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The “How You Can Too” Ad Model - A Big Lie in Advertising?

By Mohamad Zaki Hussein
April 27th, 2006

You’ve probably seen many ads that say something like this…

“How A 20 Years Old High School Drop Out Make $12,345 Per Day and How You Can Too!”

What it tries to convey is the “foolproofness” of the product or service that is being sold.

So if a 20 years old (young and so, lack of experience) high school drop out (not smart) can earn $12,345 per day because of the system that he’s using, then the same system can make anyone achieve the same (or better) result.

At first, I didn’t see anything wrong with this kind of ad.

But Nick Usborne’s article, “One of the Biggest Lies in Advertising”, has made me think about the “ethical aspect” of this kind of ad.

According to Nick, that kind of ad is one of the biggest lies in advertising.

He believes that success is a personal matter. If someone achieves successful result with a certain method, that doesn’t mean the same method will generate the same result for other people.

And if there are people who achieve the same (or better) result with that method, it’s not just because of the method and it’s certainly not because someone has done it before them, but it’s because those people have the skills and attitudes that fit with the method.

Hmm, any thought on this?

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9 Comments

  1. Gary Patton Says:
    April 27th, 2006 at 6:17 pm

    Zaki:

    I agree that the ad-type in question is not only unethical but a waste of time. Basically, it assumes that people are gullible and stupid.

    It also appeals to the “greed motive” in many. And the desire of some to earn rewards without much work. Most people appreciate that formula doesn’t work.

    As marketers the only thing we have to sell is trust. These kinds of ads fracture trust before a relationship is even built.

    Regards,
    GaryFPatton

  2. Lowell Says:
    April 27th, 2006 at 6:31 pm

    Most advertising copy is a lie in some way. I guess we all have to draw the line somewhere. Basically these ads say anything is possible. We all like to believe that but in most cases it isn’t true. A recent fairly popular ebook, blogging to the bank, used this pitch. But it is still a useful book and I bought it despite the ad pitch. But only after seeing about a dozen good reviews of the content. Its like the old story about the Maine tackle shop owner. While holding up a shiny and wildly painted artificial lure, the customer asks, “Does this thing catch fish?” The shop owner replies, “I don’t sell to fish.” Most advertising works on this principle…….which paraphrased is “know your market and give them what they (think they) want.”

  3. Patrick Patten Says:
    April 27th, 2006 at 8:44 pm

    Advertising, as one should be occasionally reminded, is the oldest form of propoganda, in the world. It rarely or conciously, is equated with such matters as “ethics” or morality. “Truth in advertising” is of a political and legal genre, but holds no substance to what really takes place, when one advertises.

    I love to follow situations on the internet, when it comes to affiliation or jv programs. One of my favorites, is the guy who has made a zillion dollars from this software, and will not only show you how to, but will sell it to you at a reasonable price, or allow you to sell it using his site and all it’s ameneties. One way to look at this offer, and something I have found more often than not, is that this poor creature is no longer making a zillion off the product, and so it is time to sell it to the unsuspecting hopeful enteprenuer, thereby, making one last killing on it, or to get a little more residual pay by having others advertise for it. It does not matter which, the program is on a downward slide, and most likely, a new program is out that outshines the older product. The final effect, it minimizes your ability to sustain a long term income.

    There are, without doubt, some extremely good opportunities out there. You can find them by asking a few questions of yourself, that you really should be asking every time you think about a purchase.

    1. Is this something I am going to use, or is it just going to sit on my hard drive, hopefully to be used some day on an internet site? If you are not using it within a couple of months, do not purchase. By the time you get around to posting it, it will be old news, and everyone else would have moved on to something newer and better.

    2. Is this something you can personally use, or would your readers enjoy it? If it is something you would personally use, why not become an affiliate, and use your readers as your first line? If you would not, or are not using it, why would you want to sell it?

    3. Is it unique, or can I just skip to any of a hundred jv giveaways, and simply post my email to 600 hungry new business people, and pick it up for free? (Play it wrong, and “the list” will choke you). If Jane’s going to offer me that new super dupper killer must have guru application for my email address, and you are offering it to me for a mere 29.95 on your site, guess who gets me first? Want to also take an educated guess as to one of the symptoms that lead to internet failure? If they told you that you can “have it all” with very little work, they lied. Which, if you payed close attention, is the theme of this whole thing to begin with, because, when it is all said and done, you probably read that in one of there “you can do it too” ads.

  4. Allison King Says:
    April 28th, 2006 at 2:39 am

    I don’t think these ads work at all. They are a bunch of hype. You have to do so much to make so much. I am very interested web design online jobs. Please let me know where to search for these jobs. I believe freelance jobs on the internet pays off, I don’t know about home based business. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks.

  5. raj Says:
    April 28th, 2006 at 5:43 am

    Most of these such ads are pure and utter crap. Who’s going to stop someone from saying such things? There’s no “Better Business Bureau” for the Internet, and various local chapters of the BBB can reportedly be bought, for the right price. There’s a fool born every minute, and they’ll gravitate to the Internet to spend their hard-earned money instead of learning patience and building a legitimate business.

  6. Mohamad Zaki Hussein Says:
    April 28th, 2006 at 7:18 am

    Hi guys,

    Thanks for your comments. I myself haven’t made any conclusive thought about this issue, although I tend to agree with Nick that success is a personal matter.

    And for Allison, about freelance online jobs, you can try Elance.

    Thanks,
    Zaki

  7. Georjina Sinese Says:
    April 29th, 2006 at 2:04 am

    The sad part about this is everyday new people come online and get caught in the lies, hype and fluff. It makes it much harder for those of us who share real value to get their attention because the ‘hucksters’ are feeding them what they want to hear.

  8. Shanks Pandiath Says:
    April 29th, 2006 at 4:01 am

    Hi Zaki

    You are right there..

    But we’ve gotta survive..

    Check this out.. it will give you a better perspective

    http://affiliatescrawl.blogspot.com/2006/04/ever-know-why-they -say-bullshit-works.html

    Bye for now

  9. Ravi Says:
    May 2nd, 2006 at 2:13 pm

    Hi Zaki,

    I am a newbie but have gained experience with failures.

    Now I know that there is a lot of crap going on which I think is harming the true online businessmen.

    But you can’t blame them. A sucker is born every minute and the gullible fish takes the bait.

    There has to be some ethics and moral responsibility which the so called Gurus should understand.

    This way you cannot gain trust and is not successful in the long run.

    I believe in making friends and gainig their trust and I always say what I believe.

    This has given me some very good friends and business too.