The Art of War, Copywriters Edition

Published by: David Garfinkel on 08-18-2025

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Most copywriters know the classics of our field—but today we’re drawing from a master whose work predates modern advertising by more than two millennia. In this episode of Copywriters Podcast, we’re unpacking Sun Tzu’s The Art of War—a book written over 2,500 years ago, yet still shaping strategy for business titans like Elon Musk and Marc Benioff.

While it was originally written as a guide to military conquest, The Art of War has long been praised for its universal principles of strategy and persuasion. The battlefield may have been different, but the parallels to winning in business—and especially in copywriting—are undeniable.

In this episode, we’ll show you how to translate Sun Tzu’s wisdom into practical tactics for the written word. You’ll discover how ancient principles of planning, positioning, and persuasion can sharpen your copy, strengthen your offers, and give you the edge in today’s competitive marketplace.

What’s surprising is how naturally these lessons map to the challenges copywriters face every day. From anticipating objections, to winning quickly before attention fades, to making your offer feel like the natural choice—Sun Tzu laid out the playbook centuries before advertising even existed.

This is part one of a two-part series, covering the first six chapters of The Art of War. If you’ve ever felt like writing copy is a battle for attention and trust, this episode will give you a fresh perspective—and some timeless strategies—to help you win more often.

Keywords: copywriting art of war

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