The Story of The Two Dudes
Dave had already been with me for about eight years when we hired Devin, the media buyer, eleven years ago.
Jacob is the new guy. He’s been in the office across the hall from mine for only six or seven years.
Dave is the audio engineer who produces all my radio ads.
Jacob helps me write them.
Devin, Dave and Jacob have each become partners in my firm.
Three years ago, I wanted to put a Crazy Ivan in the radio campaign of a longtime client. So I wrote a script and said out loud, “Jacob, are you on the phone?”
“Nope,” came the answer from across the hall.
“I’m emailing you and Dave a script. I want you both to record it.”
“You’re using Dave as a voice?”
“Yep.”
Jacob stepped into my office. “Then you’re going to choose the one you like best?”
“No, I want you to do it together.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Your deliveries will be relaxed and natural because you talk to each other all the time.”
“You’re having us talk to each other? Not to the audience?”
“Just go read it.”
Later that day I received an email alert that a new ad was ready to be downloaded. I listened to it, smiled, then forwarded the hyperlink to my client.
A few weeks later he called me. “People are LOVING the ad with those two dudes walking down the street.”
So I slipped the Two Dudes into the radio campaign of another longtime client. Same result. “Wow. People are LOVING those two dudes. It’s like they don’t even realize they’re listening to an ad.”
The Two Dudes quickly became regular visitors to a number of highly successful radio campaigns, and always with the same result, “People LOVE those two guys.”
So I announced a new class at Wizard Academy, “How to Write Banter, Dialogue, and Repartee,” and didn’t think any more about it.
Last week the front office told me that one of my clients was on the phone and needed to talk to me right away. I picked up the receiver. “Yeah, what’s up?”
“You know this company was in real trouble when I bought it.”
“Oh, I remember.”
“I tried everything I could think of for 2 years, and lost about 3 million dollars a year.”
“Dang.”
“Then you agreed to take me on.”
“What’s it been, three years?”
“That’s why I’m calling. I just got an offer to sell 45 percent of the company.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Fifty million dollars is a lot of money.”
“For just 45 percent?”
“Yep.”
“Congratulations, man!”
“Thanks… Hey, as long as I have you on the phone, can you get me some more of those ads with the two dudes? People LOVE those guys.”
I hung up and said, “Jacob, are you on the phone?”
Jacob stepped through the doorway. “What’s up?”
I walked down the hall to Dave’s recording studio and sat down. Jacob took the other chair. Dave took off his headphones.
I said, “You guys are about to start a new business together.”
Later that day, they had a website.
Now they just need a client.