Gary Provost & The Empty iPad Box Strategy

Hi friends,

I’m going to go straight to the point. 

Writing? Writing should be like music. Your readers must be so dwelled into it that they don’t even understand they reached the end. 

Today’s copywriting example shows you that.

School was all about grammar and spelling mistakes.

Real writing is much more than that. Much more than “write short,” “write clear,” and “use active voice,” you get the point, right?

Gary Provost said, “your reader should hear your writing ”. 

Just like they love listening to their music. 

In 1985, he published a chapter in his book 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing that became legendary. 

Not because it taught grammar. But because it taught rhythm.

He wrote two paragraphs side by side.

The first one? Every sentence was exactly five words. Perfectly controlled. Perfectly monotonous. It read like a metronome.

"This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It's like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety."

Your brain hates it. It feels like being lectured by a robot.

Then he wrote this.

The second paragraph mixed it up. One-word sentences. Medium ones. Long, flowing ones that swept you up like a wave.

"Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length..."

See. Much better, isn’t it?

Provost didn't just tell you to vary sentence length. He made you feel what happens when you don't.

The first paragraph is a trap. 

Your brain creates a pattern prediction "the next sentence will be short," which becomes boring instantly.

The second paragraph is the solution. 

He called it the "Greased Chute." Once you enter the long sentence, you slide all the way to the end without stopping.

This passage has been shared millions of times. 

But it's just Gary Provost. Writing music.

What would you do if someone mailed you an empty iPad box?

If you're like most humans, you'd open it. You'd be confused. Then you'd read the note inside.

And that note is worth everything.

Matt Heinz, founder of Heinz Marketing, figured this out. He was trying to book meetings with high-ticket enterprise leads. The kind of people who ignore emails, delete LinkedIn messages, and have assistants filter their calls.

So he sent them empty iPad boxes.

Not knockoffs. Actual Apple iPad packaging. Empty.

Inside the box? A simple note:

"We know your time is super valuable, but if you'd be willing to come have a conversation with us to solve [specific problem] that you already have, we'll hand you the iPad that was in this box."

That's it.

The results? He booked twice as many meetings as iPads he gave away.

Half the recipients took the offer outright—they wanted the iPad. The other half were so impressed by the creativity that they contacted the company anyway without claiming the iPad.

Think about that. $400 for an iPad. One meeting could close a $50,000 deal. But here's why this works:

It's not about the iPad.

1. Physical disruption. An iPad box on your desk is impossible to ignore. It breaks through the noise of 147 unread emails.

2. Psychological curiosity. Your brain screams, "Is there really an iPad in here?" You have to open it.

3. Reciprocity trigger. By offering something expensive, they make you feel obligated to at least respond. It's not a sales pitch. It's a gift offer tied to a conversation.

4. Exclusivity signal. Only the top prospects get this treatment. You feel special. Important. Chosen.

Localytics tried a similar tactic with iPad Minis. It worked, but not as well. The smaller box had less impact. The corporate insert felt too formal. Heinz's version won because it was simple, personal, and bold.

Here's the critical part: this only works if you target high-margin deals. Don't send 1,000 boxes to random leads. Send 25 boxes to your absolute best prospects.

The note inside must reference their specific problem.

The ask must be small. Not "buy our software." Just "have a conversation."

The reward must feel generous. 

The box isn't the offer. It's the conversation starter.

Here's how to adapt this:

Instead of: "Schedule a demo"
Try: "Meet us for 20 minutes, and we'll show you where you're losing $10K/month."

Instead of: "Try our product."
Try: "Let's audit your process. If we can't find savings, you keep the [premium reward]."

Instead of: generic outreach
Try: a physical box with something impossible to ignore inside.

Your homework this week: Identify your top 10 dream clients. What's the one problem they're struggling with right now? What could you send them that would make them stop scrolling and pick up the phone?

Talk soon,

Alen