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Rolls Royce Moment
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What is Rolls Royce Moment?
Rolls Royce Moment is a card from the Storyteller Tactics deck by Pip Decks.
Rolls Royce ran an advert with this headline in a US magazine in 1960. Next year, Ford spent millions on an ad campaign promising cars “as quiet as a Rolls Royce.” In 1980, my dad told me the Rolls Royce story, and I still remember it today. Why was this ad so memorable and how can your story have a Rolls Royce moment?
Try this tactic alongside Data Detectives bring your research to life.
When to use Rolls Royce Moment
- Launching a new product or service and needing a memorable marketing angle
- Rebranding or repositioning a company in the market
- Preparing for a high-stakes presentation or pitch
- Facing strong competition and needing to stand out
- Struggling to engage an audience with current marketing efforts
- Seeking to improve internal communication and team alignment
- Wanting to create a lasting impression at industry events or conferences
How to use Rolls Royce Moment
David Ogilvy, the British advertising genius, wrote the ticking clock headline for Rolls Royce after spending days trawling through engineers’ reports. His lesson for storytellers: do your homework. Here’s why the advert worked:
- It’s a vivid moment. In just a few words, Ogilvy gave us a rich, sensory movie we could play in our heads.
- What’s the vivid moment you can describe, something we can hear, see, taste, smell or feel?
- It’s exemplary. This one small moment stands for the whole. It tells us that Rolls is a precision engineering company that pays attention to details.
- What’s the single fact or detail that tells us everything we need to know about your product?
- It’s widely relatable. I’ve never driven in a Rolls, but I can tell you my Talbot Horizon (1992–1994) made a hell of a racket cruising at 60mph. So I can imagine how good Rolls Royce quality feels.
- How can you make your Rolls Royce moment relatable to something your audience will understand?
Tip: Secrets & Puzzles make great Rolls Royce moments.
