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Napoleon Dynamite – Like, the Best Special Edition Ever!

Napoleon Dynamite has polarized movie audiences ever since its release in 2004. Viewers either love the film or hate it, with almost no middle ground. Napoleon is the kind of teenage spazz you want to applaud, laugh at scornfully, or punch in the face, depending on how his own cluelessness affects others at any given moment. While this uber-geek’s mainstream classmates hold him in the regard you’d expect from them, Napoleon has carved out a place among the nerds, dorks and outcasts who move silently and more or less invisibly through the hallways, including his sort-of girlfriend Deb and his new pal Pedro.

Napoleon wades into the world of marketing when he urges Pedro to run for class president, even though Pedro has no real platform or selling points as a candidate. No problem, says Napoleon in his new self-appointed role as campaign manager: “Just tell them all their dreams will come true if they vote for you.” These words don’t seem to impress the student body nearly as much as Napoleon’s frenzied “Vote for Pedro” dance does, but when the votes are counted, Pedro comes out on top.

So Pedro wins despite his sales pitch — or does he? His crowd may be sitting on their hands during his campaign speech, but bear in mind that his target market is used to not being heard. In a scene leading up to election day we see a wimpy type being harassed by bully, only to have Napoleon sweep in with the promise that “Pedro offers you his protection.” This sort of thing happens more than once, and it becomes obvious that Napoleon is unifying the downtrodden of the school to place one of their own in charge of things. For them, this isn’t just another popularity-contest school election — it’s their one shining chance to raise their collective voice and be seen as human beings for a change. Maybe Pedro really can make their dreams come true.

We may sneer at such over-the-top sales pitches and promises, wondering who on Earth would possibly believe or respond to such blatant manipulation. But you can find a receptive audience for any pitch, if you know your target market. There’s a reason why so many landing pages scream that you can make BIG BIG BUCKS RIGHT NOW without having any skills or doing much of anything: “It’s really that simple! Get your FREE information today!” Hyperbole works if it’s aimed squarely at those who are desperate to hear it.

Finally, and perhaps more importantly, Napoleon understands that marketing isn’t about features (new lockers, more dances, nicer uniforms), it’s about benefits (dreams coming true). Napoleon knows what those dreams are, because he knows his audience.

All that plus mad dance skills! Wouldn’t you vote for Pedro?