clichés into catchy headlines URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-turn-cliches-into-catchy-headlines/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:19.000Z 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. ### How to steal ad ideas like an artist URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-steal-ad-ideas-like-an-artist/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:23.000Z Every new idea is just a mix of old ideas. Here are my three rules for “stealing” ads ethically: ## Rule #1: Never steal from your neighbor Instead of copying my competitors, I draw inspiration from other industries. For example, if I need a B2B idea, I’ll try to find it in a B2C ad library, like [Lurzer’s Archive](https://preview.convertkit-mail2.com/click/dpheh0hzhm/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubHVlcnplcnNhcmNoaXZlLmNvbS8=?ref=unbore.com). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379259936-image-15.jpg) Well, Dovetail’s version is a bit too close.But it’s a nice ad nonetheless. ## Rule #2: Limit yourself to 30 minutes Ad inspiration quickly turns into procrastination. So I browse ads for half an hour, then get to work. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379260428-image-16.jpg) Source: Me ## Rule #3: Steal one element, not the whole piece My client, AppsFlyer, wanted to target large companies that have outgrown their current tools. So, while looking for inspiration, I found these two ads: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379260970-image-17.jpg) The fishbowl simply caught my eye. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379261325-image-18.jpg) And the big man in the small box reminded me of AppsFlyer’s target audience: enterprise teams locked into software built for startups. Next, I googled “big fish in a small tank” and found this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379261812-image-19.jpg) And here’s the final ad: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379262326-image-20-742x1024.jpg) MMP = Mobile Measurement Partner.AppsFlyer’s audience knows. ### How I run my creative workshops, step-by-step URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-i-run-my-creative-workshops-step-by-step/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:23.000Z I’ve run creative ad workshops with companies like Artlist, Semrush, and Amdocs. Here’s the framework I use to help tech companies generate new ideas every time: ## tl;dr ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/jBPDQQeubAPLxAWMTLjuE/email) Let’s break it down. ## Preparation “The crux of a brilliant workshop lies in what you do beforehand.” – Rob Fitzpatrick Before the workshop, I:​ ☑ Ask the team leader to choose a brief. ☑ Learn about the participants (e.g., role, experience, vibe). ☑ Create one ad example for the company. ## Intro and Goals *10 min*​ ​ ☑ Meet the team and set expectations. ☑ Walk through the agenda. ☑ Lay down the rules: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379262978-image-5.jpg) ## Warmup: Create Meme Ads *15 min* Creating meme ads is easy, and that’s the point. It helps me do two things: • **Break the ice:** A quick win gives instant gratification and helps everyone loosen up. • **Shift perspective:** People often take their product too seriously. But a board full of memes helps them see the fun side. ​ Checklist: ☑ List relatable pain points surrounding the product. I use GPT for this. ☑ Create a FigJam or Miro board with empty meme templates and your pain points. ☑ Show one example, then let the team fill in the rest by connecting pain points to memes. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/nqMC1WWYUavEMyQ6JsjKua/email) ## Group Exercise I: Analogies *15 min* Analogies help me break free from the boring product screenshots and open up a universe of fun visuals and stories. ​ Checklist: ☑ Explain how analogy ads work and show examples. ☑ Come up with pain-focused analogies for each “enemy” from the previous exercise. ☑ Find a visual for each analogy. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/ifQzPUBi7HDHZZHhqBWWrg) Learn how to create analogy ads in my course, [Boring Products, Fun Ads.](https://thecreativemarketer.net/course/?ref=unbore.com) ## Group Exercise II: Side-by-Side *10 min* Most side-by-side ads are based on analogies, too. Take your pain analogy, add a positive analogy next to it – and voilà, you’ve got an ad. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/eGMA4cKA4f4VVHxoYErkr3) Free recipe: learn how to create [side-by-side ads.](https://thecreativemarketer.net/side-by-side-ads/?ref=unbore.com) Checklist: ☑ Prepare pairs of sticky notes in two different colors. ☑ Create as many side-by-side ads as possible. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/g5Mof6hzHoi9JCrgkwu2J8) ## Break *15 min* Breaks are the most important (and most overlooked) part of any workshop. I learned that the hard way. Back when I was just starting out, I was so enthusiastic that I didn’t even notice people desperately needed to grab coffee or go to the bathroom. *Breaks are non-negotiable.* It’s also a great opportunity to get some quick feedback and adjust accordingly. ## Partner Exercise: Steal Like an Artist *20 min* Every new idea is just a mix of old ideas. ​ Checklist: ☑ Teach how to [“steal” ideas ethically.](https://preview.convertkit-mail2.com/click/dpheh0hzhm/aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVjcmVhdGl2ZW1hcmtldGVyLm5ldC9zdGVhbC1hZC1pZGVhcy1saWtlLWFuLWFydGlzdC8=?ref=unbore.com)​ ☑ Provide a list of [inspiring ad libraries.](https://thecreativemarketer.net/my-complete-toolbox/?ref=unbore.com#%f0%9f%93%ba-ad-copy-collections)​ ☑ Ask them to find ads and visuals that they like and come up with new ones. Have them work in pairs. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/qT8QzVek2n3VijbCF14dLp) ## Solo Exercise: Headline Writing *15 min* ​ Checklist: ☑ Explain your favorite headline techniques. (For example: [\[Cliché\], but \[Twist\]](https://thecreativemarketer.net/the-cliche-but-twist-formula/%E2%86%97?ref=unbore.com)) ☑ Start the first step together. (In this case, generate a list of relevant idioms and phrases with Perplexity.) ☑ Have each person write as many headlines as possible. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/v6Bj7ZBuveTQJTgxxmpEL5) ## Break II *20 min* ## Screening *20 min* Vote for the best ideas, leave the rest behind. ​ Checklist: ☑ Go over the team’s ideas. ☑ Have everyone vote for the best ones. No voting for your own. ☑ Move the ideas with the most votes to a separate tab. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/4VaX6yCAT74ddsvMk7MCSA/email) The screening process. Each participant has their own stamp. ## Execution *40 min* One person, usually a designer, shares their screen, and we polish as many ads as possible. Tip: Start with the quick wins, the ideas that got the most votes and are easy to produce on the spot. