Pay Off the Problem Opening to Powerfully Position Your Product
Use the 'Wizard of Oz technique' to really take things to the next level
These last few weeks, I’ve been elaborating on my basic formula for scripts that sell. Step three of the formula is to explain how your product solves the problem you articulated at the beginning of your advertisement. I call this “paying off” the problem, and it’s another thing I make sure I do in every script I write.
You’d be surprised how often advertisers miss this opportunity to powerfully position their products.
They start with a compelling dramatization of a real problem. ✅
They present their product as the solution, answering my three key questions. ✅
But then they fail to reprise the negative opening in a positive form. 🤷🏻
One of my favorite ways to nail the payoff in video advertising is something I call the “Wizard of Oz technique.” I recently described it in my podcast interview with Amazon guru Carlos Alvarez. Here’s the transcription of that excerpt:
In the infomercial world, we go to great lengths to make every problem seem as painful as possible. This is that [scene]. It used to be black-and-white, now we do it desaturated. It’s sort of like The Wizard of Oz. You know [how] The Wizard of Oz is black-and-white in the real world, and then she goes to Oz and everything becomes color? We used to use that technique, and to some extent we still do, to portray a problem.
This is the poor housewife. She’s sweating and blowing her hair out of her face and struggling to do…whatever. Scrub a pot or clean something or whatever it is that we’re going to solve. And then, Wizard of Oz, everything turns to Technicolor and your hero product is presented as the solution.
(By the way, you can listen to the whole interview by clicking below.)
To see a real-world example of the technique, check out this commercial from our new Ultimate Irish YouTube channel. Take note of the desaturation of the problem scenes followed by the payoff of each problem in the solution scenes.
Now let’s look at some other recent commercials and see if my peers are also powerfully positioning their products with a problem-opening payoff. (Try saying that five times fast!)
This time around, I analyzed one hit commercial from the DRMetrix (Week 37) report and then performed a similar analysis on a new commercial that most of you haven’t seen yet. (See ‘Recent Tests’ for that critique.)
By the way, I’ve been getting lots of praise for these analyses. Thank you! Just the other day, a premium subscriber even told me that a critique of his commercial had inspired several new ideas for improving his results.
Wait, what?! Potentially game-changing critiques for just $5 per month? That’s right. Don’t miss out!
Eye Candy
Let’s use the first three steps of my formula as a checklist for an analysis of this commercial.
Step one: Start with a painful problem.
Problem: “Not being able to see up close can be frustrating. Trying to view your mail, your favorite book or even read a prescription bottle can be impossible.”
Skeptic’s Question: Are those real problems?
A: You bet they are! They will especially resonate with the core demographic for DRTV products (i.e. older folks). Nicely done.
Step two: Introduce the product and describe it.
Did they answer my three questions in the first 30 seconds? Let’s see.
What is it?
A “lightweight, easy to hold magnifier” ✅What does it do?
Lets you “see everything bigger, brighter and better than ever before” ✅Why is it different?
It “utilizes an optical grade lens that enlarges print by 300%” ✅
Not bad! I only have two criticisms, one minor and one potentially major.
The minor one is that the answer to the first question (what is it?) doesn’t come until about 20 seconds into the commercial and is buried in a long, descriptive sentence. The challenge that no doubt caused this: There’s a lot that has to be accomplished in a short period of time. They have to tease their “last chance” offer, and they also have to address the objection that this thing looks like a toy. Wisely, they take the latter issue head on with the line: “Fun in design, Eye Candy is no toy.”
The major criticism I have is that an important feature of the product and point of difference — the 12 LED lights that “dramatically help increase clarity” — aren’t introduced until 34 seconds into the spot. If I’m right about the maximum attention span of the average commercial watcher, this means some significant percentage of people will have tuned out long before this critical answer to my third question has been delivered.
Step three: Explain how the product solves the opening problem.
Did they pay off the opening problem by reprising the negative opening in positive form? Visually, there were actually four problems shown in the opening:
A man trying to read an instruction manual
A woman trying to see her mail
A man trying to read a book
You (the viewer) trying to make out a blurry prescription bottle label
These scenes are not desaturated. That’s fine. The “Wizard of Oz technique” isn’t required in order to have a good problem opening. I myself have done plenty of full-color problem openings. But now comes the important question: Are all of the opening problems paid off?
