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The One-Cent Product that Made $15 Million in 6 Months
A masterclass in guerilla marketing that any of us can copy
Steve Strauss
December 18, 2025
Gary Dahl didn't sell rocks. He sold a very clever story. And tonight, I’m showing you how to do the same.
It was 1975, and Gary Dahl was sitting in a bar in Los Gatos, California, listening to his friends complain.
Their dogs had fleas. Their cats were shredding the sofa. Their birds wouldn't stop screaming. Gary, a freelance copywriter who was struggling to pay his bills, took a sip of his beer and dropped the line that would change his life:
"I don't have those problems. I have a pet rock."
The table erupted. But Gary didn't leave the joke at the bar, no, he went home and couldn’t forget it. (Great ideas are often like that. The best ones won’t leave you alone.)
Gary’s offhanded ‘pet rock’ comment was one such idea.
Hmmmm. pet rock . . . pet rock . . . pet rock.
Eureka! Pet Rock!
The Penny Product
Gary didn't go to a laboratory, he didn’t need to. Instead, he went to a builders' supply store. He bought smooth stones from Mexico for about one penny each.
He knew he had the seed of an idea, but that if he just sold a rock, he’d be seen a crazy person. But if he sold an experience, a story, and if he packaged it right, he justmight crossover into genius.
Gary realized that people would not just be buying the stone, they were buying the laugh.
The "Guerrilla" Packaging
Gary poured all his talent into a 32-page “Pet Rock Training Manual.” It was a comedic masterpiece. It included instructions on how to teach your rock to "Sit" and "Stay" (the rock was exceptionally good at this!)
He then designed a custom cardboard box that looked exactly like a pet carrier, complete with breathing holes and a nest of wood shavings. He wasn't selling a product; he was selling a gag, a punchline, a shtick.
The Guerilla Strategy
This is where Gary became a legend.
He did not have a marketing budget, so he used his talent as a copywriter to hack the media. He wrote a press release that was as hilarious as the product itself. He treated the rock as a legitimate, high maintenance pet that required no work.
He sent it to every major news outlet in the country, and the media, tired of the heavy news of the mid 1970s, fell in love with the gag.
Gary did not pay for a single minute of airtime. Instead, the news came to him. He was featured on the evening news and appeared on The Tonight Show twice. That free publicity was worth millions.
He used humor to earn the attention that most brands have to buy.
The $15 Million Result
By December 1975, Gary was shipping 10,000 rocks a day. By the time the fad ended only six months later, he had sold over 1.5 million units at $3.95 apiece ($3.95 in 1975 is about $23.00 today).
Gary Dahl went from struggling with bills to a millionaire almost literally overnight.
Why not you?
The Takeaway
Gary Dahl didn't invent the rock. He simply took a commodity lying on the ground for free and wrapped it in a story and a package that people just had to share.
In your business, are you obsessing over the “rock” while ignoring the “carrier”? Remember: People don't just buy what you do; they buy how you make them feel. You got this!
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Steal This Strategy
📂 Read — The Original 1975 Pet Rock Manual PDF This is the actual text Gary used.
🎥 Watch — How Pet Rocks Made A Fortune A perfect visual of the packaging and the media frenzy Gary created through pure guerrilla tactics.
🛠️ Tool — The Un-Boring Your Brand Blueprint Use my free framework to find the hidden story in your own business that turns customers into fans.
📖 Book — Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson The foundational text for every entrepreneur who wants to beat the big guys using brains instead of a bank account.
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About Steve Strauss
Ready to create that digital product but need some help? Steve Strauss has written 18 books and sold countless digital products. He’s been in the digital product game for years and now is helping folks just like you create courses, workbooks, journals, templates, and more. get the help you need and book a free consult with Steve - contact him at [email protected]
“Be bold! For boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.”
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