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/o5PUbFbQNPTnvCsBykpTq4/email) With the Melio team after a very productive workshop. ### How to turn comedy one-liners into ad copy URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-turn-comedy-one-liners-into-ad-copy/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:29.000Z A great creative director once told me: “If you wanna learn copywriting, don’t read ads – watch stand-up comedy.” And he was right. I can literally go to [just-one-liners.com](http://just-one-liners.com/?ref=unbore.com), pick a random line, add a logo, and voilà! I’ve got an ad. Let me show you 👇 ## Jerry Seinfeld > “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.” > ​*– Jerry Seinfeld* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379263671-sQUgXQfBmqiAApHFxMw6Qu-1024x1024.jpg) ## Jim Gaffigan > “If camping is so great, why are the bugs always trying to get in your house?” > ​*– Jim Gaffigan* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379264086-qnvmVhQq3gGzMFnmQPfrZv-1024x1024.webp) ## Jimmy Carr > “Swimming is good for you, especially if you’re drowning.” > ​*– Jimmy Carr* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379265074-xBm5t178zPaystZTJiNHhJ-1024x1024.webp) ## Stewart Francis > “There’s a fine line between hyphenated words.” > ​*– Stewart Francis* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379266066-tDe4as1s5AUZpiMLmKk7Dg-1024x1024.webp) ## Stewart Francis > “I like what mechanics wear, overall.” > ​*– Stewart Francis* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379266446-8LaNfFkUrmHtzh7iSqYhqn-1024x1024.webp) ## Phyllis Diller > “Best way to get rid of kitchen odors: eat out.” > ​*– Phyllis Diller* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379267656-rFR3rgbpC6esiqc254e2Q-1024x1024.webp) ## Steven Wright > “If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?” > ​*– Steven Wright* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379268212-efw8YhpsDHxziwvf7Ro786-1024x1024.webp) ## Why do this? Obviously, I’d never steal other people’s work, but this exercise helps me: - Improve my copywriting taste. - Learn how to structure a punchline. - Develop a radar for headline-worthy phrases. (They’re everywhere: product reviews, blog posts, conversations, etc.) ### How to announce new features so that people actually notice URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-announce-new-features-so-that-people-actually-notice/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:32.000Z Let’s imagine I’m a copywriter at Loom, the screen recording app. Loom is releasing a new AI feature – the Filler Word Remover: Click a button, and all the ‘umms’ and ‘uhhs’ disappear from your video. My task is to announce this new feature. ## 1\. The Default First, I start with the most obvious message: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379269357-sCFLRmqGFyWWwv3nrUGLLP-1.webp) SaaS companies always start their announcements with “Great news!” But what does it really mean? I asked GPT: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379269850-qDv4xbx4W1mqt793q5cJnQ.webp) So, I guess unless my new feature can save orcas, it’s not *really* “great news!” Oh well. I’m left with: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379270359-wyXibfuNrTCDz5PzLMdj8A.webp) The problem? “We’re thrilled.” My readers should be thrilled, not me. ## 2\. Ask: So What? I use the good old “So What” technique to figure out what my readers *actually* care about. It goes like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379270679-2W1xiZYm3LHr7YTJqPjRNV.webp) Keep asking, ‘So what?’ until you find an unmet need. Or even better, find a specific behavior that comes from that need. And here’s my new line. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379271045-t7S3tzUqexd8x44fE6Kb5f.webp) Better. But to make it work, I need to demonstrate the feature, not just talk about it. ## 3\. Show and Tell And here’s the result: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379271442-9xPQmoPZNWCzaj1A2LoNKt.webp) ### How to use literary devices to write sticky headlines URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-literary-devices-to-write-sticky-headlines/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T15:10:49.000Z Hey! I went through 300+ brand taglines. Most of them use one of these 24 rhetorical devices: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379272104-c5E5GzUpDCScxGWeejZfw9-724x1024.jpeg) [​Download this cheatsheet (pdf)​](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-uhn5HCmFKEOGkt8uoJcqYTfblFTApnj/view?ref=unbore.com) So, usually, a copywriter has two tasks: • Decide what to say. • Decide how to say it. Today we’re focusing on the “how.” ​ ### Let’s break it down 👇 ## 1\. Personification Give human traits to non-human things. ## 2\. Allusion Mention a well-known person, place, concept, or event. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379272492-sPWLTcks7czziuE7qoSqPJ.jpeg) ## ## 3\. Hyperbole Exaggerate to make a point. ## 4\. Paradox Make a statement that contradicts itself but is actually true. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379272799-m7djAT6qr7LNcz95WQWNir-768x576.jpeg) ## ## 5\. Chiasmus Reverse the order of words in two parallel phrases. ## 6\. Asyndeton Skip conjunctions (like “and,” or “but”) in a list. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379273230-akvAwS3GiYfBkkFvhMpEEd-768x576.jpeg) ## ## 7\. Alliteration Start two or more words with the same sound. ## 8\. Pleonasm Use more words than necessary to explain the benefit. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379273741-ufTxui8b3qFS7jArYNvGaS.jpeg) ## ## 9\. Onomatopoeia Find words that sound like the product or its benefit. ## 10\. Dialogue Use a sentence the customer would say in a real conversation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379274253-36dRwirxR6AAM118STptyh.jpeg) ## ## 11\. Antithesis Put two opposite words or ideas in the same sentence. ## 12\. Oxymoron Combine contradictory terms. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379274629-ezApiUy9FNqyr2CtESNSh8.jpeg) ## ## 13\. Paraprosdokian Twist a familiar sentence. ## 14\. Anaphora Start different sentences with the same word. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379275071-gV77hbEimjWsbks1A6Cm1.jpeg) ## ## 15\. Pun Ask your dad. Or any dad. ## 16\. Rhetorical Question Ask something not to get an answer, but to emphasize a point. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379275447-6bjbTwgxr51bEaQpyxrYaQ.jpeg) ## ## 17\. Simile Explain the product using “like” or “as.” ## 18\. Metaphor Describe the product by comparing it to something unrelated. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379275942-ttxKRjtqtToyBcDEYewKHr.jpeg) ## 19\. Rhyme Use words that have the same or similar ending sounds. ## 20\. Parallelism Structure parts of a sentence to mirror each other. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379276404-fZQvq1FQ6AaPuHJFmqb4Df.jpeg) ## 21\. Epistrophe End sentences with the same word. ## 22\. Climax Present ideas from least to most important/surprising. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379276883-kk6Yty6KWcMo5nqVjBuhHc.jpeg) ## 23\. Understatement Express an idea as less important than it actually is. ## 24\. Imperative Give instructions or commands. