Foot Powder Elected

This is the story of how a bottle of foot powder was elected Mayor of a town in Ecuador.

I’m not kidding.

During the 1967 mayoral election in Picoazà (population 4,000), a foot powder company launched an ad campaign with this slogan:

“Vote for any candidate, but if you want well-being and hygiene, vote for Pulvapies.”

On election eve, the company distributed leaflets that looked like official candidate flyers:

“For Mayor: Honorable Pulvapies.”

Well-being and hygiene won the day.

You laugh.

But if you’re serious about marketing, you can learn a lot from Mayor Pulvapies.

I suspect some voters knew the deal when they cast their ballot for Pulvapies. Maybe a vote to protest rotten politicians?

But I bet many voters didn’t realize Pulvapies was powder.

We humans shop with our emotions.

If you promise me well-being and hygeine (read: attractiveness and sex-appeal), you’ll get my attention.

Never mind the sticky questions like “Is the well-being and hygiene candidate flesh-and-bones or just cornstarch and baking soda?”

Many voters don’t bother with the details. They just go for the emotion-triggering headlines.

So it goes when shopping for products and services, too.

Good messaging will trigger buyers’ emotions.

If you choose my product and service you will…

…be more attractive…
…stand out in the crowd…
…avoid embarrassment and humiliation…
…keep danger at bay and sleep safely and soundly at night…
…feel a greater sense of well-being and fulfillment…

…and so on.

Now that I have your attention, let me share the details of my product and service to prove that I can deliver.

That’s the formula for effective messaging: Start with the emotional benefit and follow with the details and proof.

In some cases, people will buy just on emotion and won’t need the details and proof. Right Mayor Pulvapies?