September 3, 2010 6:53 AM PDT
This probably isn't exactly the kind of Wow you're looking for, but it was a Wow. The most unusual thing involved saying NO to the king, i.e. one of the national network's biggest clients. I told him repeatedly, through his intermediary and then personally, that I absolutely refused to write a commercial his way. This was a nationally-known psychologist. He had a product that was supposed to help women who'd been through a very specific, emotionally wrenching experience. He wanted to sell the product by making the women in the target demographic re-live the experience. I refused, which seemed to throw him. I explained that they don't need a reminder of the experience. They likely live it every day. It would serve only to alienate them. All they need to know is there's a way to ease their pain. (I was just always a little amazed that I had to explain this to a professional shrink.)
The most "creative" thing might have been telling a client to stop being creative. (Readers of Hot Points may recall this story.) I was asked to fix a spot that wasn't pulling. It was for a one-time medical procedure as an alternative to CPAP. If you don't know CPAP, it's a machine for people with sleep apnea. It has a face mask attached to a hose that connects to a respirator. Alternatives to wearing the mask are possible brain damage and death. And simply using the machine is an annoyance, and offers an entire litany of potential embarrassments.
Yet, somehow, the client thought it was a good idea to open his :60 with all kinds of jokes about sleeping with a leaf blower attached to your face and how it doesn't do much for your love life. (Complete with sound effects! Yay!) Call volume was crap. I looked at the copy, and told the rep that (a) he should switch them from :60s to :30s for more frequency, and (b) I could fix it. I then threw out all the comedy and opened with the simple headline: "You have a CPAP and you hate it." Then, I asked the listener if he'd like to get rid of it for good. Explained briefly that there was a medical procedure that could help, and here's how to have a free consultation. Call now. Call volume increased 400% overnight.
Being direct instead of "creative" and saying No are two incredibly powerful tools.
September 3, 2010 12:32 PM PDT
Love it! Classic Blaine Parker on all counts.
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go sign up to receive it every Tuesday. Good stuff.
