AI and Hyperbole

I loved the Weekly World News when I was in college.

“Alien Bible Found, They Worship Oprah”
“Bat Boy Found in Cave!”
“Bigfoot Kept Lumberjack as Love Slave!”

I sure did love to stand in the checkout line and give it a once-over. The Bat Boy even made a brief splash on Penn State culture, as he/she/it turned up as several Halloween costumes that year.

But this was the Weekly World News. Expectations set and met.

Hyperbole has always been used in marketing and sales copy, including legit newspaper headlines. The snake oil salesman and the paperboy have always had to figure out how to extract the mark’s dollars. Hyperbole was one of his tools in the toolbox. 

Hyperbole grabs eyes and clicks. It always has. AI makes hyperbole effortless and scalable. 

A caution: Be careful how you position your product or service because you might just have to live up to it.