Direct Response Copywriting Swipe File

Everybody’s gaga over the dating market today.

Of course, it’s a giant (and passionate) market, but there’s nothing novel about it.

It goes all the way back to cuneiform tablets in Ancient Sumeria.

More recently, Symphony Press was in the vanguard of the dating and relationships category over 25 years ago.

This is an outstanding ad from 1983. I’m sure a lot of people responded to this offer to get the premium 100 Opening Lines.

This has got to be one of the most potent three-word headlines in history.

It doesn’t make a claim, it doesn’t shout out a benefit.

It just asks the question, is this better than Botox?

Five to seven years ago, Botox was much more in the public’s consciousness due to news stories about its link to unwanted and sometimes lethal side  effects.

But this anti-wrinkle/anti-aging cream, Strivectin-SD subtly promises all the benefits of Botox without the risk.

Klein-Becker is one of the major players in this market and the newsy, unpredictable copy approach made this a breakthrough ad.

“Most people associate the term “acne” with images from high school and middle school yearbooks. However, even though your teenage years may be behind you, you won’t necessarily be pimple free for the rest of your life.”

Guthy Renker isn’t just the 800-pound-gorilla of television infomercials, they’re a mega player in the skin care business via display ads as well.

The private company pulled down $1.5 billion in sales in 2006. Friends in Australia tell me they dominate infomercials Down Under as well as in the States. They can pay several times more than their nearest competitor to acquire a customer.

I love this spread for Proactiv Solution from the Tips For Healthy Skin Maintenance to the Assistant Professor of Dermatology credentialing to the three free bonuses.

Proactiv Solution Ad 01

Proactive Solution Ad 02

In a recent post about Bruce Barton’s timeless space ads for the Alexander Hamilton Institute, I mentioned a letter he wrote which achieved an astounding 100% response rate.

The letter was mailed to 24 influential executives and requested a $1,000 donation for the struggling Appalachian, Berea College.

Inflation adjusted that would be $11,738.51 in today’s money.

Now, as mesmerized and impactful as that letter is — one that could be easily tailored to countless non-profit arenas today — the list was unquestionably the most important factor for this off the charts result.

The entry about Bruce Barton in Wikipedia contains the sales letter word-for-word. Giving proper credit, I believe Joe Vitale to be the source for this letter.

Frank and Gayle Wood of FC&A Publishing are two info marketers you should watch.

Their specialty is marketing information in the alternative health field and they use direct mail as well as space advertising.

These two are masters at maximizing the pulling power of the full page ad. Instead of just one offer, they’ve got three.

The beauty of this approach is when they bundle a new offer with two that are already pulling, there’s little chance the ad will be a loser. A great low risk way for testing new offers and new copy.

As you’ll see more clearly when you enlarge the thumb on the left, their ad is composed of 95% bullets.

(If you have trouble magnifying the image, click on this link.)

“Forget Botox or any other radical treatments. Throw out other creams that simply don’t work. Hydroxatone is a proven anti-wrinkle cream that is completely safe and clinically proven. Within two weeks Hydroxatone users will start to see results. With continued use, their skin will become softer, smoother, more radiant, and younger-looking.”

Several advertising textbooks suggest advertorial or editorial style advertising always outpulls conventional advertising layouts.

While it’s true that readership of an advertorial can be anywhere from 5-10 times that of regular ads, it doesn’t always follow that response is superior. Every serious marketer knows the answer lies in testing.

Two things are for certain.

First, most small business advertisers are so busy aping institutional advertising, they aren’t even aware of the advertorial approach, which can often clobber bigger and better capitalized competitors. [Read more…] about How To Write An Advertorial: 2 Examples