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379277426-8JMCQCAaqarZQ5XErmDqJs.jpeg) ### How I use AI deep research to make relatable ads URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-i-use-ai-deep-research-to-make-relatable-ads/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:47.000Z If [​Frontify​](https://www.frontify.com/?ref=unbore.com) hired me to create an ad, I’d send them this: ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/qRLtAyK1wMjbwj6qW7HWZB/email) Now, I wanna show you my process, step-by-step, including the prompts I used. --- ## Step 1: Understand the Product Frontify allows you to create a library with your brand guidelines, assets, and design templates. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379278082-image.jpg) By the way, this post isn’t sponsored, I swear 😅 ## Step 2: Find Pain Points Let’s try ChatGPT’s smartest model: Deep Research. I base my prompt on ​Dan Kennedy’s​ 10 profiling questions: **🤖 PERSONA RESEARCH PROMPT 🤖** **Task:** You’re a senior researcher trying to understand the emotional and practical reality of our ideal customer. Use the questions below to build a detailed profile of this person: their fears, frustrations, motivations, and how they make decisions. Focus on human, emotional insights, not just business needs. **Ideal Customer:** VP of Brand in a large enterprise **Questions to explore:** 1\. What keeps them awake at night, indigestion boiling up their esophagus, eyes open, staring at the ceiling? 2\. What are they afraid of losing, missing, or messing up? 3\. What are they angry about? Who are they angry at? 4\. What are their top three daily frustrations? 5\. What trends (in their role, company, or industry) are creating pressure or uncertainty? 6\. What do they secretly, ardently desire most? 7\. Is there a built-in bias to the way they make decisions? 8\. Do they have a specific way of speaking or jargon they use internally? 9\. Who else is selling something similar to them, and how? 10\. Who else has tried selling them something similar, and how has that effort failed? And 14 minutes later, ChatGPT hands me this beautiful report. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379278434-image.gif) Based on 25 different sources. Give it a try. I learn that brand managers lose sleep trying to keep their brand assets consistent. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379285079-image-1.jpg) So I decide to focus on a specific pain point: **inconsistent design.** ## Step 3: Visualize the Pain I want my ad to stand out, but when I Google “inconsistent design,” I find some pretty boring visuals: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379285601-image-2.jpg) But when I look into the fashion industry, things get interesting. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379286031-image-3.jpg) ## Step 4: Write the Headline and Value Line ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379286543-image-4.jpg) Now, let’s zoom in on the line under the logo. Big brands usually put a tagline there. But for software companies, I prefer a ‘Value Line’ that explains what the product does. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/nyc7S1ech7QFJPVxtyuUK9/email) ## Step 5: Recreate the Image I like my visual, but there’s a problem. I can’t use it for my ad because it’s just a random low-res image I found online. So I upload it to GPT and ask it to write an “image replica prompt”: **🤖 IMAGE REPLICA PROMPT 🤖** Describe this image. Pay attention to every small detail. Then, write a prompt I can use in an AI image generation tool to create a similar image. \[Upload the original image here\] ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/qduQT18U57swqhWnxesBaH/email) And I get this nice prompt: ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/7qtv7U4CcoJ2dqyKGJfGCi) I change some details because I don’t want it to be *too* similar, and play around with GPT’s Image Generator for a while. ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/uUaqt1ywVq5MRa3phENrWw) GPT’s image-generation consistency is a game-changer. And here’s the final ad: ![](https://embed.filekitcdn.com/e/qipYm8nwsqDjYWrjJfA1oU/qRLtAyK1wMjbwj6qW7HWZB/email) ### How to write understatement ads when everyone is overhyping URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-understatement-ads-when-everyone-is-overhyping/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:53.000Z This copywriting technique is called “Understatement”: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379287317-email.jpg) And another example… ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379287652-email-f55faec3-8f71-4a13-adfa-6e8b860efc65.jpg) If most ads are like overexcited golden retrievers, understatement ads are cats. *Not trying to impress you.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379288086-email-909be49e-dba7-45b2-982c-12fdaffdaaac.jpg) So let’s write an ad like this for Calendly: --- ## 1\. List Overused Promises I ask GPT for some help: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379288616-email-36fb7e42-1f99-42d5-8ce3-18b3d6aa9a0e.jpg) **🤖 Prompt:**​ ​*Write 10 overpromising one-liners that exaggerate the benefits of \[product\], as you’d see in typical \[industry\] marketing copy.* Deeply inspired, I write this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379289075-email-e7db4963-e182-4e8f-bf2a-dce59abfa36e.jpg) --- ## 2\. Make An Understatement I explain Calendly like I would to a friend. No BS. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379289473-email-8fc144d3-1a7c-4171-8523-3a1ce6f1af6b.jpg) --- ## 3\. Combine Steps One and Two ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379289855-email-4310353e-67c8-4364-b519-87b2cf6fc637.jpg) --- ## More Inspiration ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379290434-email-2b44a26c-98d5-4c92-a16b-4f56ec51d181.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379290844-email-b99df6ac-8466-4b58-9fe0-a718ec450761.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379291453-email-06161206-e072-4fea-a367-f0d8deb3bc1f.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379291952-email-6d95e1e6-3e80-4495-9c7d-e6b5d804d63e.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379292480-email-857862d4-d524-4062-bbe0-15823ad9ffc4.jpg) ### How to make legal loophole ads and turn restrictions into ideas URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-make-legal-loophole-ads-and-turn-restrictions-into-ideas/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:34:57.000Z Legal restrictions often kill good ads. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379293169-email-1.jpg) But sometimes, they inspire genius ideas, like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379293589-4kCPSKKPemwAH2SNLGuzmi.jpg) Here’s another one from this campaign: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379294086-email-42d80fc6-4e97-47ad-987e-62b1d9042cbb.jpg) --- ## The Recipe I call these “Legal Loophole Ads,” and I think there are two main ways to come up with them: --- ## 1\. Complain About Your Legal Restrictions ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379294525-email-5221cd51-2dd5-4df0-b191-2bdcd4f00d46.