1) The sole purpose of the first sentence is to get you to read the second sentence. 2) People will jog to pleasure but they'll sprint from pain. 3) If you're selling something complicated, make it simple. 4) Only sell one thing at a time.
5) Specific sells better than generalities. 6) When you're done writing, delete your first sentence. Better yet, delete your first paragraph. 7) The most personal is the most creative. 8) The copywriter doesn't necessarily create art. They solves problems.
What would you add?
PS. I learned these rules (and 100s more) from @VeryGoodCopy.
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How do you sell a drink that's mainly famous for being disgusting?
You lean in.
Here's how Malört markets a product that turns "tastebuds to tastefoes"—and how they're dreaming of taking their gross-out tour nationwide.
🧵👇
If you've never heard of Malört, you're not alone.
Up until 2018, it was nearly impossible to find outside Illinois. But amongst Chicagoans, it's a cult classic that's famous—or infamous—for one reason:
It tastes f*cking awful.
Swedish immigrant Carl Jeppson created Malört in the 1920s.
Distilled w/wormwood, it was his take on Bränvinn, a traditional Swedish liquor that allegedly killed parasites. It also translates to "burnt wine."
(If you've ever had Malört, neither of these facts are surprising.)
You've probably never heard of Joe Sedelmaier. But you definitely know his work.
PBS called him a modern Buster Keaton. The NYT compared him to Preston Sturges. Spielberg said his style was Tati-esque.
He's maybe the greatest commercial director of all time.
Most famous for the iconic Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" spot, Sedelmaier also popularized a lot of the practices we take for granted in marketing today: like using humor, surrealism, empathy, and normal-looking people to make actually-entertaining ads.
Especially in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, his commercials dominated television. They cleaned up at Cannes and the Clios.
Today, he's in every Advertiser Hall of Fame that exists.
As Sedelmaier once said: "Let's face it: a commercial is what you watch when you sit down to watch something else...you should at least try to make it entertaining!"
Here was his formula to do just that: 🎥👇
1. Casting "normal people"
Instead of movie stars & models, Sedelmaier cast "ordinary people"—the quirkier the better. He called it 50% of the reason for his success. It's how he found Clara Peller, an 80-year-old manicurist who became the face (and voice) of "Where's the Beef?"
2. Cinematic visual style
Art school grad Sedelmaier brought an auteur's eye to his work.
His ads felt like classic screwball comedies. He was profiled in the NYT, 60 Minutes, and Esquire for making commercials people actually wanted to watch.
You've heard about the Barbie movie's marketing team.
But did you know Barbie was CREATED by a marketer?
This is the story of Barbie's mom Ruth, and how her marketing smarts transformed her from a secretary into a mega-mogul...and a kids' toy into a global brand.
🪡 💅
How did a young stenographer at Paramount and her struggling art student husband end up creating the world's biggest toy empire—and indirectly, the world's biggest movie?
Simple: by understanding their market better than anyone else.
Let's get into it, dolls.
Ruth Handler was born Ruth Mosko in 1916 to Polish-Jewish immigrants.
Despite her parents' objections, she married her high school sweetheart Elliot Handler, an aspiring artist.
Turns out, it was the smartest decision Elliot ever made.