💡So crazy it might work→ truthful advertising

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If only we could buy stock in yard sales and flea markets→ tariff havens. 

Today’s Feature Story shows how to tell the truth in your ads to boost sales. No need to lie. The proof comes from the guy who made Volkswagen a household brand despite its terrible reputation out of the gate.

After that, feast on the following sections: 

• The Knowledge Base  

• Self Help (spark vs fire)

• Facts & Stats (how boring?)

• Get Hacking (thumbnails)

Now, let’s pop the top on today’s Feature Story…

Feature Story

Swallow Hard & Start Telling the Truth in Your Ads

Buckle up buttercup. Harsh truths coming at you about the dismal trust levels buyers have for brands today.

I’ll give you 5 modern day insights that show why telling the truth about your products and services is highly likely to increase your sales. Hey, the truth worked wonders for a brand that had Adolf Hitler’s dirty fingerprints all over it.

If you didn’t know, Volkswagen was launched back in Nazi Germany. Hitler was front and center promoting some of VW’s first cars. Read more about it here since I don’t have time for a history lesson.

Shout out to Mr. Marlowe, my 8th-grade teacher—loved teaching history.

So, how’d Volkswagen overcome its tainted beginnings? 

An Ad Man Named Bill Bernbach

The three quotes below from this ad agency owner tell you a lot…

“Just because your ad looks good is no insurance that it’ll get looked at. How many people do you know who are impeccably groomed... but dull?”

“If your advertising goes unnoticed, everything else is academic.”

“The most powerful element in advertising is the truth.”

Bernbach felt like truth was an advantage in advertising. If every other advertiser was allergic to the truth, then the truth should naturally stand out. 

There’s more to it than being unique, though. He believed the truth sparked authentic emotional responses.

The ad man rejected the idea of “masking product flaws.”

2 VW Ad Campaigns

The VW Beetle was a tiny new car in a big-car USA back in the day. Bernbach leaned into that with the “Think Small” campaign. Didn’t try to make the little buggy car something it wasn’t.

Another ad called the VW Beetle a “Lemon.” No one in their right mind calls their vehicle a Lemon! It’s a sale killer.

Not if you frame it properly. In that case, it showed a flaw that inspectors caught at the factory. The message being, “VW checks all our cars thoroughly.” 

Why hide the flaw? Every consumer already knows mistakes are made at factories. How? Simple, they’re not idiots.

VW Beetle sales in the U.S. were around 52,000 units before the truthful ads ran. The year after, sales jumped to 85,000. 

By 1961, U.S. sales hit over 148,000. The ads’ effect lasted. VW’s U.S. sales peaked at a record 570,000 vehicles in 1970, a direct result of the brand’s new image and trust built by honest advertising.

Avis Car Rental Ad

Bernbach highlighted Avis being number two in the car rental industry. He leaned into that harder by admitting Avis would NEVER be number one. The Hertz car rental company was too big to beat.

However, there are advantages for the customer with an “underdog” car rental company. “We try harder.”

That was the brilliant campaign distilled from a truth that every other advertising exec woulda tried to cover up or lie about. 

“Within a year, Avis went from losing $3.2 million to earning $1.2 million — the first time it had been profitable in over a decade. From 1963 to 1966, as Hertz ignored the Avis campaign, the market-share percentage gap between the two brands shrunk from 61-29 to 49-36.” ~Denver Post

See. Telling the truth in advertising isn’t so crazy after all. Especially in today’s age of zero trust from consumers, as you can tell from the 5 insights below. 

Why Truthful Advertising Matters More for Today’s Consumers & B2B Buyers

• Only a few industries have trust levels above 40%, and no sector has more than half of consumers’ trust with their data. 

• 60% of advertising claims can’t be proven. When consumers feel misled, they often avoid not just one product, but the entire brand.
  

• Today’s consumers and B2B buyers are savvy—can spot insincerity quickly. Brands that admit limitations and share real stories build stronger loyalty and stand out in crowded markets.
  

• For B2B buyers, 45% say transparent pricing is their number one wish. 33% want easier ways to see ROI. Lack of clear info pushes 75% of buyers to consider switching suppliers.
  

• 77% of B2B buyers read user reviews, and 54% talk to current users before buying. For consumers, 54% trust online reviews more than recommendations from family or influencers. Both groups value genuine feedback and transparency over polished sales nonsense.

After all that… I can’t see how you’d have any doubts about truthful advertising being effective when you frame it wisely and use creativity.

But if you’ve still got doubts…

Just think about products you own and love. Are they perfect? No way, right?

So, if you saw an ad for that product that admitted flaws while highlighting the best parts, you’d likely buy it again.

For me, it’s my mini PC. Low power. No bells or whistles. But does the job. Takes up little desk space. Easy to take on trips. 

Bottom line? 

Buyers are not dumb. They know that no product is flawless. Be honest about your products’ imperfections. 

Might as well. Because they’ll get found out eventually. The result is mean reviews, no repeat sales, and a jacked-up brand reputation.

The truth, mixed with creativity, overcame a horrific early reputation for Volkswagen.

The Knowledge Base is just ahead…

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Self-Help

My grandma was an uncertified 5-star chef of southern cooking.

As a child though, she went hungry her first couple weeks of first grade. 

Her friend told her mom, who told the school, leading to my grandma getting free school lunches.

My grandma became an elite cook. She loved sharing her food with anyone who stopped by.

Her childhood friend was the spark that helped create a great chef.

My grandma was the fire that made sure folks in her house never went hungry.

The spark or the fire. We all get chances to be one or the other. 

Facts & Stats

Bonus: Research found that _____________ by 50% led to an average increase in the perceived value of 18.6%. Answer at end of email.

Get Hacking

A specific strategy to implement today

You know how much I despise the idiotic facial expressions in 97% of YouTube thumbnails, right?

Well, get hacking on doing better and standing out more with your thumbnails.

The following example shows it is possible to create an enticing video thumbnail without acting like you just saw a shark eat your Labradoodle.

I get mimicking successful YouTubers’ tactics with stupid emotional facial contortions. But how is looking like ALL the other thumbnails gonna stop the scroll and catch viewer attention? Hint, it won’t.

Thanks for reading Inbox Hacking. Please share it with your peeps - it’s sugar-free but stings a bit.

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin

Bonus answer from Facts & Stats section: Research found that increasing the size of a product's packaging by 50% led to an average increase in the perceived value of 18.6% (Mindesigns).