There is a huge dichotomy in advertising.
- On the one hand you’ve got the pressure to perform: to make your advertising as profitable as you possibly can.
- On the other hand you’ve got the pressure to be ethical: to be as honest as possible in your advertising.
Last week I raised the issue of using fake scarcity to drive more sales. Many people said they disagreed with such a deceptive tactic and would fire any client who did such a thing.
Not to muddy the waters too much here, but the issue of honesty in advertising is very complex. In fact, it seems dishonesty in advertising is accepted as a matter of course!
So, since I already brought up the issue of fake scarcity, let’s turn the lens of scrutiny toward…
Fake Stories
When I asked my mastermind group how they would handle dishonest clients, the responses were very interesting. Not one of them was the same. And yet each person seemed passionate about his position.
Daniel Levis mentioned how John Caples’ most famous ad was an imaginary story. You know, the ad that begins, They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano But When I Started to Play!~
The story in this ad is completely fictitious. Some may say it is dishonest. Is this okay? And how is it any different than the fake weight loss stories and fake body building stories published on “flogs” these days?
Maybe the difference is in class, style, and sophistication. If you tell an imaginary story framed as a real story… and you tell it believably enough… does that make it okay?
Fake Endorsements
Or how about TV commercials with paid actors and actresses giving fake endorsements of products? This is extremely common.
The “perfect” house wife comes on screen, kids in the background: “Ever since I started using Product X, cleaning up even the messiest spills has been a breeze. After all, I need all the help I can get!”
Everybody knows these “TV testimonials” are fake, the stories completely made up, the “families” patched together from the most attractive people on the set. It’s quite possible the actors and actresses in these commercials have never even used the products they’re promoting!
And yet I don’t see anybody complaining about this particular genre of dishonest advertising.
Real Ad, Fake Story
Here’s another example. I’m a subscriber of World Net Daily’s Whistleblower magazine. On the back cover of the November 2009 issue there is a full-page ad put out by Swiss America to advertise gold.
The headline reads: “Our retirement account has tripled in the last 5 years…”
Underneath the headline there is a picture of a happy couple in their 50s. It is obviously a stock photograph to support the headline.
Now, the headline is dishonest on two levels. By saying “Our retirement account has tripled,” they’re implying that this really happened to a certain couple. I’m fairly confident that this is not the case.
What’s more, the price of gold has tripled from 2004 to 2009. Which means that for the headline to be true, this couple would have had to have had 100% of their retirement account invested in gold. Again, not likely.
But I don’t look at the ad and get angry. I actually get kind of interested. Hey! Maybe I should be investing in gold! I start to think. On that level, the ad works.
But How Far Is Too Far?
My point is this: We see LOTS of dishonest advertising every day. But we don’t think of it as being dishonest. We accept it. We may even approve of it.
So what then makes one dishonest ad okay but another one not okay? Are we going to label John Caples a liar for telling a story that wasn’t true, but could have been? Where do we draw the line?
In other words, just how far is too far in advertising? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
-Ryan M. Healy
{ 39 comments }
I've had clients who were uneasy about using any stock photos, even when supporting stories that were completely true. It actually caught me off guard. I know that I'm used to seeing stock photos and I don't find them dishonest… but I can understand the hesitation.
To me stock photos are just a way to tell a story without hiring a pro photographer to do it (and you can keep your private life private).
I've also personally written stories in copy that didn't really happen. I'm comfortable with what I wrote, but I think there is a line. For me, I don't think I'd ever write an imaginary story that demonstrated specific results. Like the Flogs do, that peeves me.
But simply painting a picture of what it would be like to learn to play the piano… I don't see a problem with that at all.
How Far Is Too Far in Advertising?: There is a huge dichotomy in advertising.
On the one hand you’ve got the pre… http://bit.ly/2mi3WV
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Ah… the paradox.
Stories work. Stories sell. People love stories and will buy even when they know it's fiction.
But…
If you're going for Lifetime Client Value- up-sell, bigger down the road sales, as Seth Godin posted today…
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/11...
Without being authentic and transparent…
You risk lots of $74,000 Lifetime Value Clients walking out the door.
