The Wizard is The Wizard of Ads

224 Pages·2009·12.14 MB·English

by  Sean Taylor

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The Seven Laws
of the Advertising Universe
(Whence Cometh the Power of Ads to Work Magic)
AAAAAnnnnn EEEEEnnnnneeeeerrrrrgggggyyyyy ooooofffff WWWWWooooorrrrrdddddsssss has existed since the day He said, “Let there
be light.” Learn how to use this energy. You are created in His image.
MMMMMaaaaasssssssssseeeeesssss ooooofffff PPPPPeeeeeooooopppppllllleeeee are predictable, though an individual person is
not. The exception does not disprove the rule.
IIIIInnnnnttttteeeeelllllllllleeeeecccccttttt aaaaannnnnddddd EEEEEmmmmmoooootttttiiiiiooooonnnnn are partners who do not speak the same
language. The intellect finds logic to justify what the emotions have
decided. Win the hearts of the people, their minds will follow.
TTTTTiiiiimmmmmeeeee aaaaannnnnddddd MMMMMooooonnnnneeeeeyyyyy are two sides of a single coin. No person gives
you his money until he has first given you his time. Win the time of the
people, their money will follow.
SSSSSiiiiiggggghhhhhttttt aaaaannnnnddddd SSSSSooooouuuuunnnnnddddd function differently in the mind, with sound
being the surer investment. Win the ears of the people, their eyes will follow.
OOOOOppppppppppooooorrrrrtttttuuuuunnnnniiiiitttttyyyyy aaaaannnnnddddd SSSSSeeeeecccccuuuuurrrrriiiiitttttyyyyy are inversely proportionate. As one
increases, the other must decrease. High returns are gained from low-risk
strategies only through the passage of time. He who will cheat time must
embrace the risk of failure.
EEEEEnnnnngggggaaaaagggggeeeee ttttthhhhheeeee IIIIImmmmmaaaaagggggiiiiinnnnnaaaaatttttiiiiiooooonnnnn,,,,, then take it where you will. Where the
mind has repeatedly journeyed, the body will surely follow.
People go only to places they have already
been in their minds.
?5H<&!%I< M JKLKIL(%MNLO%GP
TThhee WWiizzaarrdd
ooff AAddss
Turning Words into Magic
and Dreamers into Millionaires
bbbbbyyyyy RRRRRoooooyyyyy HHHHH..... WWWWWiiiiilllllllllliiiiiaaaaammmmmsssss
Bard Press
Austin, Texas
?5H<&!%I< L JKLKIL(%MNLO%GP
The Wizard of Ads
TTTTTuuuuurrrrrnnnnniiiiinnnnnggggg WWWWWooooorrrrrdddddsssss iiiiinnnnntttttooooo MMMMMaaaaagggggiiiiiccccc aaaaannnnnddddd DDDDDrrrrreeeeeaaaaammmmmeeeeerrrrrsssss iiiiinnnnntttttooooo MMMMMiiiiilllllllllliiiiiooooonnnnnaaaaaiiiiirrrrreeeeesssss
Copyright © 1998 by Roy H. Williams. All rights reserved.
Some images copyright www.arttoday.com.
Printed in the United States of America by RR Donnelley.
Permission to reproduce or transmit in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by an information storage and
retrieval system, must be obtained by writing to the publisher at the address below:
BBBBBaaaaarrrrrddddd PPPPPrrrrreeeeessssssssss
5275 McCormick Mountain Drive
Austin, TX 78734
512-266-2112 voice, 512-266-2749 fax
[email protected], www.bardpress.com
OOOOOrrrrrdddddeeeeerrrrriiiiinnnnnggggg IIIIInnnnnfffffooooorrrrrmmmmmaaaaatttttiiiiiooooonnnnn
To order additional copies, call 800-425-4769 (toll free)
or visit WizardAcademyPress.com. Quantity discounts are available.
ISBN 1-885167-29-6 trade paperback
LLLLLiiiiibbbbbrrrrraaaaarrrrryyyyy ooooofffff CCCCCooooonnnnngggggrrrrreeeeessssssssss CCCCCaaaaatttttaaaaalllllooooogggggiiiiinnnnnggggg-----iiiiinnnnn-----PPPPPuuuuubbbbbllllliiiiicccccaaaaatttttiiiiiooooonnnnn DDDDDaaaaatttttaaaaa
Williams, Roy H.
The wizard of ads : turning words into magic and dreamers into
millionaires / by Roy H. Williams.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 1-885167-32-6 (hc), 1-885167-29-6 (pbk)
1. Advertising. 2. Small business.
HF5823.W497 1998
659.1--dc21 98-17430
CIP
TTTTThhhhheeeee aaaaauuuuuttttthhhhhooooorrrrr mmmmmaaaaayyyyy bbbbbeeeee cccccooooonnnnntttttaaaaacccccttttteeeeeddddd aaaaattttt ttttthhhhheeeee fffffooooollllllllllooooowwwwwiiiiinnnnnggggg aaaaaddddddddddrrrrreeeeessssssssss:::::
Roy H. Williams
Wizard Academy
16221 Crystal Hills Drive
Austin, TX 78737
800-425-4769 (toll free) or 512-295-5700, 512-295-5701 fax
[email protected]
CCCCCrrrrreeeeedddddiiiiitttttsssss
Developmental editor: CCCCChhhhhrrrrriiiiisssss MMMMMaaaaaddddddddddoooooccccckkkkk
Editor: JJJJJeeeeeffffffffff MMMMMooooorrrrrrrrrriiiiisssss
Proofreaders: DDDDDeeeeebbbbbooooorrrrraaaaahhhhh CCCCCooooosssssttttteeeeennnnnbbbbbaaaaadddddeeeeerrrrr,,,,, CCCCClllllaaaaarrrrreeeee TTTTTooooowwwwwnnnnneeeeesssss
Index: LLLLLiiiiinnnnndddddaaaaa WWWWWeeeeebbbbbsssssttttteeeeerrrrr
Cover design: HHHHHuuuuuggggghhhhh PPPPPiiiiirrrrrnnnnniiiiieeeee
Text design/production: JJJJJeeeeeffffffffff MMMMMooooorrrrrrrrrriiiiisssss
Art direction: SSSSSuuuuuzzzzzaaaaannnnnnnnnneeeee PPPPPuuuuusssssttttteeeeejjjjjooooovvvvvssssskkkkkyyyyy
First printing: May 1998
Second printing: October 1998
Third printing: December 1998
Fourth printing: February 2003
Fifth printing: January 2004
Sixth printing: January 2005
Seventh printing: October 2005
!"#$%&’()*+,-(+. ( ,/-(/+.01-23-145
(unnumbered page 6)
Contents
I. Turning Words into Magic
Advice on ! trendcasting ! why good ads stick in your mind ! the
qualitative trap ! being believable ! the quick set-up ! letting people
live in fantasy ! pitfalls of price-driven ads ! predictability ! what
you’re really saying ! your reticular activator ! substantiation
! intellect vs. emotion ! and more . . .
1. Nine Secret Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2. Buried Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3. Handy to Have Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4. The Mousetrap Myth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5. The Rest of the Mousetrap Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
6. Elevators Don’t Read Minds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
7. Pushing a Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
8. Home Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
9. The Important One Is “You” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
10. No Laughing Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
11. Look for the Loophole! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
12. When the Truth Is Not Persuasive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
13. Velcro, the Ad Writer’s Friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
14. Reaching the Right People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
15. All I Said Was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
16. The Mental Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
17. Furnishings of the Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
18. Selling to Walter Mitty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
19. Our Need for Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
20. The Cocaine of Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
21. The World’s Best Traffic Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
22. Reading Between the Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
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23. Big Talk and Little Acorns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
