How To Use “Airplane Contrast” In Your Copy

I’m flying today for work.

For me, this is both a good thing and a bad thing.

I actually love the experience of flying above the clouds.

And I’m also a bit of a plane nerd.

I mean … I literally have an augmented reality app on my phone that I can point in the sky to see what planes are flying overhead at any moment.

Yes, yes. Very nerdy. Part of why I’m a writer. Lol.

But … flying, as fun as it is, is also a total slog.

The lines. The security checkpoints. The ridiculous amount of people. The cost of food (and the lack of vegan options).

Oh, and did I mention THE LINES?

Aaaaanyway.

One of the best parts of a flight happens right after takeoff. Especially if you’re flying on a dark, cloudy morning … like I am today.

You know the experience.

Board the plane under a dark gray sky. Rain pelting the jet way. Cold air seeping through the windows as you catwalk to the plane.

Look out at the bleak, uninspiring sky. Bumble about the raindrops blocking your view on the plane window.

Then … engines rumble … plane barrels down the runway … front wheels up … back wheels up … and you’re airborne.

You climb for a few minutes above some shrinking city and slowly approach the cloudline.

And suddenly — as if an elevator bell dinged to softly announce your arrival at the correct floor — you pop out above the clouds and into the sunshine.

Sparkling blue sky all around.

Warmth of the sun on your face.

This is the exact feeling I am constantly trying to help my prospects see in my copy.

It’s the “aha” moment.

The arrival.

Does it mean the flight is over?

No … there’s still a journey to go on.

And you can talk about that journey in your copy if you so desire.

But how do you give them that “pop above the clouds” feeling when you write?

Contrast.

Contrast can be worked into your copy in many ways.

The most obvious is the demonstration I provided above, painting a scenario of moving from a “negative” situation to a “positive” one.

But not all copy should (or needs to be) so blunt.

Sometimes it can be as simple as using a testimonial.

“I never knew where all my money was going each month. Then I downloaded this app and found out I could save $816 a year just by canceling some subscriptions.”

Other times, you can use comparisons to build contrast.

Talk about a solution that works (your product) and a solution that is inferior (your competitor).

You can even use the “mechanism” option I describe in this blog post to help you build that argument: https://www.stealthiscopy.com/blog/bike-store-advertising

But I digress.

Because now, my plane is landing … and I’m going from the warm sunshine sky to the cloudy city down below.

And I have to deal with … LINES.

David Patrick