Hummm… Seth really DID change the title of “All Marketers Are Liars” to “All Marketers Tell Stories”.
“Don't tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish.” Mark Twain
Wow! I didn't know Seth Godin had changed the name of his book. At first, I didn't believe you, but…
http://www.amazon.com/All-Marketers-Liars-Prefa...
…he really did change the title!
And to your point, Walt: I agree. Authentic stories always sell better, especially over the long term.
Ryan
P.S. Love that Twain quote! :-)
I think telling fictitious stories can be effective, but I feel like they need to be framed as such. It should be clear the story is a representation and not a factual account. Almost like, “Once upon a time…”
Ryan
Hah.
Ryan, I never looked at it this way. John Caples a liar? Or maybe it's more like a tall tale. A fish story? You've raised awareness about a problem but how do we solve it? I think in the end, it will have to be a matter of personal conscience and the FTC. You've made me think, but I don't feel like I'll have an answer any time soon.
Courtney
Courtney,
I'm not really sure how to solve it (or if a solution even exists)… I raised the issue mostly because people get really upset about certain examples of dishonesty in advertising, but then completely overlook all the other examples.
And that kind of bugs me.
If somebody's going to get all huffy about a certain type of dishonesty or manipulation, then why isn't he/she getting all huffy about ALL the dishonesty that's in advertising? Because it's more commonplace than most people think…
Ryan
Very true.
I'm happy you brought it up though. Really, hadn't thought about how prevalent it was. Then you look at the issue and it's so big that you wonder where it ends. I think you might explode a few brains over this one. heh.
You're kinda like the philosopher of copywriting these days. Bringing up all the big issue nobody else wants to dissect. :-)
That sounds right. Although I usually don't use those words :)
If you check out listbuildingideas.com that I wrote way back when, I tell a story of the night I came up with the idea for the basis of the product. I didn't remember the details of the night when writing the letter, but I did paint a picture of what it was probably like… “As I bounced back in my chair, my jaw dropped.”
That might have happened. When I wrote the words it didn't trip my moral compass because I didn't see it as inventing anything false about the product or results, just writing words that were more engaging.
Maybe that does cross a line. Hmmm…
Hi Ryan,
Great thought-provoking post! Oddly enough, I was actually thinking about this question just last week.
A couple of weeks ago, I finished writing an advertorial for a client. The whole ad looks like an editorial – and I hope as many people as possible think it is. Is this ethical? When they figure out they've been “had”, will some get pissed off?
Now I don't see a real issue with that, but some may. I also “invented” the name of a “news source” to make add some credibility, again, ethical or not?
Bu you see this being used all the time. One of the ads I modeled for that was Bill Glazer's “Flood Ad”. (He invented the “Retail Press Newswide” paper for that :) )
Some take it further and “produce” whole fake looking papers were they pass off their story as being featured in this “real” paper and then send/show that as proof. To me, that’s probably too unethical for my blood.
In forums I read some people complain about “countdown timers” (Order in next 20:53 20:52 and get 50% off). Sure, you can just clear your cookies and get the deal again, but again, why not? I see no problem in it, since it’s your decision to choose to give that deal.
In terms of flogs, I agree with a previous comment, I think it's the representation of specific results from apparent “real” people that makes it wrong.
To be honest, I don't think advertising/marketing is the right field for a saint! Too many grey areas :)
At the end of the day, I think as long as we stay away from blatant, obvious lies, i.e. “Sam Jones made $15,712 in 3 weeks!” where Sam doesn’t even exist, we’ll be OK.
Cheers,
Dave
Ryan,
Here's the link to Seth's post… and summaries of the new forward to the book.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/all_marketers_are_...
“All marketers are storytellers, only losers are liars.”
Ryan,
I really want to address the John Caples thing here. The reason John C.'s story worked and was accepted is because he created a believable story based on the product. Someone could take the materials and study them and become a profficent paino player. It is based on the EFFORT of the buyer.
Now weight loss. Completely DIFFERENT. Some made up story about take this “magic” powder drink and lose all the weight. This is transparent. People can and will see through this. There is no effort required by the buyer other than to rely on the magic of the wieght loss drink. This HOCUS POCUS is the problem.
