[GordonJ]

Pops up every so often somewhere, what are good movies for Copywriters to watch...and of course, opinions abound...here's my ONE must watch (although I have suggested several over the years).

THE MUSIC MAN with Robert Preston. Why? It begins with a story of salesmen on a train expressing their opinions about selling. One of the salesman mentions HAROLD HILL, who lives like a King selling instruments and uniforms for boys bands. The train full of salesmen are skeptical

Then Professor Hill bids them adieu, he was there all the time, and heads into town.

He needs a HOOK.

He wants to AGITATE a problem, even if one doesn't exist. He is at the awareness stage as written about by Gene Schwartz...Hill must make them aware.

He finds his hook, POOL, the new game in town, and he tells the people in the streets there is TROUBLE, and he really agitates it.

Then he has a town meeting, where they discuss this new PROBLEM, and suddenly Hill appears and has the solution...a boys band.

They will need instruments and uniforms of course. And music lessons. Which he offers.

One by one he gets the town to BUY, except for town librarian. He must win her over, her being the KEY INFLUENCER in town.

So, he sells the uniforms, the instruments, give them some made up music lessons of just thinking, with the plan of skipping town, as he always does.

Once the rag tag offkey, awful sounding band begins to play and he is sure he is about to be tarred and feathered...until one lady jumps up and proudly exclaims "That's my Barney" and other parents join in...

next thing, they are transformed (in the imaginations of the townsfolk) into the 76 Trombones marching band.

Roll Credits.

I have to think of Cialdini, Commitment and Consistency, and LIKING, and we see this flim-flam salesman (think of any IM guru) and how getting people invested will give you untold success.

This is why I always want people to watch this movie, the structure of it follows the many templates of Salesmanship and of Copywriting. From getting attention, agitating a problem etc., etc.

Or by Revealing the Dragon.
Exposing the Danger, then
Unveiling the Prince to the rescue.

Anyhow, my thought for the day.

Gordon