From Movie Magic to Marketing Mastery: Insights from ‘Fly Me to the Moon’

I recently watched the new movie starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, "Fly Me to the Moon." It tells the story of Kelly Jones, a female marketing expert assigned to improve NASA's public image during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

The movie begins with Kelly Jones pitching an advertising campaign for a sports car to a group of clients that are all men, accompanied by her creative assistant, Ruby. When they enter the room, one of the clients says, “Excuse me, ladies. There’s no room for women here. This is an ad for a sports car targeting MEN.”

(Yup, it was 1969. Politically incorrect verbal and physical behavior was common.)

Kelly responds, “You have something that your competitors do not have: 355 horses for him, and SEATBELTS for the family.”

She explains, “Imagine your WIFE telling you to buy that Mustang because what she wants more than anything is for her husband to come back home safely every evening.”

Brilliant.

What a fantastic presentation. I couldn't help but give a double thumbs-up. The insight she’s bringing to the table is about the TRUE decision influencers (or makers) behind the purchase and the hidden pain point and fear of that specific group of people.

In this brief but powerful opening scene, probably lasting no more than three minutes, the movie effectively portrays Scarlett Johansson’s character as an outstanding marketing expert who clearly knows how to win the hearts of the right people.

Ultimately, we take away the importance of mastering the following three things from this scene:

• Targeting: Whom should our communications really address? What pain or desire do these people desperately want removed or fulfilled, and are willing to spend their money on?
  
• Messaging: How will we effectively communicate the product’s solution in a way no one else in the market does?
  
• Storytelling: How will we evoke emotions to captivate and engage the right audience?

Whether you’re in B2B or B2C, in every business, you’re addressing another human being. They are people with passions and interests that ignite their souls. They carry hidden aches in their minds and bodies. They probably have dreams they’ve never shared with anyone else. They certainly have something they secretly fear. And maybe they haven’t been getting enough sleep recently (who does?).

Let's say you've identified whom to really target and understood them on a deeper human level. What’s also very likely is that they get distracted by tens and hundreds of notifications on their smartphones everyday. Besides, there's no doubt that they're constantly solicited by colleagues, clients, friends, family, or even some unknown salespeople. Chances are, they have no room to care about great ideas if those are presented in long texts or boring verbal pitches filled with head-spinning jargon.

Then, what can you do to engage your target customers better, faster, and smarter despite all the obstacles there may be?

1. Ditch complexity

Delivering ideas with complex data, logic-rich arguments, or functionality/features-oriented descriptions won’t make your message stick in your audience’s minds.

Instead, focus on the customer benefits FIRST. When you captivate attention with clear benefits upfront, magic happens – even the most complex features of your product or service will be effortlessly understood by your target customers.

“The Gen-AI framework fulfilling your AI ambitions. Designed to boost the implementation of compliant, custom and domain specific LLM applications.”

(It’s a real-life example of a brand I know.)

          VS

 “The most human-centric AI chatbot for unmatched customer care.”

(I’d start with something like this if we worked for this brand.)

2. Champion plainness

Use everyday language. If your copy or verbal pitch fails to clearly and quickly deliver how your product or offer can improve your target customer's life, it's like shooting in the dark.

Your marketing copy or sales pitch isn’t Lady Mecbeth’s monologue written by Shakespeare centuries ago.

(No offense to Shakespeare fans—I love reading his works.)

Your copy or pitch is to create a dialogue between humans - between you and your potential customers. Prioritize simple, street-level language to facilitate that dialogue. No dialogue, no conversion.

“Our innovative electronic invoicing software streamlines the procedural aspects of financial documentation, facilitating heightened organizational efficiency and enabling intensified focus on strategic business imperatives.”

         VS

“Say goodbye to paperwork headaches. Our innovative app simplifies invoicing so you can focus on growing your business.”

(Here, it’s an example I purely made up.)

3. Evoke emotions

Avoid merely describing what your product does or has. Instead, make your audience feel seen, heard, understood, and cared for with storytelling that triggers emotions.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying you have to tell a long, real "story" (with characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution) every time you develop a marketing tool or deliver a sales pitch.

Help them imagine themselves enjoying the benefits of your product or service. Human beings respond to emotions. Once they feel something, they’re more likely to remember your message—not just tomorrow, but weeks, months, and years down the line.

“Lufthansa provides business class passengers with great travel services including refreshing drinks, wide seats, kind cabin crew, and safe flights.”

         VS

“Tight deadlines. Hard day. Soft landing. Lufthansa wants you to sit back and relax even before you arrive at your destination.”

Lufthansa’s ad cleverly evokes emotions. (Image source: www.ginawhitt.com/lufthansa)

Remember, every human being is desperate to feel validated and to know they belong. To achieve this, start by identifying whom you’re really addressing. Seek to understand them deeply. Then, in every interaction, aim to connect with them genuinely by ditching complexity, championing plainness, and evoking emotions.

By applying these principles, you will create a marketing campaign or sales dialogue that truly resonates with the right people, just like Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) does in "Fly Me to the Moon."

Got questions or comments? Get in touch with us. We’re only an email or a phone call away.