Sticks And Stones Will Break Your Bones But...

Dear Friend,

The controversy over the "pimpin" viral campaign I wrote is getting even bigger, and bigger names are getting involved.

Yesterday I received this e-mail from long-time legendary marketer J.F. (Jim) Straw himself, from businesslyceum.com:

"Your ad copy has ALL the elements of GREAT Sales Copy ... even sounds a little like the "Truck Drivers Stink" ad I wrote 15 years ago (selling air purifiers for tractor cabs).   If I were going to use it, I would use it to show people that you can even write great ad copy for less than wholesome purposes. -- "Here's how a real ad writer would write a great ad even for an illegal service. -- See if you can catch all of the ingredients necessary to writing killer ad-copy.

By the by, I signed-up for your newsletter ... got the first issue ... GREAT stuff.  Always a great joy to me to come across one of the "next generation" of ad writers who really has some ability ... most of them are only hack copycats.  You have a talent on par with many of my peer group ... Kennedy, Halbert, Alexander. Pleased to meet you. Keep well, Jim"

And just before Jim's kind words I got this mixed bag: "For starters, I personally found your copy to be funny, although not hysterically so. If it was sent to me in viral format, I probably wouldn’t read it for more than a few seconds before tossing it.

Second, while I don’t personally find it offensive, I am realistic enough to know that many would. Yes, I understand it’s just a joke. And yes, I think our society has a lot of politically correct, uptight people who should not be so thin-skinned. But nonetheless, you will alienate as much or perhaps more people with this particular copy than you would with another, perhaps less offensive (to some) mock sales letter."

Gosh, what's a little ole copywriter like me supposed to do, right thick in the middle of all this drama?

And how about this one: "craig are you smoking your socks?  That is not good copy, you can't turn pimpimg and drugs into good sales copy. What are you thinking?  Wait!! never mind I just answered my own question. You are not thinking."

Oooh, that hurts my feelings.  I thought I was ALWAYS thinking (that doesn't sound right, does it?).  Well, you know what they say, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me!"

Still on one BIG name posting haunt, they pulled the post entirely!  Is it because they are a bunch of politically correct uptight folks?  Or... is it because they're mean people?

I simply do not know.  It really is hard to say, because on another big board, all I got was one measly opinion: "Haha way to go Craig!  One idea is to take some of your humor an make a video to go with the copy!  I hope this Viral letter works out for you.  Good luck!"

Stay tuned, as the controversy continues.  And if you want to check out what they hell I'm talking about... if you want to see the letter in all it's glory, then take a test-drive of the Seductive Selling Newsletter and get a BOATLOAD of free gifts along with it, right here:  http://www.kingofcopy.com/ssnl

Rest assured, church ain't out until the singin's over, and I haven't even hit the chorus yet, on this one.

Peace.

Now go sell something,

Craig Garber

P.S. Discover how to get permanently "hard-wired" directly into your prospects brains, right here:http://www.kingofcopy.com/seductive

Any comments?

Send them to me by scooting over to the contact form on my "Here's How To Contact Craig" page, and maybe I'll publish them -- I appreciate your feedback!

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