aiusa email

They've done it again. AIUSA have sent another engaging, motivating email written in a chatty, personable style with a cool action. Check out the Darfur one below.

What makes it work?
They use a few classic copywriting techniques:

1. Start the piece with a question.
2. Put the ask (download the song) in a couple of places in the piece.
3. Tell a story (starting with OK, I admit it.) It makes the reader feel like they're talking to a friend.
4. Bring it home at the end with a motivating sentence -- this one includes a promise, an ask, and tells people that they're part of something with a bigger purpose, that's going to make a difference.


Dear Sarah,

What do Green Day, Marianne Faithful, Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson have in common?
Stumped?

They’ve all recorded covers of John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero.” But only Green Day’s version – recorded for the forthcoming album Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur – benefits Amnesty’s critical work to stop the human rights catastrophe taking place in Sudan.

Download the song now.

Ok. I admit it. I didn’t know what Green Day had in common with those other musicians before I sat down to write this. Usually, I’m much more tuned in to what’s going on in the political and human rights fields – not what’s buzzing on the music blogs. But that’s why Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur is so exciting.

Amnesty International is keeping with our tradition of combining music with activism – harnessing the power and reach of both to stop the violence and horrific human rights abuses happening each and every day in Darfur.

You can help support our campaign. Download Green Day’s song now.

With more than 50 musical artists contributing, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur is picking up steam and getting a lot of attention. In anticipation of the album’s release in June, Green Day, REM and Los Lonely Boys have released advance tracks. Plus, we’ve been front and center at Coachella – the three-day music festival in Indio, California – staging bed-ins inspired by Lennon and Yoko Ono’s historic “Bed-Ins for Peace” 38 years ago.
The creativity and momentum around this campaign are truly remarkable – and it gives me renewed hope that we can turn the tide of violence and bring peace to the children, women and men living under siege in Darfur. To find out more about our campaign and our work visit www.instantkarma.org .

I promise to keep you posted on all the latest news about the Instant Karma campaign. And in the meantime, tell your friends and family about us. Forward this email to people you know who love music, people who care about human dignity and people – like me – who believe the two together are unstoppable.

Sincerely,

Larry Cox
Executive Director