The Cooler Daniel Meme Template

The same person appears twice, but the sunglasses make the second version “cooler.” Compare an ordinary thing with its upgraded, dressed-up, or only slightly different counterpart.

The yearbook labels already make the comparison: Daniel on the left, the cooler Daniel on the right. The nearly identical portraits keep the difference small enough to be funny.

The right-hand choice does not have to be objectively better. It can be your preferred version, a superficial upgrade, or the same thing with a more impressive name.

On September 24, 2013, 9GAG user demonmonkeys shared a photograph of a yearbook page with the two Daniel portraits. The second portrait adds sunglasses and the “cooler” label. Know Your Meme records that post as the image’s early online source. [1]

Later versions place new labels or images over the pair to compare a basic option with an enhanced version. The recognizable structure is the small change between two otherwise similar things. [1]

Add one label to each portrait, across the lower part of the shirt. Leave the sunglasses and original yearbook captions visible so readers can follow the comparison.

Choose two things that are clearly related. Coffee and iced coffee use “cooler” literally; a plain meal and its dressed-up version use the same small-upgrade joke.

The ordinary version

The label over the left portrait.

The cooler version

The label over the right portrait.

• Keep the favored or upgraded choice on the right.
• Use short labels with matching grammar.
• Make the relationship between the choices obvious.