Say it strangely

Creativity & Communication

Why did Apple say Think different rather than “Think differently”? Why did it follow that with “The funnest iPod ever” rather than something more grammatical? Why does Aleksandr the meerkat say “Simples”? Why did 7UP call itself The Uncola? Why did Budweiser make Whassup? central to its brand?

They are all examples of a linguistic quirk used to create memorability. Twist language just a little and you can make a phrase far more distinctive. It is a powerful technique, but easy to get wrong.

Behavioural principles

Behavioural ideas at play in this post

Short, plain-English explanations of the principles behind this post, with links to related books and examples in the archive.

Processing fluency

Easy-to-process things feel truer, safer, and more appealing.

More quotes

Availability heuristic

If an example comes to mind easily, we assume it is common or likely.

More quotes

Narrative bias

Coherent stories feel truer than messy reality.

More quotes

Say it strangely

Behavioural ideas at play in this post

Sharp thinking in your inbox