The Prompt to Kill the Obvious, Ruthlessly.
Strategist—no matter your industry, the obvious is your enemy.
Every industry has its version of “the easy answer.” In marketing, we call it the obvious.
❌ It’s what stakeholders nod at.
❌ What competitors copy.
❌ What consumers ignore.
The obvious looks safe. But it kills differentiation.
What Does “Obvious” Look Like?
❌ Smartphones: “Our camera is better.” (Every phone says this. No one cares anymore.)
❌ Electric Cars: “It’s sustainable.” (Sustainability is table stakes. What else?)
❌ Streaming Services: “More content.” (More? How about you lower the monthly fee?)
❌ Laptops: “Faster processor, new colors, blah blah blah” (Marginal gains, it’s not why people buy laptops today.)
❌ Fast Food Chains: “Fresh ingredients.” (This should be a given, not a differentiation.)
❌ Auto Dealerships: “Best price, best service.” (Everyone claims this…therefore, “you are a lier”)
❌ Makeup Brands: “Now with hyaluronic acid.” (Innovative benefits? What else?)
❌ Tourism & Hotels: “Unforgettable experience.” (It is supposed to be unforgettable.)
Sound familiar?
❌ “Best price.”
❌ “More features.”
❌ “Unforgettable experience.”
❌ “Premium quality.”
❌ “Now with hyaluronic acid.”
❌ “Fast. Easy. Reliable.”
That’s because everyone says it. And no one hears it.
The Problem:
The obvious feels right because it’s familiar. But that’s why it fails.
Obvious messages:
Blend in
Waste budget
Undermine trust
Create work that looks like everyone else’s
If your message can be copied by a competitor and still make sense, it’s not strategy. It’s filler.
Strategy Is About Saying Something Only You Can Say
Let’s be real: Most campaigns don’t fail because of bad execution. They fail because they were built on clichés. And when those tired ideas sneak back into brainstorms (because they always do), you need to kill them. Ruthlessly.
Prompt to Remove the Obvious and Find the Edge:
[TASK]: Refine a campaign by removing obvious, overused, and expected elements.
[CONTEXT]: The current direction feels safe, familiar, and unremarkable. We need something sharper and more unique.
[INPUT]: Coors Light wants to run a summer campaign targeting Gen Z and Millennials in Puerto Rico. The idea is around “refreshment, chill moments, beach vibes.” Channels include social, retail POS, OOH, and radio.
[OUTPUT FORMAT]:
1. List the overused messaging, visuals, and calls to action.
2. Identify what’s unique about the product or brand.
3. Provide 5-10 new messaging directions (10 words or less).
4. Make them bold, different, and cut through noise.
Example: Coors Light – Summer Campaign
🛑 What to Remove:
Messaging: “Cold refreshment,” “Beach vibes,” “Stay chill,” “Summer fun,” “Ice cold beer”
Visuals: Palm trees, sunglasses, bikinis, golden hour, people clinking bottles
CTA: “Find your chill,” “Grab a cold one,” “Summer’s calling”
Structure: Static beach shots + pack shot + logo + fade to blue
🔥 What’s Unique:
Coors Light is the only beer born in the Rockies, made with pure mountain water.
Its cold-activated cans are a built-in ritual that no other beer has.
It represents escape through simplicity, not noise or hype.
💡 Fresh Messaging Angles:
Cold starts on the can, not the calendar
Brewed where chill was born
No beach. Just mountains and ice.
Chill is a ritual, not a mood
Turn blue. Then drink.
No hype. Just cold.
Silence the scroll. Open a Coors.
Summer doesn’t start until it turns blue
Forget vibes. Start rituals.
The Rockies don’t do “beach days”
Final Thought:
The obvious won’t get you fired.
The obvious won’t make you famous.
And in a world this noisy, forgettable is failure.
Cut what’s expected. Create what only you can say.
Want help building GPTs that keep you sharp and original?