The answer is no. Here are the demos from the first 30 seconds of the commercial in order of appearance:
Product shot with book magnification
Woman reading greeting card
Man from opening reading book
Product shot with book magnification again
Book magnification demo
Newspaper magnification demo
Product shot with book magnification a third time
And here is the next 30 seconds, taking us to the 60-second mark:
Recipe book magnification demo
Man reading book at desk
Man looking at breaker panel
Man from opening reading book
Woman in bed reading book
Menu reading demo
You can see the issue. There are plenty of payoffs for one problem (books), and no payoffs for the other three problems. Two of the other three problems do get paid off in a round-up later in the spot. Go to 1:17 to see a prescription bottle, and 1:20 to see a past-due notice from the mail. But you won’t find a payoff to the very first problem (instruction manual), and these quick hits come much too late to have the desired effect.
The bottom line: I believe this product could be more powerfully positioned with some resequencing of these scenes. At the very least, they should get to other uses earlier because the book use is more than covered.
Recent Tests
Fly Pie
Pitch: “The brand new plug-in trap that flying insects can’t resist”
Offer: $19.99 for one with three free refill pads
Marketer: BulbHead
I’m not sure what the thinking was behind this name and design but — gross!
It looks a blueberry pie, but surprise! It’s full of flies! 😝🤮
Must be the same creative mind that came up with 2019’s Roach Toast, also from this marketer. I’ve been developing a theory that says disgust, like confusion, is a sales killer. I’ve seen it make even the best toilet products falter. If this item fails, I think I’m going to add these examples to my evidence for my broader disgust theory. Food and bugs should not go together!
As for the product concept, there’s a lot of history with such items but not much to write home about. The last two attempts I found in The Library of DRTV are Zevo Trap from 2019 and DynaTrap’s Fly Light from 2018.
Now, here’s that additional analysis I promised using the first three steps of my basic formula.
Step one: Start with a painful problem.
Problem: “Those disgusting flies. They’re everywhere! And no matter how much you swat and swing, you’ll never get the darn thing!”
Skeptic’s Question: Is that a real problem?
Yes and no. The first part strikes me as a bit contrived. I don’t know what kind of people have disgusting flies everywhere in their home. But the second part is definitely a real problem. I can’t tell you how many ‘fly chases’ I went on this summer!
Step two: Introduce the product and describe it.
Did they answer my three questions in the first 30 seconds? Let’s see.
What is it?
A “plug-in trap that flying insects can’t resist”What does it do?
It “attract[s] flying insects” and “lures them onto the glue pad where they’re trapped and disposed of for good”Why is it different?
It “uses advanced UV and blue light technology” and “imitation body heat”
This is pretty much a perfect execution of step two. Watch and learn.
Step three: Explain how the product solves the opening problem.
Did they pay off the opening problem by reprising the negative opening in a positive form?
Yes — and they even used the “Wizard of Oz technique”! Black-and-white problem scenes gorgeously transition to full-color solution scenes. Plus, after the 30-second mark, they repeat the process with secondary B&W problems followed by color payoffs.
Ladies and gentlemen, that is DR mastery.
The Formula for Scripts That Sell
Start with a painful problem
(Article: Ask the ‘Skeptic's Question’ to Check & Fix Your Opening Pitch)Introduce the product and describe it
(Article: Answer These 3 Questions Before Prospects Lose Interest)Explain how the product solves the opening problem
(Article: Pay Off the Problem Opening to Powerfully Position Your Product)Describe the product’s key features and benefits
(Article: Don't Be Misled By the Order of Things)Briefly list all of the key uses for the product
(Article: This Space Intentionally Left Blank)Explain how the product works
(Article: Here’s How 'Here’s How it Works' Works)Set up a value comparison and introduce the offer
(Article: The Incomparable Value Comparison)Introduce a bonus and describe it
(Article: Instantly Boost Sales by Leveraging the ‘Mooch Factor’)Recap the entire offer
(Article: The Department of Redundancy Department)Create a sense of urgency and ask for the order
(Article: The Simple Secret to Closing More Sales)