John Capels was no a liar. He crafted a believable story because it was based in the realm of reality.
Hmmm… @healymonster asks How far is too far in advertising? Anyone? http://www.ryanhealy.com/how-far-is-too-far-in-advertising/
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Hi Ryan,
I think it is okay,
If you read the bible, there is a section where a prositute lies about the presence of spies. Yet we know the same bible teaches not to lie.
She was lying to avoid them being killed.
The only way to know how far is too far is to get to know the motive.
For instance the John Caples ad would have be going to far if the piano lessons where non existence yet people sent in money.
Another example a legitimate bank can put up an ad that is a little untrue.
If the exact same ad is used by a ponzi scheme which later collapses, then that is going too far.
The motive is what would guide you.
Do you get what I'm trying to say?
James Abugah
I'm going to give a counterpoint to the Caples thing.
I think his ad is highly misleading.
I am not judging Caples or anything.
But is it any different than if I wrote an ad telling a story about how a fictitious newbie copywriter beat a strong control ad right out the gate by 200%, and everyone in the forums he haunts was awe-struck and begging for him to reveal how he did it, and he said “It's because I read Ben Settle's Copywriting Grab Bag…”?
When, in reality, he did not read it because he does not exist?
I'd probably be strung up and cast out amongst the lepers if I wrote an ad like that.
Maybe I'm wrong and am missing something with this, but that seems to basically be what Caples did.
Not judging anyone, BTW.
Just seems misleading to me.
Ben
Great response, Dave. I'm glad you brought up the issue of how you formatted your advertorial. I almost included a similar example in this post.
Because people make direct mail look like personal mail all the time. Handwritten fonts, live 1st class stamps, etc.
I love this: “To be honest, I don't think advertising/marketing is the right field for a saint! Too many grey areas.”
Ryan
Ben,
That's a great example. Because it would be really easy to write a fictitious ad about a newbie copywriter like you described.
Fun to write… and maybe fun to read… but misleading for sure.
Ryan
True, Rahab did lie and she was remembered for it.
My favorite example of lying in the Bible is 1 Kings 22. Read the whole chapter, but pay special attention to verses 22 and 23.
Ryan
Mac,
Thanks for the input. I really appreciate it.
Just to play devil's advocate, I wonder if it matters whether the result can be quantified or not.
With weight loss, the result can be quantified. With playing the piano, there is definitely a result, it just can't be quantified as well.
I'm just not sure that the ability (or inability) to quantify a result should be the deciding factor in whether something is misleading or not.
Ryan
Reading: How Far Is Too Far in Advertising? http://www.ryanhealy.com/how-far-is-too-far-in-advertising/
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
There should not be any room for false claims in advertising. Period. If the product needs make-believe people, then maybe the benefits are make-believe too…you can't polish a turd.
:)
first thing that came to mind was something Gary Halbert said about copywriting and avoiding hype…
The main point of his answer was having so many facts at the ready that writing the copy is (dare I say) easy…
But his main point was have so much true information available that you don't have to worry about sounding hypey.
My thoughts- tell a story around the facts, make them come to life and connect with the reader.
But, and I agree with Ben on his comments, don't go so far as the Caples ad. That ad is pushing it way too far.
adios
Andy
p.s. I've played piano for about 20 years – you don't get good overnight… personally, it took me three solid (teenage) years to go from half-decent to pretty dang good.
p.s. to quote a source, I think I heard the Halbert comments in a Fortin/Halbert interview but I'm sure he's said this more than once.
Ben, I'm a big fan of yours, but I'm not sure your example is analogous to the Caples ad. The line, “They laughed when I sat down at the piano…” is open-ended. It's effective even if it's not based on a real person because we've all had (or wished we had) the experience of showing up somebody who laughed at us. It doesn't even suggest that the speaker is a great piano player. That's the genius of that line. We finish up the ending. In some contexts, we could say, “But when I sat down to play…they cried.” Or even, “they laughed louder.”
