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Outrageous Direct Response Ads

by Mark Andrews Banned
24 replies
I've got a copy of the book by Bill Glazer here - Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful.

There's are lots of brilliant ideas in it for anyone interested in direct response copywriting. Some really off the wall examples which have generated a huge response rate in the past.

Can you add a few outrageous direct response ad ideas of your own to this thread? What outrageous ideas for example in direct mail have worked for you or you've come across on your travels as a copywriter?

Obviously in direct mail the last thing you want for your mailshot is for the piece you send out to end up on the B pile (I'll look at it later).

Or worse... the C pile (straight into the trash it goes).

To ensure your mail shot makes it to the A pile (I must open this right now to find out what this is all about) what might you do for any given niche of your choosing?

Thanks,


Mark Andrews
#ads #direct #direct response #direct response ideas #outrageous #outrageous advertising #outrageous mailshots #outrageous marketing #response
  • Profile picture of the author videolover7
    Originally Posted by Mark Andrews View Post


    Can you add a few outrageous direct response ad ideas of your own to this thread? What outrageous ideas for example in direct mail have worked for you or you've come across on your travels as a copywriter?
    How about if you start... what was your favorite "outrageous idea" from the book?

    VL
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
      Banned
      Not got a favorite as such since it was quite a while ago when I last read the book.

      Okay, let's just pick it up and very quickly leaf through and stop at any one page and see what comes up...

      Righty oh... I stopped at page 91 just by chance. Where Bill Glazer was talking about creating outrageous headlines.

      He was given one headline to work with which needed to be made a lot stronger to elicit a much higher response rate.

      It started off with...

      "Who Else Wants to QUICKLY & EASILY
      Discover How You Can Save HALF OFF ON
      All Your Furniture Purchases Before April 27th?"

      He then goes on to encourage having a little fun with your attention grabbing headlines and came up with this outrageous example based off the one above...

      "Oh Momma get out the smelling salts!!
      When you find out you can buy all of your furniture at Half
      Price from now until April 27th, the shock will probably
      send you right into a dead faint."

      He then goes on to state...

      ...that your headline is the only chance you often get to make the right kind of impression first time round.

      And maybe your only chance to get it right.

      So get it right.

      Getting someone to say, "Gee, I want to read the rest" is the goal of the headline.

      You know what I love about physical books as opposed to many of the guides available online?

      First, it's the sheer comprehensive nature of the contents contained in a physical book, in this case over 300 pages of examples from right across the direct mail / direct response spectrum.

      And secondly... the fact that you can read this book, hold it in your hands on the bog, whilst taking a bath, whilst swinging in the hammock or lying in bed away from the computer or any electronic handheld device. The fact you can make pencilled notes in the margin too is a huge bonus. And be able to do all of this for the princely sum of just $20.

      Outrageous.


      Mark Andrews
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      • Profile picture of the author videolover7
        Sounds like a good read. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

        I checked Amazon, and for those who prefer their reading material in electronic format, there's a Kindle version available for only $7.69.

        It was originally published in 2009.

        VL
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        • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
          Originally Posted by videolover7 View Post

          Sounds like a good read. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

          I checked Amazon, and for those who prefer their reading material in electronic format, there's a Kindle version available for only $7.69.

          It was originally published in 2009.

          VL
          Don't get the Kindle version, get the actual book. The images don't render well. - Rick Duris
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          • Profile picture of the author videolover7
            Originally Posted by RickDuris View Post

            Don't get the Kindle version, get the actual book. The images don't render well. - Rick Duris
            There's a Kindle book reader for the PC. Images render fine on it.

            You old guys just love them paper and ink books, don't you? LOL

            VL
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  • Profile picture of the author debml
    I agree with Rick - I (thought) I wanted a Kindle Fire, but was given an Ipad instead. In both the Ipad and kindle for PC, it's hard to read the ads.
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    • Profile picture of the author SMSWriter
      I'm sorry that Kindle hijacked your thread, Mark.

      Here's my headline pick:

      HOT

      A new consumer concept lets you buy stolen merchandise if you're willing to take a risk.


      - Sugarman

      Thanks for keeping the conversations going...

      Shanen
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      • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
        Mark

        You are English (Well Cornish from what I gather in the Off Topic Forum )

        How well does that stuff translate into the UK market in your opinion?

        Reason I ask is because I never see it anywhere.

        Dan

        PS: I'm not a copywriter, just interested in sales type things which is why I read this forum.
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        • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
          Banned
          Originally Posted by jimbo13 View Post

          Mark

          You are English (Well Cornish from what I gather in the Off Topic Forum )

          How well does that stuff translate into the UK market in your opinion?

          Reason I ask is because I never see it anywhere.

