I noted in a previous post the anniversary of the death of legendary copywriter Gary Halbert.

Gary was widely regarded as one of the best copywriters in the world and I’d certainly regard him as one of the 3 “Giants” of the Direct Response Marketing world in the second half of the 20th century (the others being Dan Kennedy and Jay Abraham).

So why was he so special?  Well, Gary himself once said that the reason the “A List” writers were in demand was not because of the quality of their writing (great though it may be).  Rather, it’s because of their ability to come up with the “Big Idea” that will result in a blockbuster campaign.

Gary Halbert seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of markets and marketing plus a deep understanding of human nature.  It was his almost obsessive attention to detail and research that really set him apart.

In early 2005, Michel Fortin conducted 2 interviews with Gary (to find them, head on over to the Michel Fortin Blog and search on “Gary Halbert Interviews”).  They are a fantastic record of the craft of Gary Halbert and his thinking.  A veritable treasure trove, particularly the first call.  The first 30 minutes of the second call is pure genius as Gary sets out a lead generation campaign for an online poker product.

Of course, Gary left behind another treasure trove at the “Gary Halbert Letter”.  

Regrettably, I never attended one of Gary’s seminars.  Fortunately, he generously left behind a remarkable body of work that will be of great benefit to any marketer or copywriter. 

Gary Halbert – “Thank You”.