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379295040-email-534c6fa9-4f45-4864-88ef-7f3bb8a206be.jpg) I also love this classic from 1985: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379295551-email-1ce73ea1-902c-4388-9aa5-21a6289fd009.jpg) --- ## 2\. Find a Way Around Your Legal Restrictions ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379295961-email-3e190a6b-c219-4f8a-89d8-58b431fdda07.jpg) And another great example: Budweiser couldn’t use photos of rock stars drinking Bud because of copyright. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379296473-email-6fc96d64-a137-4916-a8fc-8f238448bba2.png) So they invited people to google keywords that led to those iconic photos instead. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379296983-email-63dff396-7495-47b5-a199-6e91f7f2bafd.jpg) --- ## Why I Think These Ads Work: 1. **F\*\*\* the system** ​ There’s something rebellious about overcoming legal restrictions. Conflict + rebellion = great story. ​ 2. **The backstage effect** ​ Mentioning “legal” or “our lawyers” shows there are real people behind the brand, stuck with office politics and red tape, just like the rest of us. That creates relatability. ​ 3. **Elegant solutions** ​ Everyone likes to see a clever solution to a tough problem. That creates virality. ### How to create typographic ads URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-create-typographic-ads/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:35:12.000Z Typographic ads are the perfect mix of copy and design. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379297705-email-2.jpg) Because typography turns plain copy into expressive visuals. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379298089-email-a00777f5-783b-4d7d-b5cd-5a2677ed3052.jpg) So here are six techniques I use to create Typographic ads: --- ## 1\. Replace Letters with Images ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379298450-email-9dbe6f51-791f-4b0e-acf7-a35c3a6f3002.jpg) --- ## 2\. Turn Words Into Shapes ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379298830-email-0e07599b-c4a6-4726-a733-735e61839eeb.jpg) ****Small caption (right ad):** “See danger before it happens. Audi Cornering Lights.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379299287-email-1d3060cb-9d68-4123-9547-b2650acefc7e.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379299607-email-c24eae26-1f08-4280-8577-9cb564a247a6.jpg) Ad for mental health hotline. I had the pleasure of writing copy for this Coke campaign. Two stories, in two languages, form the shape of a bottle: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379299927-email-dc93e285-7199-47e3-ab61-cf44b12c2ece.jpg) Agency: INGO Hamburg --- ## 3\. Create Patterns or Rhythm ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379300364-email-c2feb782-6e3c-4ecb-9603-f34ab925075c.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379300728-email-9c7e7829-d02d-487f-9e1b-e004327ba0ba.jpg) --- ## 4\. Play with Hierarchy and Highlights ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379301184-email-92262b0e-6763-48d7-803c-14bb9853661d.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379301516-email-ac693a35-6718-4b23-9901-393878c527c4.jpg) --- ## 5\. Mimic Textures and Materials ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379301864-email-72bda126-15f4-41ce-8266-3a5df93f27fd.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379302373-email-84187313-9919-4a2a-b173-5985305c82cf.jpg) --- ## 6\. Use Cultural References ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379302821-email-e5095bcd-9503-46d0-96f5-69ab9c317add.jpg) OPTIKER–K is using eye test typography to promote glasses. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379303244-email-895f5bae-1229-4cce-8a6c-539763196af5.jpg) --- ## Step-By-Step Example Here’s a “*cultural reference*” example I created for my client, AppsFlyer. **Brief:** Large companies are sitting on tons of valuable data. AppsFlyer helps them monetize it without risking users’ privacy. **My thought process:** Unused data → gathering dust → like a dusty car. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379303727-email-f22bcbbd-1870-41cc-92b8-003ee2ef7def.jpg) **Writing:**​ Wrote this simple line in Apple Notes: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379304204-email-bdbebccb-aa59-48e4-a1cd-1c6736986bef.gif) **Layout:**​ Dropped it over a Shutterstock image and set the blend mode to “Multiply” in Figma. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379304666-email-e6b7b4fa-12f0-4174-befc-6c51d5ca55a3.gif) **Polish:** Asked my girlfriend to rewrite it cause my handwriting is awful 😅 And here’s the result: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379311525-email-a51e4860-0520-4797-9c1a-9e64997dfeef.jpg) --- ## Cheat Sheet ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379312077-email-4acaeb83-c695-49c2-8d05-a42adfb811c3.jpg) More creative marketing cheat sheets [here](https://thecreativemarketer.net/cheat%20sheet%20gallery/?ref=unbore.com).​ ### How to use square storming to come up with dozens of ideas URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-square-storming-to-come-up-with-dozens-of-ideas/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:27:35.000Z Constantly coming up with new ads is hard… ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379312811-email-3.jpg) But a technique I learned from Pablo Rochat makes it easier. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379313247-email-cdaa079f-6257-4229-a0d5-b5811ca15a42.jpg) Credit: [Nicer Tuesdays](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vsHFAmTxhc&t=5s&ref=unbore.com)​ I call it *Square Storming.* And here’s how I used it to come up with [100+ ads for my client, AppsFlyer](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5F20-ads-i-created-for-my-client-appsflyer-activity-7371109214812798976-Uryn?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAC2vjtMB5a2fYnlvFYkMBWQ6SwoR7gICj0w): ## Step 1: I create 60 squares. In Figma, or in my sketchbook. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379313677-email-3ba8eeae-9508-43aa-9bf4-d58c1603081c.jpg) ## Step 2: I fill them with ideas. I spend \~1 minute on each square. No overthinking. That’s why my first ideas are usually dumb. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379314113-email-d1e44efc-6f76-47b1-b066-1e027b6bdb52.jpg) Or weird. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379314587-email-d4b79010-e87b-430a-b316-b814b60950af.jpg) But once I let them out, better ideas start to flow. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379315078-email-6c415e88-fdd7-43d2-95d3-7407355a86ad.jpg) ​[See the top 20 ads I created for AppsFlyer↗](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5F20-ads-i-created-for-my-client-appsflyer-activity-7371109214812798976-Uryn?