          Dan

          PS: I'm not a copywriter, just interested in sales type things which is why I read this forum.
          English? How dare you sir! I splutter with indignation. Bloomin' emmets. Anglo Saxons yrrr'ack!

          How well does it translate over into our market? You're right. Probably not very well. Well, it could do, only like you state you never see anyone here trying it out for themselves.

          Take the Internet for example... lot's of businesses still haven't got a website.

          They're still relying on advertising every single week in their local throwaway newspapers and Yellow Pages. Why? Because this is all they know. They've dug their heels in and many of these SME companies are afraid to change. It's really quite sad.

          I've tried myself here often to 'educate' a few local guys to look at Internet marketing in very simple terms and you can watch it happening right in front of you, as their eyes glaze over even when you talk about the importance of directing the right kind of highly targeted leads to their business - a lot of the info just seems to fly off straight over the top
          of their heads. They just can't or won't take it seriously.

          They've buried their head in the proverbial sand, "Oh Bert, my grandson he's into all that sort of thing, designs websites part time - I'll get him to look at it."

          It's enough to make a man scream the stupidity of their blinkered, narrowminded, close-minded take on the subject often.

          You look at their website and the design looks like something out of the dark ages, the text used on their site hopelessly inadequate for their needs and riddled with keywords with little or no sign of benefits to the very people they're trying to reach.

          And so tight fisted they don't want to accept anything which upsets their view of the world of business. "Oh it might work for somebody else but not me. I know this business niche better than anyone."

          I was down at Cadgwith on The Lizard last summer and picked up a leaflet from the local pub there.

          It was an absolutely hideous design, looked like a 5 year old had put it together. Worded dreadfully. Asked the guy who owned the place how it was converting?

          Told close to 80%. Yeah right and I was born yesterday mate, I thought quietly to myself without saying anything. Who are you trying to fool? 80% my foot. "So where are you distributing it?" I asked.

          "We're not, we don't need to. People come in here and they pick it up off the bar and then order something." I just groaned inwardly at the utter stupidity of the reply. But that's what we're dealing with here.

          Many businesses on this side of the pond haven't got the faintest foggiest clue what they're taking about when it comes to marketing full-stop.

          Trying to suggest to them to start coming up with imaginative, out of the box inventive ways to really connect with their ideal target audience is a real up-hill battle.

          If it's not on TV or advertised every week in their local newspapers or the Yellow Pages they instantly label it a scam, here one day, no doubt gone the next and probably best avoided.

          It staggers me sometimes that they actually attract any new customers at all, nevermind turn a profit.

          One of the reasons I truly love Americans is the fact they understand sales.

          They understand marketing. They realise it's importance Jim. It's place. And it's purpose. And they don't have this knee-jerk adverse reaction to the subject as soon as you bring it up.

          Dare I say it, they're a lot more entrepreneurial over there than your typical British guy in business this side of the pond.

          Outrageous direct response advertising... who knows the prevailing attitude over here in the UK might change soon. Fingers crossed.

          Give it another 10-15 years for the older generation to kick the bucket into retirement and we might actually start making progress again with a younger generation taking the business reigns who aren't afraid to try new marketing ideas out.

          I better stop right there because soon you'll have me firing off on UK sociology and social engineering one of my favourite subjects which I could go off on, on a huge number of tangents.

          Good question Jim. What's your personal take on it?

          Warmest regards,


          Mark Andrews
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          • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
            Wow, an essay! Thanks Mark

            I'm thinking we find it a little cringeworthy over here.

            But on the other hand I read your post last week about how to write a salesletter, where you said the job of the headline is to get the reader to read the next line until the end and hopefully fulfill the desired response.

            So whatever one thinks of cringeworthy headlines, if I was looking for furniture I would at least look at line 2 to see what that said.

            So job done.

            I read something the other day and it was from 2006.

            It said that ads were only 50% as effective as 10 years ago (so that would be 1996) and cost 3 times as much.

            Ouch!!

            So maybe UK SMEs need to start getting that into their heads.

            It certainly made me think.

            Have you ever given a talk to a business group about that sort of thing at all?

            Or are you not interested in that sort of thing? You just like to write?

            Dan

            PS: I need to go out now to take rubbish to recycle centre. I wouldn't mind e-mailing you about some stuff if that is okay with you as you are Eng...erm Cornish
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            • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
              Banned
              I'm a jibbling quivering wreck verbally words just come tumbling out at a 1000mph stuttering over my sentences as I go, gesticulating wildly and getting more and more animated - it's not a pretty sight.

              Give me the written word any day of the week.

              Actually, I'm not too bad I guess. I was brought up with a microphone in front of my face giving talks to the congregation at 'church' from about 4 years old up until my early 20's. Often in front of a large audience and very articulate too. It's just not my thing telephone conversations, face to face or networking / training events etc especially not in impersonal conference facilities which I hate with a vengeance.

