Gene Schwartz & the rubber nipple salesmen
Published: Sun, 05/30/21
“Ren & Stimpy”
A disturbing show.
Created originally by a very disturbing guy.
But there was a sales & copywriting lesson embedded in one of the episodes that I not only never forgot, but distinctly remember thinking about it when I heard a recording of the late, great copywriter Gene Schwartz do a training on how he wrote some of his most powerful advertising.
It was in the episode where Ren & Stimpy were door-to-door rubber nipple salesmen.
And, the last house they stop at the guy actually invites them in.
And part of their pitch was showing all the uses of rubber nipples.
Like, for example:
* Storing your hair trimmings
* As suction cups to walk on the ceiling to change a light bulb
* Finger gloves for when you have to touch filthy and repulsive things
* Nose plugs
* Rain hat
* Protect your eyes from harmful UV-rays
* Make great hickeys on your neck
* And finally… knee-warmers for when your knees are chilly
Each application of the product was like what Schwartz called a “does-ie.”
A Does-ie being what your product does for someone. Duct Tape is probably the heavyweight champion of the world product for this. And, the more does-ies you can think up, the better the ad. In fact, many years ago Michael Senoff & I did a whole bunch of projects together and would often do this. Specifically, for a product that showed people how to buy a million dollar business without banks, loans, or using their own money. We sold that product on eBay to people already looking for businesses to buy like vending machine businesses, for example. People literally typing in the term “vending machine business” in the search looking for vending machine business opportunities would see our ad targeting them in the headline and description. And that ad would explain all the ways — does-ies — they could use the product for the vending machine business specifically.
More:
I talk about this some more in the June Email Players issue.
And after you read it, you may just look at writing ads in a whole new way.
Tomorrow’s the deadline to get this issue.
Here is the link:
https://www.EmailPlayers.com
Ben Settle