They'll fight over it when you're dead

That's the slogan of Saddleback Leather Company. They sell really expensive leather bags and when you visit their website, I promise you'll want one.

Dave, the owner, is a master story teller. From the 100 year warranty (that doesn't cover creases from elephants)...to the hilarious videos, every page of their website will have you telling yourself the story...these are the best leather bags in the world.

Dave tells site visitors that his bags are, "made to last longer and age better than their owners. They're designed to be a reflection of the one who carries them."  He asks, "Are you average, boring and cheap or are you uncomplicated, classic and well put together?"  Then he suggests that his bags allow you to "carry something that speaks of who you are."

And just in case you aren't convinced, the site points out that Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Mike Myers, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ben Stiller, Charlize Theron, Jack Black, Anne Hathaway, Brendan Fraser, and Mark Wahlberg already own them.

Perhaps my favorite is Dave's answer to one of the frequently asked questions (trust me, they're all worth reading):

Are some scars more valuable than others?

YES, Absolutely!

For example, some of our products have pigskin interiors which generally have a smooth, higher finished quality. However, sometimes one of these pieces will have a scrape or scar-type marking on it.

These are, in fact, scars associated with the sex life of the pig. More than most other animals, the pig is known for its violent mating behaviors. It is aggressive, selfish, and, generally demeaning to its female partner. The male pig bites, scratches, gouges, and anything else he can think of to have his way (in some rare cases pigs have been known to use other strategies, like cleaning the pigpen, bringing flowers, showing kindness to her relatives, etc,). Thus, many female pigs, at least the desirable ones, are pretty scarred-up. In the pig culture, this is a sign of status, and in pig libraries you can find a lot about this under 'pigskin erotica'.

Now, back to the point of your question : the best hides for our purposes (i.e. creating the best leather bag possible) are the female pig hides (girls just have better skin) and, so, our pigskin products will sometimes have various scarring patterns. We refer to these as 'love scars'.

How's that for a great answer?

Great marketing is about helping your customer tell themselves a priceless story.

Comments

[John]

Jon, I love the picture of the elephant on the bag. I hope there is a warranty on the camera in the bag. This reminds me of the warranty I used to be proud to market through Eddie Bauer. When I started there in 1992 they still honored Eddie's trademark service. We even honored it for a hiker who came into the store because his toe was sticking through his leather boot. He did admit that he had hiked for many years in them. EB does not honor that original guarantee any more. It is good to know it can still be found some place in the world.
BTW I will never look at pigs the same way again, yikes!

[Stephen Bateman]

I love the creativity. it's surprising to see a super expensive bag being sold to people with funny stories and exaggerations. It's nice to know that everything doesn't have to be serious...