Controversial Headlines

[ccwriter]

Hi Folks:

I just sent out my quarterly print newsletter on marketing to small businesses in two chambers of commerce. To illustrate a point on the purpose of headlines, I created one with a photo of my dog Sweetie (looking forlorn) with a picture of a toy gun pointing at her head, and the headline: "Read This Newsletter or 'Sweetie' Gets it..."

The top article was: "Hard Core Headlines...Tips for getting your marketing materials read..." and the article focused on using outrageous headlines, such as one that an HVAC friend of mine uses, "Don't Kill Grandma!" where he explains how NOT to kill grandma by making sure her HVAC systems are in good working order, and that the purpose of the headline isn't to sell the product, but to get attention, etc.

I got one email response from a realtor who was upset by the headline and didn't think putting Sweetie on the cover with a cutout of a toy gun to her head was funny. She called me as well (but I wasn't home).

Got me to thinking...should I apologize to this woman for offending her? Should I re-think any controversial headline because it might offend someone, or is that in the "Get a Life" arena? The idea was to be ridiculous and get people to open the mailer--not to promote violence to pets, but what are your thoughts?

[Mr. Subtle]

Tell her you scammed the 7th greatest magazine cover in the last 40 years because you were just too frickin' lazy to put any effort into coming up with something somewhat original. And, if she has a problem with it, she should be writing to National Lampoon.

ASME's Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years

Hint...swiping copy isn't frowned upon by copywriters, but swiping designs is frowned upon by graphic designers.

[ccwriter]

Thanks, Mr. Subtle

So I can't use my own likeness of a 30-year-old magazine cover idea to make a point to an audience about headlines? It's my dog...my toy gun clip art, as you can see from the .pdf. Is this a fair use issue in this context?

[Mr. Subtle]

Originally Posted by ccwriter

So I can't use my own likeness of a 30-year-old magazine cover idea to make a point to an audience about headlines? It's my dog...my toy gun clip art, as you can see from the .pdf. Is this a fair use issue in this context?

It may be your dog ... your toy gun clip art, but you stole the idea and made it look like it was yours.

Also, it's a pretty lame looking envelope(?) using a pic of a dog and some toon clip art. Nothing says "I do this while sitting in my underwear at the kitchen table" than this...



Try to muster up an ounce of creativity and use the original cover idea (that Makepeace piked in a previous issue of his letter) to come up with something different. Off the top of my head...



It's not perfect (by a long shot since I'm adding a bit of humor to it), but I'm sure you could have come up with something similar and better if you would have worked at it for an hour or so.

[Power]

You got one negative response. How many people does the newsletter go out to? Is one a significant number in that context?

How many people got the lesson you were trying to teach because of the visual?

I find it ironic since, in my experience, most realtors would shoot a dog to get a listing. (A joke. Kinda.)

Be willing to repel so you may attract.

Way to be out there doing stuff. Don't let people (or posters) get you down.

[FinanceGuy]

You know, I usually agree with Subtle, but this time...


You're out of your mind. Them Amish keepin you up late?

Hell even pharmaceutical companies only have patents for so many years. And they invest hundreds of millions into some pills.

This thirty year old idea is just that... 30 FREAKIN' years old. And even if it wasn't, playing off current themes can be great marketing. I've seen DaVinci Code knock offs, Mission Impossbile knock offs that all produced great results.

He's not selling the same thing as the original add. For Christ's sake the way you talk drawing a square or a circle would be some cheap knock off of some poor tormented designer's "orginal work". Did you ever invent a font? Or how about a color?

You know what, you've inspired me. I'm gonna make ties, tee shirts, and hell maybe even pillow cases... all with dogs with guns to their heads.

You know you can't even copyright titles of single work books. Why do you think that is so?

And how is you designing an ad (with a knocked off headline) any better than fido with the pistola?


Anywho cc, I wouldn't give a damn what the realtor thought if the thing got you business. Only you can tell us that.

Dan

[Mr. Subtle]

Originally Posted by FinanceGuy

You know, I usually agree with Subtle, but this time...

You're out of your mind. Them Amish keepin you up late?

Hell even pharmaceutical companies only have patents for so many years. And they invest hundreds of millions into some pills.

This thirty year old idea is just that... 30 FREAKIN' years old.

Dan, you better do a little research as to how long an organization like National Lampoon retains a copyright on the material they produce. Yep, it's over "30 FREAKIN' years old" and during that time there must have been over 180,000 magazine covers produced and yet not one ripped it off. NOT ONE.

Originally Posted by FinanceGuy

You know what, you've inspired me. I'm gonna make ties, tee shirts, and hell maybe even pillow cases... all with dogs with guns to their heads.

That's great. Make sure you give National Lampoon a HEADS UP once you've got them all printed and up on your website. You'll probably see a C&D in your in-box before you see a single piece of spam.

Originally Posted by FinanceGuy

And how is you designing an ad (with a knocked off headline) any better than fido with the pistola?

First off, it isn't an ad ... it's an envelope. Second, my effort isn't a knock-off, it's just a "IF...THEN" headline.

[MtnBiker]

To CCWriter: I love what you did. Great work. The fact that you used cheesy clipart makes it even better.

I use stuff like that all the time and it works like gangbusters. And I use it on experienced marketers who follow Kennedy, Carlton, Markepeace, Halbert, etc...

Stuff like this works even better on the general "public" because more often than not, they're not exposed to our type of direct marketing techniques and ideas. So it's new and fresh to them (even if it's 30 +years old).

Power made a great comment - be willing to repel in order to attract.

Dan Kennedy says that if you haven't offended someone by noon, then you aren't doing your job as a marketer.

Now obviously you can take that statement too far. But it's a great metaphor for who you want to attract and repel as clients to your business.

To many people are afraid to "rock the boat" and offend others because they're afraid of what they think.

My philosophy is short and simple: "If you ain't paying me cash, then I honestly don't care about what you think. Period."

I say forget about the loser realtor. She's got no sense of humor and is probably stuck in her "business". Definitely not my idea of a great client to have to work with.

To Mr. Subtle. Haven't you noticed that there isn't anything new in marketing? Seriously, as if the "National Lampoon" is gonna sue ccwriter for "copying" the idea.

And besides, graphics people think that they know what marketing is... what a crock of BS that is!

So who cares if you "borrow" bits and pieces of their design from another industry and repurpose it to your own.

[FinanceGuy]

CC

Next month I'd include a piece in your newsletter along the lines of "I get hate mail" Then quote the realtor's complaint and explain that this is exactly why outrageous headlines work.

And if you want to placate Subtle, use a goat or a squirrel as the object of your headline. I'm pretty sure National Lampoon hasn't gobbled up the rights to every animal on earth.

I will say this, outrageous headlines have to really flow into the message of the ad or the reader feels tricked and is immediately turned off. This is a difficult task with the dog and gun, but made perfect sense with "Grandma". I'm pretty sure the reason nobody knocked it off... is that it was too controversial. It's a little too sadistic for my blood. This point could be a great follow up in your newsletter. It gives you a great "part 2" to the piece. "Last month we shocked you, now let me explain the dangerous, response-killing dark side of misunderstanding these 'shocks'."

Anywho...you also have to keep in mind who you are offending. Ideally it's people who aren't ideal candidates for what you're selling anyway. (Unless you're selling doggy pepper spray to folks who were recently attacked by savage dogs, I'm not so sure this headline wouldn't accidentally repel some of your target prospects.)

Peace.

Dan