Recruiting crew for his Antarctic voyage of 1914-17 aboard the Endurance, Ernest Shackleton posted the following ad:
'Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.'
Is this an extreme example of anti-spin, or just really, really psychologically astute? (See 'hero journey', below.)
3 comments:
One of those Antarctic dudes -- I think not Shackleton but someone else in the same era, a Brit -- advertised for takers and got 8,000 applications!
How do they advertise for astronauts?
I know that back in the "Right Stuff" days the nickname amongst other pilots for the NASA astronauts was "Spam in a Can", with many a reference to BBQ as yet another rocket exploded.
Well it just goes to show that Shacks knew nothing about copywriting. It should have read something like this:
"Are you a keen self-starter who likes free travel? Are you ready to take your Antarctic tourism career to the next level? Then we want to hear from you!
"We're a fun dynamic company looking to recruit bubbly personalities who enjoy a dynamic, hip, funky work environment.
"You'll be a self motivated, flexible individual who has the ability to work to deadlines whilst maintaining quality and consistency. This role is an excellent opportunity for those who want to get a foot in the door of this expanding industry.
"Excellent remuneration package."
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