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAC2vjtMB5a2fYnlvFYkMBWQ6SwoR7gICj0w)​ ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379315479-email-2bf91feb-a212-4306-832e-049b726e9118.jpg) Note: MMP = Mobile Measurement Partner And about an hour later, I have 60 ideas: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379315846-email-9fab1366-8a3b-48a0-bda7-d330b97bb485.jpg) ## Step 3: I filter them. Finally, I sort them into four categories. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379316209-email-b0ad0b28-6404-43cd-915a-8bac959dada0.jpg) And then I do it all again. And again. Until AI takes my job, and I can finally become a professional belly dancer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379316664-email-0e3c02ce-1629-4b52-9027-2fb99d7b5c48.jpg) Seriously though: **The best way to write a great ad headline is to write 60 terrible headlines.** ### How to execute big ideas on a tiny production budget URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-execute-big-ideas-on-a-tiny-production-budget/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:35:25.000Z 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: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379317475-email-4.jpg) 💡 Pro tip: Prepare 3-5 extra concepts. Let the client choose. ## 2\. Scripts Then I turned the chosen ideas into scripts: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379317978-email-9b795198-f906-41d9-9d90-427fd6909166.jpg) ​[Read the full script and grab this template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1%5F3AVsgqdmzymD00xJ1D7SwYXs-%5FtTMw158HTBmG8djU/edit?usp=sharing&ref=unbore.com)​ For the visual reference part, [Google’s Nano Banana](https://gemini.google.com/?ref=unbore.com) makes it easy to adjust facial expressions and change details: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379318427-email-b1512e7c-3dd2-47f2-8baa-057af9c5a25a.jpg) 🤖 Prompt: “Make this person gasp with horror Also, if you’re stuck or on a tight deadline, you can ask GPT to turn your concept into a script. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379318801-weArUZBmB7ZK8LCvWGKdrJ.jpg) 🤖 **Prompt:** Turn this ad concept into a two-column script with “Visual” on the left and “Audio” on the right. ## 3\. Pre-Production While polishing the script, I started prepping the production. I focused on five things: ### I. Cast and Crew Tiny, as promised. - Two actors. - A videographer and editor. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379319341-email-61723c9e-7282-46b4-8f51-bbc5da19a4f7.jpg) **​*[Dani’s site](https://www.danifait.com/?ref=unbore.com) *|* [Tseily’s site](https://tseilyharel.com/?ref=unbore.com) ### II. Wardrobe I put together a wardrobe guide for the actors and asked them to bring their own outfits. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379319824-email-af8ac7bc-babc-4d6b-be4f-bab0f3ade211.jpg) (I learned this framework from my friend [Connor Lewis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-lewis/?ref=unbore.com)) ### III. Locations We decided to shoot at HiBob’s office, so I took a tour and booked six spaces in advance. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379320201-email-9a0ff258-1141-42fd-b2d2-d84993d869cf.jpg) It’s amazing how many different spots you can find in a typical office. ### IV. Schedule The most time-consuming parts are changing outfits, moving locations, and adjusting light setups. So I planned the schedule and shot list to keep those to a minimum. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379320709-email-c7d82caf-3600-450b-b12c-17456d92c665.jpg) 💡 Pro tip: If you’re shooting at the office, pick a WFH day ### V. Gear and props I went through my scripts line by line and made a list of everything we’d need on set. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379321125-email-7075d53e-7fd7-4365-856d-452c86e106b2.jpg) Then I asked ChatGPT to do the same, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. 🤖 **Prompt:** Read these ad scripts and create a full gear and prop checklist for the shoot. ​ • Break it down by department: camera, audio, lighting, grip, props, wardrobe, makeup, safety, paperwork. ​ • Include all small items people often forget (batteries, cables, gaffer tape, backups, cleaning kits, release forms, snacks, water, etc.). ​ • Add a scene-by-scene breakdown of what’s needed where. ​ • Flag critical items vs. nice-to-haves. ​ • Include duplicates/backups for anything that could fail. ​ \[Attach script PDF\] ## 4\. The Shoot The night before, I was ANXIOUS. “What if the actors don’t show up?” “What if my scripts are cringe?” “What if we forget to hit record?” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379321569-email-8ff1705a-1833-43b1-b6c4-946b943dd340.gif) But I ended up having so much fun! Most of my work is just me and my laptop, so it felt awesome to move around and interact with people for a change 🥲 ## 5\. Editing My friend Tseily handled the editing, and I designed the graphics. We used Frame.io to collaborate and polish the videos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379324306-email-4b46726f-04e5-46f9-b0e8-e1954bc564ea.jpg) And finally, after five revisions, the ads were ready: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379324656-email-3d2a9174-fc81-4450-a9c1-3ce102baa69f.jpg) ​[Watch the ads here](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Hu04cz3TK2UZaYqND5nQNBxORo2-mvB%5F?usp=sharing&ref=unbore.com) ### How to write and produce realistic AI video ads that actually convert URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-write-and-produce-realistic-ai-video-ads-that-actually-convert/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:35:42.000Z I created [this AI ad](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Fa-new-ad-i-created-for-my-client-hibob-activity-7378415496028663808-IFsY?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAC2vjtMB5a2fYnlvFYkMBWQ6SwoR7gICj0w) for my client, HiBob. It brought in so many leads that we’re now turning it into a CTV ad. Here’s a breakdown of the process, prompts, and prices: --- ## Step 1: Inspiration 🛠️ TikTok (free) and [Perplexity](https://perplexity.ai/pro?referral%5Fcode=2ZNFBD8B&ref=unbore.com) ($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 vision board: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379325248-HiBob-AI-ad.png) Then, while doing research for HiBob’s payroll feature launch, I saw this Reddit comment. Something clicked. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379325733-HiBob-AI-ad-1.png) To find this testimonial, I used [Perplexity Labs](https://perplexity.ai/pro?referral%5Fcode=2ZNFBD8B&ref=unbore.com). Perplexity is literally the best thing that happened to my marketing research. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379326070-HiBob-AI-ad-7.png) 🤖 Try my prompt template: > Find real testimonials, reviews, or Reddit posts from \[user\] describing the challenges, frustrations, relatable situations, or pain points they experienced while \[user’s job\]. --- ## Step 2: Concept and Script 🛠️ChatGPT ($20/mo) and [my dear brain](https://thecreativemarketer.net/course/?ref=unbore.com) ($497) I pitched the concept to the client, like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379326478-HiBob-AI-ad-6.png) And then, GPT helped me come up with more bizarre places where our character could work. