I was walking in the Hendrix Center today to get lunch and took a second glance at a sign/ad that read, “Free Oil Change”. At first I thought, “I want a free oil change!” Then I thought, “Wow, talk about drawing me in as a consumer.” The sad part is the ad was hand written (poorly) with black magic marker on green paper. It was taped to the bottom of a rickety old desk and behind that desk was a Chevron salesperson. This guy saw me take a second glance and attacked me with his pitch. I soon declined the salesman after being able the read in between the lines of the offer, which concerned obligation and down payment issues. The ad’s purpose worked like a charm in regards to catching my attention. The bait snagged me, but the salesperson couldn’t reel me in. After declining the salesman, gave more thought to the situation and what had just happened. Normally I would go about my day, not even giving a second thought to the ad, but now I realize the true effectiveness of an eye catching quote. The quote worked without any digital design work on the ad. This almost embarrasses me.
2 Comments:
I feel your pain. I was walking through a Volvo dealer parking lot in Ashville, and got sucked into a hour long pitch from one of the salesmen. Man, they're good.
Think about that ad in terms of ethos. It attracts people at least partly because it seems simple, guile-less; that's what makes it effective.
I wish I could remember where I read an account of a guy who worked at a sporting goods store putting up a sign that said something like "15% off Fishing Tickle." Then when customers came in, disarmed by the humor of the "typo" he was able to sell them stuff. I think it happens to all of us. -T. F.
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