Latest / The Copywriting Podcast with Fexingo: Sales Letters, Headlines, and Persuasive Writing / How a Fictional Story Sold a Real Product
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this copywriter from the 1950s named John Caples. He wrote an ad that was basically a short story. It wasn't about a product — there was no product. It was a fictional tale called 'The Jewel in the Crown'. Luna: A fictional story with no product? That sounds like a branding play, not a direct-response ad. Lucas: Right, you'd think that. But here's the kicker — the story was used to sell an actual product that didn't exist until after the story was written. It was a mail-order ad for a ring, and the copy described this fictional heirloom passed down through generations. People responded. They sent in money. And they didn't care that the story was made up — they wanted the ring. Luna: Wait — so he wrote a story about a ring, and then people bought the ring? That's almost too perfect. Lucas: It gets better. The ring wasn't even designed yet. Caples wrote the ad, it ran, and the orders came in. The company had to scramble to source the actual rings. They ended up selling over 100,000 units. That's the power of narrative fiction in copy. Luna: That's wild. And it ties into something we've talked about before — how handwritten notes or blank space work because they trigger curiosity. Fiction does something similar, but deeper. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what we're drilling into today: how a fictional story can sell a real product. Not just engage people, but get them to open their wallets before they even see the product. Luna: Before we dive deeper — you know, conversations like this are exactly why we keep the show ad-free. If these marketing insights have sparked something you've actually used in your own work, that's the whole point. And listener support is what lets us stay independent. Lucas: Yeah, we don't run ads because we want the freedom to talk about any example, even the messy ones. So if you find value in that, supporting the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo makes a real difference. Luna: It's a small gesture that keeps the podcast exactly as it is. Okay — back to the ring story. What made that narrative so effective? Lucas: Let's look at the structure. Caples opened with a vivid scene: a young woman inheriting a ring from her grandmother. He described the ring in detail — the setting, the stone, the way it caught light. But the real hook was the emotional journey. The ring wasn't just a piece of jewelry; it was a symbol of love and legacy. Luna: So he built a world where the ring had meaning. That's classic narrative transportation theory — you get lost in the story and accept the product as part of that world. Lucas: Precisely. And here's the thing: Caples wasn't selling the ring's features — carat weight, gold purity, whatever. He was selling the feeling of owning that story. The reader imagined themselves as the protagonist. They wanted to be part of that inheritance. Luna: That brings up a question about ethics though. If the story is completely fabricated, is that deceptive? I mean, people thought the ring had a history it didn't have. Lucas: It's a fair point. Caples himself was very careful. He didn't claim the story was true. He presented it as a narrative, and the reader understood it as fiction. The product itself was real — it existed as advertised. The fiction was just the frame. Compare that to some modern influencer campaigns where they pretend to use a product they don't actually use. That's deception. This was creative storytelling. Luna: So the line is: don't lie about the product. The story can be imagined, but the thing you're selling has to deliver on the promise. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why this example still works today. You can tell a fictional story in an email sequence or a landing page, as long as the product matches the emotional payoff. Let me give you a modern parallel. Luna: I'm listening. Lucas: There's a company called Death Wish Coffee. They sell high-caffeine coffee. Their early ads told a story about a fictional character — a truck driver who needed extreme coffee to stay awake on long hauls. The character wasn't real, but the product was. And that story resonated with their target audience. They built an entire brand around that narrative. Luna: So the fiction creates an identity. The customer sees themselves in the story and the product becomes a prop for that identity. That's a powerful psychological trigger. Lucas: Now, let's talk about the mechanics. How do you write a fictional story that sells? First, you need specificity. Caples didn't say 'a ring'. He said 'a sapphire ring with diamonds on either side, set in platinum.' The more specific the details, the more real the story feels. Luna: The reader's brain fills in the gaps. Vague description breaks the spell. Specifics build the world. Lucas: Second, you need stakes. The story has to have a conflict or a desire. In Caples' story, the protagonist struggled with whether to sell the ring or keep it. That internal conflict made the reader root for her. And when she kept it, the reader felt that was the right choice — and they wanted to experience that same resolution by buying the ring. Luna: So the product becomes the solution to the story's tension. You could apply that to any product. A skincare product? Tell a story about someone struggling with their skin until they find this one thing that changes everything. Lucas: Exactly. But there's a trap: the story can't be so long that it loses momentum. Caples' ad was about 400 words. That's a short story. In email marketing, you have maybe two minutes of attention. So you need to hook fast. Open with a specific moment: 'She opened the velvet box and gasped.' Not: 'There was a woman who received a ring.' Luna: That's the classic rule of writing: show, don't tell. But in copywriting, you're also showing the benefit. The story has to demonstrate the product working its magic. Lucas: Right. And one more lesson from Caples: he put the call to action inside the story. At the end of the narrative, he wrote something like, 'If you'd like to own this very ring, send $19.95 to...' The order form was part of the story. The transition from fiction to transaction was seamless. Luna: That's brilliant. Most modern copy separates the story from the order button. But if you can make the button feel like the next chapter, you keep the reader in the narrative mindset. Lucas: So here's a practical takeaway: next time you write a product description, try writing a three-paragraph micro-story about someone using the product. Include a specific problem, a specific moment of discovery, and a specific result. Then test it against a standard feature-benefit description. Luna: I'd love to see that A/B test. My bet is the story wins, especially for emotional purchases like jewelry, perfume, or even software. The more intangible the product, the more the story matters. Lucas: That's a great point. For purely functional products — say, a cable organizer — a story might feel forced. But even then, you can tell a story about the chaos before and the calm after. Luna: And you can borrow from Caples' structure: a protagonist, a conflict, a resolution. You don't need a full short story. Just three beats. Lucas: Let's look at a quick example. Suppose you're selling a productivity app. Your story could be: 'Sarah had forty tabs open and a deadline in two hours. She felt that familiar panic. Then she tried FocusFlow — one click organized everything. She finished early and took a walk. Now she uses it every day.' That's a story. It's not War and Peace, but it works. Luna: And you'd end with a CTA like 'Start your free trial — see what Sarah saw.' That ties the story to the action. Lucas: Exactly. So the Caples ring story isn't just a historical curiosity. It's a template. And the core lesson is: when you sell a product, you're really selling a story about who the customer becomes when they use it. Luna: One last thought — do you think this works better for certain demographics? Older audiences might be more skeptical of fictional stories in ads, while younger ones might embrace it. Lucas: That's worth testing. But I think the key is authenticity. Even a fictional story can be authentic to the product's promise. If the story feels like it could be true — even if it isn't — the reader will buy in. The problem is when the story is clearly fake and the product can't deliver. That's when you lose trust. Luna: So the bar is: your fiction must be more honest than the reality of the product. If the story is about a magical ring, the ring better be at least impressive. Lucas: Right. And that's why Caples succeeded. The ring was good quality for the price. The story delivered on an emotional level, and the product delivered on a physical level. That's the formula. Luna: Alright, I'm going to try writing a fictional story for our next email campaign. I'll let you know how it goes. Lucas: I look forward to hearing about it. And if it works, you'll have a case study of your own. If it doesn't, well, you'll still have a good story to tell. Luna: Either way, we win. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. That's it for this episode. Next time, we'll look at how a single word change in a headline doubled response. See you then.