Since last week I shared a list of my favorite documentaries for marketing & copywriting.
And related to that are some of my favorite movies for business & marketing:
* Corpse Bride – I mention this movie a lot in my Markauteur book, as it’s a power lesson in craftsmanship, infotainment, filling your work with nuance, and how to tell a tight, pithy story which still amazes me to this day
* The Founder – about Ray Kroc, all kinds of inspiration for how to think bigger, and solve problems, and especially how to approach figuring out what business you’re really in, which can radically change everything you ever do (has for me)
* Batman Begins – for sales copy/email/merchandising pacing, much like Gene Schwartz taught watching Lethal Weapon
* Sideways – watching movies about personal relationships & humanity is good, because at the end of the day that’s what marketing/sales/merchandising is… also shows how a single line in an indie movie script can ruin an entire niche for years (merlot wine sales tanked after it came out)
* Rocky Balboa – chock-full of underdog success wisdom, inspiration, going after what you want, and the impact that has on those watching you
* The Social Network – I always get at least an insight or two for our software companies whenever I watch it
* The Matrix – back in 2009 I listened to Glenn Livingston interview David Bullock, and David talked about watching it repeatedly to keep his mind nimble & open to ideas and possibilities for his marketing tests, and he had a point, people in marketing are always letting some idiotic goo-roo’s rules hold them back
* Trading Places – surprisingly useful for business & trading considering its essentially a screwball comedy
* Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – the Al Pacino scene is one of the best examples of persuasion via using Vision I’ve ever seen
There are more.
Like Rear Window (more persuasion via Vision), Top Gun: Maverick (how to properly use fan service, something most marketers don’t think about at all), Paranormal Activity (perfect sales letter “template” – sets up horrifying problem begging for a solution), etc.
But the above should fill up a movie night or two..
While I’m at it, I might as well mention this too:
The paid Email Players newsletter.
Not a movie, but a print newsletter.
More on that here:
Ben Settle