              Now... if a few marketers and business guys want to come and have a chat around my camp fire, then I'm completely up for it. Got to be out in the countryside though, somewhere out in the wilds. City people they're just bloody strange the lot of 'em. Don't understand them all that dressing up in poncy suits and what have you - load of bloody codswallop.

              Outrageous enough for you?
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  • Profile picture of the author ProAffiliate01
    Some of these ads are alright-not great but alright. I think the stolen item ad is funny. (I'm trying to figure out sometimes when people on these threads are serious or joking. )
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
      Banned
      Originally Posted by ProAffiliate01 View Post

      Some of these ads are alright-not great but alright.
      Care to expand on your theory?

      Fire away, I'm looking forward to your in-depth analysis.


      Mark Andrews
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      • Profile picture of the author NickN
        OK, this isn't a direct-response ad. But it's a prime example of outrageous marketing.

        There's a hotdog stand in Chicago called The Weiner Cirlce. It's famous because of the rowdy atmosphere and the, um, "animated" staff.

        Sometimes things get out of hand when the drunk crowd rolls in late at night. But this place is making BANK.

        WARNING: Extremely coarse language ahead...

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        • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
          Banned
          Nahhh that's not clever marketing Nick, that's just being crass for crassness sake.

          I mean my language can get quite colorful at times, actually correct that, very colorful at times but in business? Uh huh.

          That's just ridiculous.

          What does everyone else think? Do you think this is clever positioning? Good marketing or just being crass for the sake of it?

          Any thoughts?


          Mark Andrews
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          • Profile picture of the author NickN
            Originally Posted by Mark Andrews View Post

            Nahhh that's not clever marketing Nick, that's just being crass for crassness sake.

            I mean my language can get quite colorful at times, actually correct that, very colorful at times but in business? Uh huh.

            That's just ridiculous.

            What does everyone else think? Do you think this is clever positioning? Good marketing or just being crass for the sake of it?

            Any thoughts?


            Mark Andrews
            I don't necessarily think it's clever positioning in a sense that it's original or inventive. But I do think it's smart.

            The crassness is mostly for show, and the customers eat it up. In fact, the whole uncouth nature of The Weiner Cirlce is why it's famous (it even has a reality show).

            Unless I was plastered, I'd probably be too chicken to eat there. But I totally get why the business uses vulgarity and crassness as its main selling point -- because it works.
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  • Profile picture of the author msu
    Fellow Brits - get used to this kind of copy because everything American makes its way to UK eventually.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Andrews
      Banned
      Originally Posted by msu View Post

      Fellow Brits - get used to this kind of copy because everything American makes its way to UK eventually.
      That's what you think. :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author Neil AM
    Copy like this works just as well in the UK - we just bitch about it more. We've still got all the same emotional triggers and we'll still put our hands in our wallets for a well-crafted DR letter.

    On the Weiner Circle, I agree with Nick... they've found themselves a market and they deliver what that market won't get anywhere else. Some people aren't going to like it, but there's no good reason for them to care, because the ones who do like it are going to LOVE it, and keep coming back. Seems like pretty hot marketing to me.

    And Mark: I'm Cornish too, but I make a point of wearing poncy suits. They're not just for the emmets
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  • Profile picture of the author samuraig
    I like those, they're funny and would definitely make me want to open the envelope... but only for a laugh. It would maybe set me in the mood to buy furniture.

    The ones that work for me lately are those that look like they're hand addressed and come in plain white envelopes. I've seen a few come through the mail and they get me every time. I usually take a glance at the letter and scan it because I think (at first) I'm getting a letter from a friend or family member.
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  • Profile picture of the author The Marketeer
    I remember almost 12 years ago Nightingale Conant was selling "Outrageous Advertising" in tape form using post card marketing. I usually like listening to quality content but when time is not on your side books come in pretty handy.

    Here's another gem from one of Drayton Bird's recent newsletters:
    Now, before I make my point:

    Have you ever seen a VW Touareg towing a jumbo jet?

    This little stunt was actually organised by a firm which is cursed by having me as chairman - and was so memorable it was used in the TV commercials.

    It's an example of what is probably the hottest thing in marketing today - experiential marketing. That is, arranging occasions when people not only see your product in use - they try it out.

    Then if they like the experience this has three immediate benefits.

    • If they are already your customers, they become far more loyal.
    • If they are prospects, a remarkable percentage go ahead and buy.
    • And whichever they are, they tell their friends. Word of mouth.
    That really should not surprise you, actually.

    Ask yourself what is the most cost-effective weapon in internet marketing.

    Probably viral - word of mouth in cyberspace.

    What is the most cost-effective weapon in direct marketing?

    Probably MGM - member-get-a-member, or friend get a friend - word of mouth in print.
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