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379326872-Group-35471.png) AI usually can’t create good concepts, but once I have one, it’s great for expanding it. --- ## Step 3: Visuals 🛠️ChatGPT, Gemini (free), and Seedream 4.0 (included in [Higgsfield.ai](https://goto.higgsfield.ai/s?ref=unbore.com), $29 /mo) Then I generated our character, Emma, in Gemini and kept changing her outfit and background. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379327272-HiBob-AI-process-4.png) The easiest way to maintain character consistency is to change one thing at a time. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379327755-HiBob-AI-process-2.png) It didn’t always work, of course. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379328231-HiBob-AI-process-3.png) An all-hands meeting. --- ## Step 4: Image Enhancement and Video 🛠️ [Enhancor](https://www.enhancor.ai/?ref=unbore.com) ($24/mo) I enhanced Emma’s skin texture and turned the images into videos. ![Untitled design.gif](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379328834-email.gif) Enhancor’s video model is less powerful than Runway, VEO, Sora etc. But it generates videos that feel more authentic, less AI-glossy. Note: When Enhancor failed, I also used Kling 2.1. --- ## Step 5: Voiceover 🛠️ [ElevenLabs](https://try.elevenlabs.io/6na1p85erh04?ref=unbore.com) (Free) I generated \~15 different hooks and versions, all on the free plan. Plus, ElevenLabs’s new model (v3) lets me “direct” characters. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379341260-Group-35475.png) --- ## Step 6: Editing, Music, and SFX 🛠️ CapCut ($10/mo) and AudioStock ($30/mo) Then, I reduced color saturation to make the videos look more natural. And finally, I added titles, voice-over, and music. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379341664-Group-35476.png) ### How to avoid the boring screenshot trap when advertising tech products URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-avoid-the-boring-screenshot-trap-when-advertising-tech-products/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T15:35:48.000Z Making ads for tech products is hard because product screenshots are usually boring. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379342284-email.jpg) Great UX/UI, terrible ad hook. Volkswagen had a similar problem. Their cars had tons of unique features, but explaining them meant showing boring illustrations. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379342633-email-46c0afe6-6527-470b-bc51-30a01e04b005.jpg) Now, showing the actual features is very important – just later in the funnel. An ad should grab attention and deliver one simple message, not cover the entire pitch. So they tried a different creative strategy… --- ## Analogy Ads ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379343114-email-83a955b5-050f-46ae-baa8-699dbf12eb4a.jpg) **Small copy: “Finding your Volkswagen is just as easy. With Car-Net Last Parking Position.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379343584-email-9e715f55-b5a4-4d2f-be10-fb0c81926aec.jpg) **“Volkswagen Side Assist. Knows what’s coming.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379344036-email-cc325393-1bcd-4b8e-8712-0dbbd35ca297.jpg) **“One angle is not enough. Volkswagen 360° Area View Camera.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379344618-email-b976b065-d569-47d8-a895-583640598a19.jpg) **“Luxury meets labour. The Amarok.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379344959-email-d991b0e3-4c2d-4019-82ef-95727458bee4.jpg) **“Precision Parking. Park Assist by Volkswagen.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379345346-email-4a2f05b8-d64f-4e60-ad9d-de5c46ba8f5c.jpg) **“Danger is just a matter of distance. ACC System. Keeps you at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379345680-email-e1da718f-8ce0-4872-a24d-987c3a60b381.jpg) **“Small but ferocious. Golf TSI. 103 kW of power from only 1.4 liters of engine.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379346000-email-cf07839e-fd6b-46e6-aa7f-711b12917aa4.jpg) **“The Rear-Assist rear-view camera. Now also available in the Crafter.”* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379346480-email-6310a9ca-b2cb-4eb6-bed3-2f1bcba7516e.jpg) **“Just because it works, doesn’t mean it’s fixed.Volkswagen Genuine Parts.”* --- ## Analogy ads are awesome. They unbore technical features and make them accessible. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379347062-j4W3pfQKXh976YrvEU6ynq.jpg) And they also give tech marketers endless options for their visuals. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379347503-email-89d0cf2b-89a5-4802-aa2f-d359cad18b3f.jpg) **Left ad: “You may have missed some upgrades.”Right ad: “Compatibility is never a problem with Apple Macintosh.”* If you want to learn how to make analogy ads for B2B products, check out [my course: Boring Products, Fun Ads](https://thecreativemarketer.net/course/?ref=unbore.com) 🙂 ### How I get clients as a freelance creative URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-i-get-clients-as-a-freelance-creative/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:23:52.000Z The freelance market is tough. Talented creatives are struggling to find work, while brands are struggling to find creative talent. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379348108-Group-35492.png) How’s that possible? Well, one reason is that we creatives are great at marketing, but terrible at marketing ourselves. So today, I’ll share everything I’ve learned about finding clients. --- ## TL;DR ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379348644-The-client-trusts--E2-80-A8you-as-a-person.-4-1024x724.png) Okay, let’s dive in. --- ## My Personal Experience Hi, I’m [Shlomo.](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomogenchin/?ref=unbore.com) I’ve been a freelance copywriter and creative for about six years. I started my career working with big ad agencies and brands like Siemens, Michelin, and Coke. Then, I switched to B2B tech, making ads for Semrush, AppsFlyer, Riverside, HiBob, and dozens of small startups. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379348933-Sugarman-1415.png) Companies I’ve worked with. I’ve landed every single one of my clients using one of the methods below. And I believe that any talented creative can do the same. --- So, first, the basics. ### Hiring conditions Three things need to be true for a client to hire you: 1. **Trust:** The client trusts you as a person. 2. **Pain:** The client has a problem you can solve. 3. **Taste:** The client likes your work. