Fight: Copywriting Sushi vs. Copywriting Pizza

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I’ve been eating out a lot lately.

I know, I know. It’s not the healthiest thing for my body … or my wallet.

But can you really blame me?

I haven’t been in the city for 9 months!

That amount of time away from delicious restaurant food that I don’t have to cook MYSELF would make anybody go mad.

Anyway.

In the last week or so I’ve had both pizza and sushi.

Last night was the sushi.

(Vegan sushi, of course. You fiends.)

And it got me thinking. If copy was “constructed” like pizza or sushi, which one would win in a fight?

Let’s break it down.

First up, the hometown fave: Pizza

• Solid, chewy base lets you mull over your sale argument
• Rich, saucy coating pads “buyer objections”
• Cheese sprinkles of delight are your money-back-guarantee closer
• Meaty and veggie bits help pile on the bonuses
• Probably not healthy

The one good thing about a copywriting pizza is that you know exactly what you’re getting in one glance.

But therein lies the problem.

It just tries too hard.

To me, a copywriting pizza is like one of those old AF sales pages from Clickbank in the late 2000s.

They throw out EVERYTHING under the sun.

They’re bigger than they need to be.

They lay the sales argument on thick.

And they add 101 shitty “bonuses” and “money-back guarantees” to try and convince you to buy … instead of building desire.

Now let’s talk about the sush’

• Mysterious outer “shell” that builds mystery about what’s inside
• Sliced into pieces just like a buncha’ easy-to-consume sales bullets
• Impenetrable “base” argument (rice) builds up to the biggest desire (the fish or filling)
• Doesn’t try to be flashy or convince you of anything it’s not
• Probably healthier

Obviously, copywriting sushi is much better. It’s like a well-researched email or sales page that leaves just enough mystery to build desire.

It has an impenetrable base.

It’s easy to consume.

It forces you to take action to understand what’s inside.

And it’s generally high-quality without fronting anything flashy.

This is the type of copy you should aspire to write.

Sushi copy.

Sure, it takes longer to master. Putting toppings on a pizza is a lot easier than building a carefully crafted sushi roll.

In many ways, I’m still learning how to craft my own.

But I know that by spending my time on the “sushi” side of copywritng, I’m playing the long game.

You should too.

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David Patrick