I recently wrote that flattery was one of three proven persuasion strategies for skeptical audiences. The other two techniques being storytelling and demonstration.
Fortunately, these techniques can be stacked to work together, with flattery and storytelling being natural partners. The story disguises the flattery while the flattery ensures the story feels personally relevant to the reader.
Prime Example: this legendary ad for Cadillac, which ran only once in the Saturday Evening Post, but dramatically boosted sales from this one exposure and is still remembered and read 110 years later.
I’ve analyzed this ad before, as it’s one of only a handful of ads that managed to have impact as a one-off advertisement, run for a limited time, rather than as part of a campaign.
This very limited group includes ads like:
DDBO’s “Daisy” ad for LBJ’s presidential campaign.
- Saatchi & Saatchi’s “Labour Isn’t Working” ad for the 1979 UK Conservative party, and
- Hal Riney’s “Morning In America” ad for Ronald Reagan.
- Apple’s Legendary “1984” Super Bowl Ad
But it’s worth re-examining “The Penalty of Leadership” under the lens of flattery.
Note how oblique the flattery is, as the main copy doesn’t even mention Cadillac, let alone the reader or customer.
Instead, it speaks of the envy and spite of the mediocre and narrow-minded directed at the virtuous and innovative.
Yet the reader can’t help but project Cadillac into the role of a virtuous and innovative car manufacturer, slighted by wannabe competitors.
And since the ad speaks to the reader through “shared experience,” it invites the reader to also project themselves into the role of the virtuous and innovative.
When the reader says to himself, “that’s true — I’ve not only seen it, it’s happened to me, personally,” a bond is formed between himself and the company.
And through this magic, Cadillac becomes the car for the virtuous and the forward-thinking, the leaders in society.
Just as this radio ad for Rolex inspires listeners to identify both with Sir Edmund Hillary and the brand itself.
This is how story-based ads, when done well, can flatter the audience in a way that overcomes suspicion.
Want to harness the power of flattery and story for your company?
- Flattery Through Storytelling - October 7, 2025
- Combining Sales Activation and Long-term Branding - September 26, 2025
- 3 Techniques That Work on Highly Skeptical Audiences - September 17, 2025