TL;DR: Most AI writing feels generic because models play it safe. This technique uses “contrastive” prompting to force unique outputs by explicitly banning common styles and blending unexpected ones.
It is incredibly frustrating when you ask an LLM for a brand voice and get the same corporate speak it gives everyone else. The models are designed to be helpful and safe, which often translates to boring. This is exactly what u/Glass-War-2768 addressed in a recent post on the Prompt Engineering subreddit. The author argues that to get something unique, you have to use contrast to push the AI out of its comfort zone.
Here is the exact prompt the creator shared to fix this issue:
The Contrastive Prompt
Write a pitch for [Product]. Don’t make it sound like [Brand A]. Make it sound like a cross between [Brand B] and [Brand C]. Highlight ‘Friction Points’.
Why this works
I really like the logic the original poster used here because it leverages how Large Language Models actually think.
- Negative Constraints: By saying “Don’t make it sound like [Brand A],” you are cutting off the most probable (and boring) neural pathways. You are telling the AI what not to do, which effectively removes the cliché answers from the pool of possibilities.
- Conceptual Blending: Asking for a cross between [Brand B] and [Brand C] forces the model to synthesize two different styles. If you mix “Apple” with “Wendy’s,” you get professional minimalism with a chaotic edge. It creates a new voice that doesn’t exist in the training data.
- Specific Focus: Highlighting “Friction Points” ensures the copy isn’t just fluff; it addresses actual customer pain.
Use Cases 🛠️
- Rebranding: When you need to pivot away from a competitor’s style, set the competitor as [Brand A].
- Social Media: Mix a serious industry leader with a comedian to create viral hooks that sound professional yet entertaining.
- Product Descriptions: Blend luxury descriptors with technical specifications to make dry hardware sound appealing.
Variations to try
The expert who posted this focused on brands, but you can easily swap those variables for other stylistic influences. Instead of brands, try using specific authors (e.g., “Hemingway meets tech support”) or genres (e.g., “Cyberpunk meets Regency Romance”). Additionally, you can improve the output by listing the specific “Friction Points” you want the AI to target, rather than letting it guess.
If you want to see the original context or discuss this with the community, check out the full discussion on Reddit!
The ‘Contrastive’ Prompt: How to find a unique brand voice.
by u/Glass-War-2768 in PromptEngineering