Often called the godfather of copywriting, Halbert spent several years in the Boron Federal Prison Camp for fraud in the 1980’s. It was during this “vacation,” as he termed it, that he began his reemergence as a dominant force in direct marketing.
The Boron Letters were meant as an inspiration to Halbert’s children. He called them the “most heartfelt messages that I’ve ever written.” The forcefulness of the prison environment became his inspiration. Pulling no punches in their language, his prison letters became a cult-classic in direct marketing genius and have served as a guiding force ever since.
The letters formed an outline of Halbert’s philosophy of direct marketing. From the basics of good copy writing to the importance of first impressions, The Boron Letters contained ideas that would become the standard by which all copy writing was judged.
Halbert understood that good copywriting is written primarily to make money, not to gain praise. His method of turning non-sales into sales turned the direct marketing world on its head, eventually igniting the world of online business. Though he wrote his manifesto long before the World Wide Web became the driving economic force in the world, his methods found their way into the Information Age.
He started with a newsletter. With almost no promotion, Halbert found himself with readers spanning the globe. When yearly subscriptions started lining up, he decided to offer a lifetime subscription. Soon, all of his subscribers paid for the lifetime option.
Halbert realized that his knowledge was important to share with the world, and he began offering it for free on his website. He built a even larger client base with the free information than he could with any other way.
Through it all, Halbert remained one of the most creative minds in the field of copywriting. Even though Halbert was a genius, he would speak in plain English so that everyone could understand his meaning.
Gary Halbert died on April 8, 2007. He left behind one of the most profound legacies in direct marketing, and his ideas continue to influence great copywriters around the globe.
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