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379349278-Frame-1000002611-1-674x1024.png) And each method below relies on one or more of these three conditions. I’ll start with **trust** because, in my experience, it’s the biggest barrier. --- ## Method I: Friends and Family (Trust-First) At 21, I decided I wanted to become a copywriter. So I sent a message to my Middle School triathlon coach and offered to write SEO content for his team’s website. Even though we hadn’t talked in 7 years – and neither of us really knew what SEO meant – he said, “Sure, yeah, why not?” That was my first writing client. And he taught me an important lesson: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379349682-Sugarman-1416.png) You see, hiring a freelancer is risky. Clients are paying thousands of dollars to someone who might waste their time, money, or both. So, hiring someone they know is often more important than their skills. ### The nuggets effect It reminds me of how, during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, [Usain Bolt only ate chicken nuggets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZqioJ9ubYg&t=268s&ref=unbore.com) from McDonald’s because he didn’t want to risk getting an upset stomach from unfamiliar local food. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379349926-Group-35493.png) So when you reach out to relatives, friends, or ex-colleagues, you eliminate the trust barrier. That’s how most freelancers I know found their first client. But now you might be thinking… ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379350389-Group-35497.png) Great question! This leads us to our second method. --- ## Method II: Intros and Referrals (Trust-First) Once you’ve built a basic portfolio and a small network, it’s time to chase better clients. And I don’t know if the [Six Degrees of Separation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six%5Fdegrees%5Fof%5Fseparation?ref=unbore.com) theory is true, but a warm intro can definitely take you far. ### How to ask for an intro Asking someone to introduce you is asking them to risk their reputation for you. So don’t just ask for a favor, show them the value you’ll bring to the client. Here’s the template I use: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379350959-Group-35540.png) And a good intro should look something like this: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379351282-Sugarman-1418.png) The warmer the intro, the lower your chances of getting ghosted. And once you get the intro, it’s quite similar to cold outreach, which we’ll discuss next. --- ## Method III: Cold Outreach (Pain-first) Business owners and executives get loads of spam. Like this email I got last week: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379351770-Group-35520.png) So when I send cold outreach, I don’t ask for work. **I do the work.** I research, find a problem, and then show exactly how I’d solve it. The more bullish I am on the deal, the more time I spend on my pitch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379352176-Group-35514-1-1024x1019.png) ### Example: my WordPress dev, [Ridwan](https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01384205e3c7a2c5e9?ref=unbore.com) 1\. He found a real problem on my site. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379352693-Group-35509-1024x787.png) 2\. Then, showed me his step-by-step solution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379353088-Frame-1000002616-1-1024x581.png) I hired him on the spot. We’ve been working together for two years now. ### Don’t stop following up Some people don’t reply on the first try. Or at all. But I keep trying until I get a no. I’ve learned that follow-ups are annoying only if they don’t add any value. When I add more ideas or send fun emails, clients actually appreciate my persistence. One client was interested at first, but then stopped replying after the holidays. This meme got the conversation going again: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379353437-Group-35506-760x1024.png) ### “Isn’t it like working for free?” Yes, but it pays off. I love the mindset of this [17-year-old](https://noahkagan.com/how-a-17-year-old-got-a-150000-job-with-me/?ref=unbore.com) who used cold outreach to land a $150k job: > “If they hire me, great. If they don’t, also great! I’ll try the same idea on another client or just have a new piece of content for my portfolio.” And speaking of content… --- ## Method IV: Content Creation (Taste-First) Sharing your work online matters. [Ben Stiller](https://youtu.be/kagT4109TTU?si=qA8jfJY1y7h%5FhRiJ&t=70&ref=unbore.com) found [this artist](https://www.extraweg.com/?ref=unbore.com) on Instagram and hired him to create the opening credits for *Severance.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379353950-Scene-1-3.gif) [This stunning piece](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmS3m0OG-Ug&ref=unbore.com) won an Emmy. Another example is [Karen X Cheng](https://www.instagram.com/karenxcheng?igsh=bTllcDh4ZXFlanFm&ref=unbore.com). She started posting random video experiments. Brands liked it, and now she’s making ads for Adobe and Google. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379366068-Scene-2-2.gif) And I’ve built my audience on this principle too. My first viral posts were just me creating spec ads for [Tinder](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Fmarketing-copywriting-advertising-activity-6826438030975361024-54wh/?ref=unbore.com) and [KeepCup](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shlomogenchin%5Fhow-i-write-headlines-fast-activity-6892391084060672000-34c7/?ref=unbore.com). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379373894-Sugarman-1419.png) These got me my first serious clients. So share the work you want to create, and if it’s good, the right clients will come. It can be a: - Dribbble/Behance profile - Social Media Account - Blog/Newsletter - Podcast ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379374878-Group-35522.png) Sure, content creation is not for everyone. But before you give up on this, consider an easier option: ### Communities and groups Helping people in a small Facebook group or in your coworking space’s Slack channel is also “content.” And it’s often even more effective than just posting on social media. In a Facebook group about the course-creation software I’m using, there’s a guy who posts guides and helps people with their questions. It’s a small group, but he gets tons of clients from it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379376022-Frame-1000002619.png) And once you start sharing content online, I also recommend presenting it in front of a live audience. Here’s why… --- ## Method V: Speaking (Taste-First) I used to buy tickets to every industry event, but the same thing happened every time: I’d go there, have awkward networking small talk, eat a dry sandwich, sit through a bunch of talks, and go home without meeting a single client. But then, I got invited to speak at a small marketing event in Berlin. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379376565-image-1207.png) Impactic Content Conference, Jan 2023 There were fewer than a hundred people in the room, but I got 3 solid freelancing offers. Since then, public speaking has gotten me 50% of my clients. