Day 43 of writing ancient sales letters by hand to become a skilled copywriter. I am grateful to be alive. Not because I’ve been in any danger or near misses recently. But because I have a reason to be alive. Five years ago, I did not. And that feeling felt eternal. It felt certain. It was not. These feelings come and go like a revolving door. Whether it be through the years, months, weeks, days… …or even hours if your psyche is truly that volatile. (Ingenues) Forgive me Emily. Regardless of this, it is your job to get stronger every day. So that as you sway to and fro, your posture grows steadier. Not stiff or unbreakable. Just sturdier and calmer as you react to the world around you with less hatred and frustration. This will provide you with more love to give The strongest man can take the worst day of his life and look back on it as a blessing. As a lesson, because that’s all struggles are if you choose it to be so. TODAY’S LETTER IS AWESOME. It has a big ol’ fish on it. A sick ass fish. This was truly an advertisement that I could not ignore. Please enjoy. Sales letter: “Zippo Amazing Story” advertisement. This was written by David Ogilvy. Swiped by Mike Schauer. It ran in 1961. The product is Zippo lighters. Headline: “The amazing story of a Zippo that worked after being taken from the belly of a fish.” Key takeaways and learnings: This clickbait does not disappoint. Between this headline and the picture of a Pike about to devour a lighter, this is quite congruent with the tale that Ogilvy writes about. The headline provokes curiosity with a story that suggests incredible durability and quality. This is the main theme of this advertisement. Incredible levels of reliability. Atop the picture in the left corner there is a phrase: “Zippo…The lighter that works.” This is their main point of positioning. When you need a flame, Zippo burns bright. Beneath the picture lies a description: “The fish that snapped up the Zippo lighter was a Great Northern Pike, one of America’s scrappiest game fish.” This description of the Pike being known for its “scrappiness” along with the clearly visible sharp rows of teeth… …make a clear suggestion that this fish SHOULD be doing real damage. Especially to things put in its mouth such as a lighter. The first paragraph builds concrete authority to prepare the reader for a story that would certainly make them skeptical. Before “diving” in to this story they want these quotation marks to say something more than just: “My buddy Rick has this AMAZING story.” Aware of the potential skepticism, Ogilvy writes with specificity and intent. Providing clear details on the location of the story, the intentions of the fisherman, and even the exact size of a Pike they caught that day. All of this builds trust as the prospect continues to read. Then they get to the part where the “dressed” Pike's insides are revealed. HUZZAH! It is indeed a Zippo lighter. “The lighter was in fine shape which showed that it had not been lost long.” This statement makes an assumption about the length of time the lighter had been lost. But they really have no clue how long. What this REALLY is… …is a social proof testimonial of the lighter’s incredible durability. Remember those details about the fish? Regardless of how long this lighter was inside the fish, they won. Not long - OK, this increases the believability of this miraculous story. Long - OK, this product is incredibly resilient. I like overthinking things like this because some of these great copywriters TRULY thought this far ahead when it came to writing their copy and the intentions behind it. I’d rather be confidently wrong, then quietly right. As I feel this is best in all things, so that others may help you learn with correction and suggestion. “The best part of it was that the Zippo lit the first time.” A common frustration with lighters if I am to make an assumption of this time. That, on top of what it had just gone through… …makes this lighter sound truly indestructible. Ogilvy admits the story is far-fetched, then broadens the scope in regard to the number of similar stories that have been told with the word “thousands.” Finishing up this claim with a reference to Ulysses’ from “The Odyssey”, claiming that these adventures would have made his “hair stand on end.” Are you serious? I haven’t read nor watched The Odyssey, but I don’t need that experience to understand the audacity behind this statement. A very clever reference when speaking of “adventures”. David claims that the owners of Zippo WOULD NOT be surprised as Ulysses’ would. Why of course not, they’ve made this fantastic product. This paragraph ends with a bold claim that Zippo’s last forever. FOREVER! He ends with a humorous nudge about where you can find Zippos in locations OTHER THAN INSIDE OF A FISH. With a guarantee backed with not only confidence but also the incredible risk-reversal of a lifetime warranty to fix any Zippo lighter. “No matter how old it is or what its condition.” In conclusion: What a fun one to read, write, breakdown, and type up a storm about. Looking forward to more Ogilvy advertisements to be honest with you. So many of these have been gems. I like the fun ones like this. One the lookout for them I shall be. Now… …for those of you who are copy lovers, new and old... Or maybe someone who wants to make more persuasive content… To get more leads, sales, or even views… I highly recommend two things! 1. Do the same as I, handwrite old sales letters and work on learning just as much as writing. AND 2. Join @TheCopyTitan Svet Dimitrov's Skool for copywriting. They are an extremely pleasant bunch, and I see it growing to become much larger in due time. I really cannot recommend this guy enough. If you’d like to see all the recorded masterclasses… …as well as Svet's weekly copy breakdowns. My affiliate link to his wonderful community is in my bio. Please do take a peek. Now. To end in similar fashion. Please feel free to point out where I'm wrong… …where I'm Mistaken… OR Perhaps even where I'm right. Although I do learn the most in knowing what I did wrong. Thank you for reading this!