Outrageous advertising is the way to go

"Outrageous" is rarely a way we'd like to be described. It implies that we are way over the top, attention-seeking, bold, wild, defying convention and a few other descriptions that we might prefer not to be called.

Apply that term to your advertising, however, and you have an over-the-top, attention-grabbing, bold, wild, unconventional message that people notice -- and that gets results!

Bill Glazer, one of the world's most sought-after marketing strategists, is offering his system in "Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful" for a tiny fraction of his usual fee. It's one of the best bargains of the year.

Bill summarizes his system in six points:

•Outrageous works. Why it does is irrelevant.

•Outrageous works in any medium for any product.

•People are bored and overwhelmed and want to be amused.

•Always be on the lookout for the next outrageous idea.

•Discover that outrageous advertising is the most fun thing you'll do in your career.

Starting from these ideas, he has built a system that works on ads for websites, e-mail, newspapers and magazines, business cards, signs, voicemail, help wanted, direct mail and more. He offers hundreds of examples as well as resources for even more ideas.

Bill has a very distinctive business card: It looks like a folded hundred-dollar bill on one side. The card folds out to reveal six quick selling points about what he offers. Even if the recipient never uses Bill's services, that card gets shown over and over again because it is so novel. Perhaps one of the people who see it will require Bill's services. Sure, it's outrageous, but it works!

Where do these outrageous ideas come from? It all starts with a headline, no matter what the medium, he says. Print ad headlines are obvious. In radio, the headline is the very first thing you hear. Bill warns not to jump at the first headline you think of: "When writing a marketing piece, I will never write less than 10 headlines. I have written as many as 100 headlines before I have chosen one I wanted to use."

In addition to a killer headline, the ad also must contain an offer and a deadline. Bill's examples are clear, easy-to-follow and plentiful. He covers the importance of photos and illustrations, graphics and testimonials, which he says are "at least 10 times more believable than what you say about yourself."

I was already pretty convinced that Bill knew what he was doing when I read his views on envelopes -- and how outrageous mail advertising starts with the outside of the envelope. The man must have been reading my mind! Everyone gets mail, he reminds us, and unusual-looking mail gets noticed.

For a limited time, you can get a free copy ($4.95 for shipping) of Bill Glazer's bestselling book, "Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful" at www.billsnewbook.com.