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379377470-Sugarman-1420-2.png) Getting speaking gigs isn’t easy without a corporate job title. But if you create good content, *someone* will let you speak. ### How to find events you can speak at I use this Perplexity/ChatGPT prompt template: Find \[INDUSTRY\] conferences, events, and meetups focused on \[Niche\]. Filters: - Dates: \[START\] to \[END\] - Locations: \[LIST\] - Format: \[in-person/online\] For each event, include: - Name - Dates - Location - Speaker application link or contact email (whichever is available) Present the results in a neat table. --- ## Pro Tip: Stack Methods Each method above works by itself, but combining them increases your chances even more. A few months ago, I wanted to work with one of the fastest-growing startups in the world. Here’s what I did: **1\. Outreach (pain):** I spent 20+ hours finding missed opportunities and writing a growth plan with content strategy and ad examples. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379377919-Sugarman-1421-1024x683.png) I also created quick landing page mockups. **2\. Content creation (taste):** I added links to my previous ads and content. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379378607-Sugarman-1422-1024x683.png) **3\. Intro (trust):** I found out that a friend of mine knows the founder and added a photo with her to my pitch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379379250-Sugarman-1423-1024x683.png) It was a big bet, but to my surprise, it worked. We met for coffee the next day, and I got the gig. --- ## Bonus: Choosing Your Clients Freelance work is like LEGOs. One piece sits on top of another. Clients refer to each other. People will hire you based on your case studies. So don’t try to save sinking companies. Instead, try to find underrated products that already have strong demand. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379380123-Sugarman-1424.png) For example, my friend [Eddie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshleyner/?ref=unbore.com) always checks if a company has a high-quality email list before working with them. He sets himself up for success. That’s why he’s a top 1% freelancer. ### More than money The money you’re paid shouldn’t be the only value you get from a project. Strong portfolio pieces, solid case studies, and referrals often matter way more in the long run. [Julian Shapiro](https://www.julian.com/blog/life-planning?ref=unbore.com), one of my favorite bloggers, outlined seven ways you can get value from a project: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379380565-Screenshot-2025-12-15-at-15.49.45-1.png) So I try to choose projects that help me learn, grow my audience, and build meaningful connections. --- ## Methods I haven’t tried These methods work too, but I haven’t tried them myself. - **Free audits and consulting**: Offer free calls on websites like [Growth Mentor](https://www.growthmentor.com/?ref=unbore.com), then convert people into clients. - **Paid ads:** If you’re ready to scale or sell a premium service. - **Freelancing platforms:** Upwork, Contra, Fiverr, etc. ## You made it! Writing this took *way* too long, but if it helps even one person land a new gig, it was worth it 🙂 ### How to use Nano Banana to make memorable ad visuals URL: https://www.unbore.com/how-to-use-nano-banana-to-make-memorable-ad-visuals/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T07:28:11.000Z Oh, Nano Banana. The greatest AI image tool. Here are 12 ways I use it to make ads: --- ## 01\. Change Hairstyle ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379381414-email.jpg) **Prompt:** Mess up her hair so it looks like a full-on bad hair day: Uneven volume, frizzy strands, pieces sticking out in random directions and covering her face. --- ## 02\. Expand Frame ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379382056-email-5fe192e4-52b0-43c3-9191-e7368907dd79.jpg) **Prompt:** Zoom out to reveal her legs and more of the room she was painted in, while keeping the same original painting style. --- ## 03\. Change Outfits ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379382717-email-bde4ec79-d48d-48ad-aba2-4c5ac12d6dc9.jpg) **Prompt:** Replace her dress with pink cozy pajamas covered in cute cat illustrations. ​ Replace her shoes with warm, furry slippers featuring a quilted texture. --- ## 04\. Create Mockups ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379383411-email-a7dca86f-6adf-4e29-b7f0-fb754ab315f4.jpg) **Prompt:** Show the ad printed on a giant wall mural in Berlin. The mural covers the entire side of a building, with natural city lighting and realistic wall texture. Add a few Berlin street elements like bikes, graffiti, and a tram. --- ## 05\. Switch Angles ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379384302-email-3e325c62-986f-421b-9185-4da4390b45e8.jpg) **Prompt:** The woman is seated in the same chair, but she is turned away from the viewer, facing the landscape. ​ We only see her face turning toward us, her back, and the back of the chair. --- ## 06\. Add Elements ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379385009-email-36efb444-b370-4b94-975d-d68825962201.jpg) **Prompt:** Add six more hands to this woman so she has eight in total. Six of the hands should be waving. ​ All eight hands should look realistic, match her skin tone, and blend seamlessly with the original painting style. --- ## 07\. Change Expression ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379385727-kBA82ikhJjcaTqPVrdjmh1.jpg) **Prompt:** Make her look like she’s just realized she made a big mistake. --- ## 08\. Remove Things ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379386402-j7MYgrPUfmbV3uzHJkShy5.jpg) **Prompt:** Remove the woman from the painting so only the empty chair and background remain. --- ## 09\. Change Age ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379387353-email-98c8ef38-c4c6-4edc-9a09-dcdcbde62ada.jpg) **Prompt:** Make her look 90 years old. --- ## 10\. Change Style ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379387945-email-86feb390-3dd1-4481-81f7-749e53bf816c.jpg) **Prompt:** Turn this painting into an unfinished pencil sketch. --- ## 11\. Change Setting ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379388839-vX8N3j3DBn4gwzpc2BrVhW.jpg) **Prompt:** Change the setting so she’s sitting on a plane. --- ## 12\. Change Lighting ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379389524-email-647832a7-54b3-4316-914d-411381f7c3e2.jpg) **Prompt:** Make the scene dark, like it’s the middle of the night, and light her face with a soft blue glow, similar to the gentle light from a laptop. ​ Keep the rest of the environment dim so the blue light stands out. --- ## Bonus: Place Products ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379390192-6uqU8NiRBxNBzc3MdhJ4WS.jpg) For this one, I tried a different prompting technique: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/56/7c/567cd7c2-834c-4b5b-a024-a798f2ebbdf8/content/images/2026/03/1772379390887-mHHRfThpRzpNeK9vuKvUcz.jpg) Instead of a simple text prompt, I added another reference image and annotations on the original image. This helps me get more precise results or edit a few elements at once.