Your example is more about results than about feeling. You give solid numbers. A closer example might be, “They laughed when I told them I was going on the Internet. But when they saw my blog…”
I'm not sure about, “They laughed when I said i'd make money on the Internet. But when they saw my bank statement…” But in the current legalistic climate, I'd probably skip that one.
Cathy, the problem I have with the Caples ad is it gives the results (sat down and was playing piano like a pro) specifically due to a product. When asked about his secret in the ad he seems to imply he learned it from the product being advertised.
When, in reality, the person probably never really existed.
Or maybe he did exist and it was a 100% true story?
I don't really know, this is just my gut reaction to it.
It's always bothered me since it gives an exact result from a specific product, yet the person who got the result probably never existed.
To me, it's one thing to tell a fake story/parable to make a point (ala Wall Street Journal ad — which doesn't say the successful person mentioned actually used the Wall Street Journal to get ahead, just that “information” was the key and then uses that angle to sell you on trying the 'Journal).
It's another to tell a story about a phantom person using the actual product and reporting specific results (ie getting better at playing the piano).
What do you think?
Ben
Cathy,
I just re-read the first half of the ad, and it's very explicit that a man named “Jack” (the speaker in the ad) learned to play the piano in just a few months by taking a correspondence course from the U.S. School of Music.
In fact, the ad is also very explicit in saying that Jack was able to play Beethoven's “Moonlight Sonata” in such a way to get an ovation. Again, because of the U.S. School of Music.
So, to me, Ben's make-believe story is analogous. Whether it's dollars made, pounds lost, or piano keys played — doesn't really matter. A result is a result.
Ryan
I guess it depends on your own moral values.
But I am of the opinion that there should be no place for lying or half truths in advertising. Full stop.
The questions I would ask myself are.
1) Can I defend it in a court of law?
2) Would I sell in the same way to somebody I care about, like my own mother ( I once heard this in a Ben Settle interview).
3) If I was the customer and didn't know anything about the product, copywriting or advertising would I like it if somebody used my own tactics on me? Was that a fair reflection of the product?
4) What does the little voice inside me say?
Chris
From what I read above, the aim in advertising is not to be truthful but to be believable. From a story headline to a You Tube video the aim is to demonstrate without showing magic tricks. One way you can make your stories believable is to paraphrase a true story. Change the names and location but keep the same theme and message. And try not to make it seem like a spiel.
Hmmm …
Great discussion.
Personally, I think stories, even if they're made up, are an OK way to sell.
I mean, most everything Jesus ever taught was done in parable (story) form and I'm sure most all of those were made up to prove the point … to “sell” if you will … the listener on the truth of what Jesus was trying to reveal.
Just some that come to mind …
– Good Samaritan story …
– Prodigal Son story …
– Workers in the field story …
– Seeds in the ground story …
– Etc …
And I wouldn't call Jesus a liar. I'd just say he was trying to make a point and sell effectively his truth/ideas.
I dunno, I guess it doesn't bother me.
Later,
Caleb
Lawton,
I would argue that you can make legitimate claims using a make-believe story. The use of a make-believe story does not imply a claim one way or another; a story is merely a construct or mechanism for conveying the claims.
And I must say… your comment that “you can't polish a turd” gave me a good laugh. :-)
Ryan
Andy,
I've personally found that the more research I do, the easier it is to write the copy. So I agree 100% with the idea that more facts make for better copy.
Also, thanks for the perspective on learning the piano. I've got short fingers, so I've never pursued the piano. :-)
Ryan
Those are some great questions to ask, Chris!
Ryan
Francis,
Great observation: “the aim in advertising is not to be truthful but to be believable.”
I might rephrase it to say, “the aim in advertising is to be truthful AND believable.”
Ryan
Caleb – Great points. Jesus used stories all the time, and He embedded truths into those stories.
It seems to me that using a story in advertising is not necessarily right or wrong… but we have to be careful to convey the truth.
Ryan
Ryan,
I think old school copywriter Maxwell Sackheim had the right idea about this.
If you're going to say a specific product gave someone who does not exist results, then be up front about it being a dramatized fictional story.
