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The 7 Dirty Tricks That Make Billion-Dollar Brands (And How a Copywriter Cracked the Code)

Warning: What you're about to read might make you never look at advertising the same way again.

Picture this: A single man sits in a room, types some words on a computer, and makes a billion dollars.

Sounds like fiction, right?

Wrong. His name is Craig Clemens. And he just revealed the 7 psychological "hijacks" that separate broke businesses from billion-dollar empires.

Here's the thing that'll blow your mind: You've been hijacked by these tricks your entire life. And you never even knew it.

The Bacon Conspiracy That Changed America Forever

Let me start with a story that'll make your stomach turn.

In the 1920s, Americans didn't eat bacon for breakfast. It wasn't a thing. People ate light meals in the morning.

Then one man changed everything.

Edward Bernays (yes, Freud's nephew) had a problem. His client sold bacon, but nobody wanted it in the morning.

So what did he do?

He mailed 5,000 letters to doctors asking one simple question: "Is a hearty breakfast better than a light one?"

4,500 doctors said yes.

Boom. Headlines everywhere: "Doctors Recommend Hearty Breakfasts!"

Within months, bacon became America's breakfast staple. Not because it tasted good. Not because it was healthy. But because someone hijacked our brains using authority.

That's hijack #4: Unquestionable Proof.

And it's just one of seven tricks that built the modern world.

Why Your Brain is Wired to Get Fooled

Here's what Craig figured out that most people miss:

Your brain isn't logical. It's emotional. It's tribal. It's lazy.

And the best marketers know exactly which buttons to push.

Think about the last thing you bought online. I bet it wasn't because you sat down with a spreadsheet and compared features.

You bought it because:

• Someone made you feel like you were missing out

• You saw other people using it

• It promised to make you better, cooler, or different

• Someone you trusted recommended it

Sound familiar?

That's not accident. That's science.

The 7 Brain Hijacks That Rule Your Wallet

Craig spent 20 years studying why some products explode while others flop. He found every viral sensation uses the same 7 tricks:

Hijack #1: Make It About Them

Nobody cares about your product. They care about themselves.

Bad: "Our toothpaste has fluoride!" Good: "Run your tongue across your teeth. Feel that slimy film? That's what's keeping you from a movie star smile."

(That second approach took tooth brushing from 5% to 85% of Americans in one decade.)

Hijack #2: Make It an Event

Humans are wired to follow crowds. If it feels like something big is happening, we want in.

Best example? A guy named Otis who invented elevator safety brakes. Instead of explaining how they worked, he got on a platform 30 feet high and had someone cut the cable with an axe.

The platform dropped... then stopped.

"All safe, gentlemen!"

That stunt built a billion-dollar company.

Hijack #3: Powerful Demonstration

Show, don't tell. Our brains believe what we see.

There's a sword company that can't run ads (weapon policies). So they hired YouTubers to slice bullets in half with their mini katanas.

Millions of views. Thousands of sales. Zero ad spend.

Hijack #4: Unquestionable Proof

Remember the bacon story? That's this hijack in action.

When Dr. Oz showed fat-burning berries "popping" fat cells (by popping balloons), it didn't matter that it was fake. Our brains saw proof.

Result? Billions in supplement sales.

Hijack #5: Change Daily Behavior

Get into someone's routine, and you win for life.

Bulletproof Coffee didn't invent a new drink. They just added butter to coffee you already drink.

Simple tweak. Billion-dollar business.

Hijack #6: Sell the Dream

People don't buy products. They buy who they'll become.

Nike doesn't sell shoes. They sell greatness. Apple doesn't sell computers. They sell creativity. Pepsodent didn't sell toothpaste. They sold movie star smiles.

Hijack #7: Help Them Rebel

Everyone wants to feel special. Like they know something others don't.

Why do you think barefoot shoes are exploding? They're not better than Nike. But they make you feel smarter than everyone wearing "fake" cushioned shoes.

Rebellion sells.

The Probiotic Empire Built on Storytelling

Want to see all 7 hijacks in action?

Craig built a billion-dollar supplement empire selling probiotics. But here's the crazy part:

Nobody knew what probiotics were when he started.

So he didn't sell probiotics. He sold a story.

He told people about the "microbiome" in their gut. He exposed food industry secrets. He showed how sugar was killing their good bacteria.

His video went viral. 100+ million views. No ad spend.

The result? Multiple 9-figure brands: Keybiotics, Perfect Biotics, Gundry MD.

He didn't just sell pills. He created a category.

The Dark Side Nobody Talks About

Here's what makes me uncomfortable about all this:

These hijacks work. Really, really well.

They've sold cigarettes to women by calling them "torches of freedom." They've convinced millions to buy supplements that don't work. They've turned political campaigns into tribal wars.

The same tricks that built Apple and Nike also built some of the most harmful products in history.

But here's the thing: Whether you use them or not, other people will.

So you might as well understand how the game is played.

How to Spot When You're Being Hijacked

Next time you see an ad or feel the urge to buy something, ask yourself:

1. Are they making this about me and my problems?

2. Does this feel like a big event I'll miss out on?

3. Are they showing me dramatic proof instead of just telling me?

4. What authority figures or social proof are they using?

5. Are they trying to change my daily routine?

6. What dream or transformation are they selling?

7. Are they making me feel rebellious or superior?

If you spot these patterns, you're being hijacked.

The question is: Do you want to be the one getting hijacked... or the one doing the hijacking?

The Three Stages Every Market Goes Through

Craig also revealed something most entrepreneurs miss:

Every market has three stages:

1. Clueless - Nobody knows your category exists (education is key)

2. Curious - People know it, want better options (beat the competition)

3. Saturated - Too crowded (go niche or get out)

Most people enter saturated markets and wonder why they fail.

Smart entrepreneurs find clueless markets and educate them.

Like Craig did with probiotics. Like Bulletproof did with butter coffee. Like Apple did with tablets.

Your Next Move

Look, I could keep writing about this for hours. These 7 hijacks explain everything from why you brush your teeth to why teens stopped using emojis.

But here's what matters:

Every billion-dollar brand uses these tricks. Every viral product. Every movement that changes culture.

The question isn't whether these hijacks work.

The question is what you're going to do with them.

Are you going to keep getting played? Or are you going to learn the game?

Because somewhere right now, someone is using these exact strategies to build the next billion-dollar empire.

Why shouldn't it be you?

P.S. - Want to dive deeper? Look up Craig Clemens' full interview. But be warned: Once you see these patterns, you can't unsee them. Your Netflix queue, your Amazon cart, your morning routine - you'll realize how much of your life has been carefully engineered by people who understand these 7 hijacks better than you understand yourself.

And honestly? That might be the most valuable education you ever get.