“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”
You probably recognize this popular catch phrase from the television commercial for Life Alert… or perhaps from the comedic punchlines that have become a part of pop culture as a result.
In fact, it’s probably one of the most recognized slogans of all time.
The original commercial for Life Alert, a personal medical-alert system, showed an elderly woman who had fallen. The woman pushes a button on the Life Alert pendant she’s wearing around her neck. Instantly connected to a 24-hour medical response team, she says, “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
Bad acting made the commercial the butt of many jokes, however the company probably got the last laugh as it has obviously been an effective way to sell their product for more than 24 years. They continue to run versions of that same commercial and even made the popular catch phrase a registered trademark.
Now the company is running a new version of the commercial that is very realistic.
In fact, it’s so realistic some say it is scarier than stuff they watch on TV.
The new ad shows an empty house while playing eerie music. It pans different objects and scenes inside the empty house. In the background you can hear a woman whimpering. Just outside her window, a couple plays with a dog. And then it pans to a woman lying at the bottom of the basement stairs, crying for help. The commercial then shows a screen that says, “When You Fall and Cannot Get Up, an ACCIDENT can turn into a TRADEGY!”
So the question is –how does the same catch phrase used by the same company for more than two decades continue to be so effective at selling their product?
And how is it that it worked when in a really bad commercial as well as in the new very realistic, very well scripted and produced one?
This seems contradictory.
Especially when you think about how bad the original commercial was.
As I alluded to above, the original commercial has been ridiculed, insulted, and referenced many times over by comedians.
The new one on the complete opposite end of the spectrum has been called disturbing and too believable.
The reason this phrase works so well—whether the ad is well scripted, acted and produced or not, is that the premise—“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” is a real fear.
Elderly people fear losing their independence.
Family members of elderly parents fear something will happen to their loved one, with no phone nearby, and no one to hear their cries for help.
In other words, it taps into a fear that already exists.
There is no need to convince someone that this is a possibility. No need to go into a lengthy or even a real story about it happening to someone. People already know this possibility exists.
I’m going to say that again, because this is a HUGE key to a successful ad.
Tap into an emotion—a storyline that is already running inside your prospect’s head.
Although fear is certainly a popular emotion you’ve seen in ads such as the anti-smoking commercials or political campaigns, there are many other emotions and storylines that you can tap into as well.
For example, online dating services tap into the “happily ever after” story that already exists in people’s heads.
Car commercials often tap into the idea of having something that everyone else wants, but is uniquely yours.
There is always an emotional storyline that is playing in your prospect’s head. The key is to figure out what that emotional storyline is (hint: there might be more than one) and then engage your prospect with words that tap into it. When you do, that’s when you’ll make the sale.
NOTE: If you aren’t tapping into your prospect or customers emotions, then you probably aren’t making the sale either. Want to know more about which emotions to tap into and exactly how to do it? Find out the techniques Dan Kennedy uses for maximum effectiveness when selling goods and services by clicking here now.
