Quote:
Originally Posted by 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
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Hi Gordon,
First, the Music Man is a GREAT movie...!
It just so happens I was watching part of it about a week ago... Which reminded me of what a great movie it is...
How Professor Harold Hill sells those musical instruments is GENIUS...
And his customers are incredibly happy in the end, too!
Now... here's a movie which I think is relevant to Business, and also to Life...
It's a German movie, called "Run Lola Run"...
In a nutshell, without giving away any spoilers, the story is Lola's boyfriend has lost 100,000 Deutsche Marks (which was German currency back in the day)... That is, Lola's boyfriend lost a lot of money.
That money belongs to a very bad person. Lola's boyfriend's life will be in danger.
Lola has to raise this money in 20 minutes - or else... If she doesn't, she'll be fine, but her boyfriend could be mince meat, if you know what I mean...
The movie goes through different "alternative" histories of what Lola does.
Some of her choices end in disaster... What can she do which will save her boyfriend?
This is like business.
If you do one thing, it could end in failure. Do something else, it could end in success.
Of course, we know this intuitively... But it is remarkable to see it played out explicitly on the screen!
You could compare "Run Lola Run" to "Groundhog Day" in some ways (except it's an action movie, not a comedy).
Just like in "Groundhog Day," you can see how different actions lead to different consequences...
"Run Lola Run" is a great movie for its entertainment value, too!
Best wishes,
Dien