Tim was kind enough to dig up the ad (and associated blog post) that I was referred to in my last comment. Here’s the link:

http://www.thedailyblur.com/powerwashing-stinks/

When you listen to the ad, you’ll see how Tim quickly anchors the listener into the reality of most do-it-yourselfer’s, and then hooks them into the reasons why they DON’T want to DIY power washing chores. It’s a great ad and a solid example of using Reality Hooks.

- Jeff

The two examples I was thinking of involve the following:

Your ad for the pressure washing company. I think the beginning of that ad either uses a reality hook or is close enough to call it that.

And then you had some ad that opened with the line “Well, according to Oprah,” and did it in a semi-snarky way, as if that line would never, ever, ever cross the lips of any self-respecting guy.

It’s been too long for me to recall the full ads, but, as their author, you might be able to remember them

- Jeff

In … wait for it … reality, I’ve always enjoyed trying to find those little Seinfeldian nothing-moments that spark a connection with another person. I’m traveling and mentally displaced. Please let me think about this when I get home tomorrow, and I’ll share a few. One of my favorites (he said humbly) started:

“When he left the house tonight, your world changed forever.”

Was about a mom’s son leaving on his first date … took you on a “hey, I’ve been there” ride that bridge to my client’s benefit.

Anyway, thanks for the kind nod to my work … however delusional it may be!

I might be able to scare up a few more examples, I seem to remember my Wizard of Ads colleague, Tim Miles, using a few wickedly good reality hooks in some of his ads.

Also, I agree with you on the implied equalizer part. Could have and should have been a bit more explicit. And, yes, NLP is Neuro-Linguistic Programming. NLP has some great insights, but there’s more than a little snake-oil added to that mixture as well – especially when it comes to NLP-derived sales techniques!

- Jeff

I think the only weakness in the Sealy copy is making the connection between an 8-hour sleep and a quality 6-hour sleep. “The equalizer?” is a good bridge but might take some mental gymnastics on the part of the reader. Perhaps the last sentence in the second paragraph could have been used a little earlier in the copy.

p.s. Is NLP neuro-linguistic programming?