“Seducing Strangers: How to Get People to Buy What You’re Selling (The Little Black Book of Advertising Secrets)” by Josh Weltman
Josh Weltman is a twenty five year veteran of the advertising business, a Co-Producer of the Mad Men TV show, a working creative director, writer and artist.
In his advertising career Josh has created ad campaigns for companies like Taco Bell, Doritos, BMW and Microsoft. He has created everything from online guerrilla marketing efforts for small clients, to national campaigns for global automotive companies.
Josh was a part of Mad Men since the show’s first season. He worked closely with the show’s writers and producers to help ensure that Mad Men accurately depicted the process of creating ads and servicing clients, and that the show’s advertising and business stories played true to life.
Jon Hamm, star of Mad Men, on Josh Weltman’s advertising expertise. “People often ask me questions, or ask my opinions, on or about the world of advertising. My stock response is ‘You know I play a fictional advertising executive, right?’ That’s usually used to cover the ignorance or stupidity of whatever I am about to say next. In the future I will simply refer them to Josh Weltman.”
The Host’s Perspective:
Josh Weltman was an advertising creative director for more than 25 years, Josh was also a part of Mad Men since the show’s first season. He helped ensure that Mad Men accurately depicted the real world of advertising. And as a former Madison Avenue ad man, I can tell you that the scenarios presented in the show were spot on.
He also created most of the original ads seen on the show.
However, this book is NOT about how to do ads for the Don Draper, “advertising is king” era. It’s a book about persuasion. And it’s extremely well written. It explains what motivates people to take action (spoiler alert: it’s not advertising).
One of my favorite lines in the book was “People are driven to act by their own impulses far more often than by outside forces.”
The book also covers “the four elements of selling,” how to present your ideas, viral marketing, why success in online marketing requires very different types of communication from offline marketing, and lots more.
I really enjoyed Seducing Strangers and I think you will too.
Listen to the interview:
Show Notes
by Walter Isaacson
by Al Ries and Jack Trout
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