For example:
On page 98 of “Billion Dollar Marketing” there is a Sackheim ad about a supplement that gives people energy. The ad is about a woman whose husband ignores her after work and just falls asleep without even so much as kissing her goodnight (the headline is “He Didn't Even Kiss Me Goodnight!”)
How did Max approach this ad?
By making up a fake housewife and husband and saying that husband who does not exist got super duper results from the product?
Not exactly. True, Max did make up a character out of thin air (like Caples did).
But, unlike Caples, he has the slug:
“A Dramatized Story About A Wife Who Worried About Her Husband”
Right under the headline.
Since this ad is displayed in this particular book, I am going to go out on a limb and guess it was one of Max's more successful ads.
And here's the funny thing:
Even though it says it's a dramatized story, I don't think it really hurts the ad copy at all. In some ways, since it's so blatantly honest, it might even be an advantage. And the story is still pretty persuasive even though you've been told it's fictional.
You can see it here:
http://www.bensettle.com/Swipe-File/kiss.pdf
Over and out,
Ben
Hi Ryan, it's Glenn Livingston (quietly lurking in the background for months) :-)
I think marketers and copywriters face some of the most challenging ethical dilemmas of any profession. Especially as the internet has evolved to provide immediate feedback in terms of clickthrough and conversion rates, we're constantly under pressure to exaggerate, hype, and outright lie.
Nowhere is this point brought home stronger than in a high traffic AdWords account, where a 0.1% increase in clickthrough can translate into thousands of dollars of additional profit for the advertiser TOMORROW, and where the consequences of underplaying the point have an immediate and painful financial cost.
Camus said “the truth is a poor competitor in the marketplace of ideas”, and I think we're seeing this play out in the modern day ad auction.
Yet the savvy marketer recognizes there are serious consequences of exaggeration, lies, and hype, far beyond legal exposure or FTC actions.
Because the savvy marketer wants to build a long term relationship with delighted and satisfied customers. Exaggeration, hype, and lies are all about TRIAL, whereas the serious marketer knows the WIN is in the repeat.
I can tell you with virtual certainty that the internet landscape is changing to favor long term, relationship based marketers… the search engines are doing all they can to eliminate false promises and vendors who don't really add any value to a transaction. (I own a 35 person internet marketing service, have access to hundreds of accounts, and see what's changing day to day)
Hype is marketing candy.
Real promises written well are vegetables.
It's a lot easier to eat candy, and most people hate to eat vegetables, but we all have to grow up sometime.
Man, you got me on a soap box today!
Thanks for the great post, as always,
Dr. G :-)
PS – I wouldn't want to portray myself as totally above reproach. It's not that I've never exaggerated to get that extra 0.1%… we all have and that's why the law forgives “puffery”. But I've never lied… and the older and more experienced I get at this game, the more blatantly honest I choose to be, even when it repels customers. In fact, I've learned there are certain customers you definitely WANT to repel… the more you do so, the more you can concentrate on delivering value to those who will reciprocate in spades.
Glenn,
Thanks for such a great comment. I've read it through it multiple times. I think you summed it up very well when you said:
“Hype is marketing candy. Real promises written well are vegetables. “
Also: While I find that quote by Camus fascinating, I also disagree with it from a long-term perspective. We are seeing the truth of it in the short-term (as you point out)… but in the long-term I don't think the maxim holds up. You allude to this as well.
Lastly, I've got one more post already written in this series of “truth in advertising” posts. I'll probably publish it in the next couple of days.
Ryan
That Maxwell Sackheim ad is a great example. Thanks for sharing it, Ben!
Ryan
Glenn,
Thanks for such a great comment. I've read it through it multiple times. I think you summed it up very well when you said:
“Hype is marketing candy. Real promises written well are vegetables. “
Also: While I find that quote by Camus fascinating, I also disagree with it from a long-term perspective. We are seeing the truth of it in the short-term (as you point out)… but in the long-term I don't think the maxim holds up. You allude to this as well.
Lastly, I've got one more post already written in this series of “truth in advertising” posts. I'll probably publish it in the next couple of days.
Ryan
That Maxwell Sackheim ad is a great example. Thanks for sharing it, Ben!
Ryan
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