Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the 176^th birthday of American author Mark Twain. Today, he’s best known for his two novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn which have become a part of the American psyche. The Doodle shows a famous scene from Tom Sawyer.

Tom’s a great figure in American literature. But did you know that he’s also a skilled marketer? In this scene, Tom is condemned by his Aunt Polly to whitewash a fence on a hot summer’s day in punishment for fighting. But he convinces his friends to do it for him. Here’s an abridged version of the scene:

“Say — I’m going in a-swimming, I am. Don’t you wish you could? But of course you’d druther work — wouldn’t you? Course you would!” Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said “What do you call work?”                                                                                                                                                                                              “Why, ain’t that work?” . . . .”Oh come, now, you don’t mean to let on that you like it?”                                                                                                                            “Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”                                                                                      That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth — stepped back to note the effect — added a touch here and there — criticised the effect again — Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed.

Presently he said “Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”    Tom considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind. “No — no — I reckon it wouldn’t hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly’s awful particular about this fence — right here on the street, you know — but if it was the back fence I wouldn’t mind and she wouldn’t. Yes, she’s awful particular about this fence; it’s got to be done very careful; I reckon there ain’t one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it’s got to be done.”

“No — is that so? Oh come, now — lemme just try. Only just a little — I’d let you, if you was me, Tom.” . . . “Oh, shucks, I’ll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say — I’ll give you the core of my apple.” . . . “I’ll give you all of it!”

If Tom were alive today he could have been a marketing superstar. He creates an atmosphere of exclusivity, rebranding his experience as desirable. His friends want to paint the fence and many trade their possessions in exchange for doing so.

Tom was fortunate to come up with a great idea. Perhaps he read our advice on thinking creatively. But if you need inspired ideation to get out of a tight spot, brief the Exchange.