The Ultimate Sales Letter: The Declaration of Independence?

In a few weeks, the town where I live is having their annual ‘Constitution Week’ filled with activities & learning around our great US heritage. I’ve gotta admit I’ve never participated, but some of their advertising caused me to start thinking about the Founding Fathers and the amazing documents they wrote. I decided to read through those documents… something I haven’t done since US History back in high school I think! Sad, but true.

Anyways, as I was reading the Declaration of Independence, it hit me: “This thing is the ULTIMATE sales letter!”

Now I’m no expert copywriter, but I couldn’t help but pick out a bunch of great copywriting principles as I read:

• A solid headline that grabs attention. “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America”. Remember the audience included not only the King of Great Britain, but also the entire British government, Colony leaders, and the Colonists too. Translation: the headline is both a warning and a rally cry. Usually, you want to target a specific audience with your headline, but in this case (multiple audiences) it still works.
• Use of ‘emotional triggers’. The Declaration uses two primary triggers; 1) success (unalienable Rights, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”) and 2) pain/loss avoidance (whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it).
• Agitate. The writers of the Declaration include as the main body a list of 27 specific pains the Colonists were experiencing under British rule.
• Solution & Call to Action. “That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.” Solution: Independence.
• Testimonials/Social Proof. To complete the ‘ultimate sales letter’, the signatures of John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and 52 other influential individuals are included.

Declaration of Independence: http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration.html

More on emotional triggers: http://seminar.org/downloads/triggers.pdf