24. “No one goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” . . . . . . . . . 58
25. “But it’s a dry heat.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
26. Walking into Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
27. Hardwood, Hammer, and Nail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
28. A Time for True Lies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
29. Poppin’ the Rag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
30. Intrusive Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
31. A Fire Hose and a Teacup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
32. A Few Magic Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
33. Albert’s Big Observation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
34. When You Need to Advertise in the Worst Possible Way . . . . . 78
35. Twelve Most Common Mistakes in Advertising . . . . . . . . . 79
36. A Peek Behind the Curtain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
II. Turning Strangers into Customers
Thoughts on ! the delight factor ! passion ! the power of preconception
! your unique selling proposition ! initiative ! personality ! living in
reality ! the benefits of failure ! the planning problem ! the power of
presentation ! listening to idiots ! and much more . . .
37. The Best Salesman I Ever Knew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
38. Cecil, Charlie, and Lagniappe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
39. Idiots Are Out to Get Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
40. Does Anyone Lack Ambition? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
41. A Breakfast Biscuit with Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
42. Of Sharks and Pigs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
43. “. . . which means . . .” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
44. Three, Four, and Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
45. Flash! Commoners Outnumber the Rich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
46. Yes, I’m Prejudiced. So Sue Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
47. A Caterpillar Named John Riley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
48. Abraham Lincoln! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
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49. Management by Consensus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
50. Time Poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
51. When an Idea’s Time Has Come . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
52. When the Time Has (Not Yet) Come . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
53. Five Happy, Nine Disappointed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
54. A Merry-Go-Round Called Kansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
55. Falling off the Merry-Go-Round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
56. Perception of Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
57. A Lateral Transfer of Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
58. Intellect and Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
59. Silver Paint and a Weed-Eater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
60. The Way Things Ought to Be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
61. A Two-Peso Weather Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
62. Is Failure the Key to Success? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
63. Experiment! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
64. Hindsight Is 20/20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
65. The Secret of Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
66. Pointing Chris Like a Gun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
67. How Long Is Your Shadow? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
68. No Plan for Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
III. Turning Dreams into Realities
Insights into ! why you’re so lucky ! the sad predominance of pessimism
! living a win-win life ! the power of dreams ! the importance of now
! the necessity of focus ! how to measure success ! how to recognize
destiny ! knowing your own vision ! and still more . . .
69. Congratulations, You Won the Lottery! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
70. Run with the BIG Dogs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
71. Ted and the Redhead of 1886 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
72. Willie and His Bank Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
73. Not All the Rich Are Whiners, Willie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
74. But What about Grandpa Cornelius? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
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75. Sue’s Little Boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
76. The Song of the Weasel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
77. Strangers on the Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
78. Thumbing Through the Diary of a Genius . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
79. Listening to Ted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
80. The Power of Encouragement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
81. Leaving Something on the Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
82. Celebrate the Ordinary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
83. Murphy Finally Figures It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
84. When in Pain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
85. Paul’s Adopted Son . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
86. Thinking with Your Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
87. The Canyon of Wile E. Coyote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
88. Milestones and Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
89. Creativity Is an Inert Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
90. Fingerprints of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
91. If at First You Don’t Succeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
92. The Seventh Wonder of the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
93. Is Overchoice Keeping You Average? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
94. The Air Is Full of Ping-Pong Balls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
95. What Makes Alexander Great? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
96. Using Your Ruby Red Slippers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200
97. “But you don’t understand.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202
98. What Is “Quality of Life”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
99. Joe Is Not Your Average Boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
100. 121,000 Poor People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206
100 + 1. A Message to Garcia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220
About Wizard Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
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