Dr. Frank Ryan's Abdominal Fat Reducer is touted as the weight loss pill "provided to Hollywood stars by famous plastic surgeon." Frank Ryan is the late Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who was a rock star in his industry. His last Twitter Tweet and … [Continue reading] about Dr. Frank Ryan Abdominal Fat Reducer: Diet to Hollywood Stars
Sunday Swipes (Retire Beautiful!)
Ah, retirement advertising. Once upon a time it was so straightforward. Just like that cherished phase of life, retirement, from the middle-French word retirer meaning to withdraw. But hardly anyone seems to be withdrawing any longer and when they … [Continue reading] about Sunday Swipes (Retire Beautiful!)
Golf Advertorial (Lead Generation Ad)
Here's an effective "ad within an advertorial." At first glance, this newspaper page appears to have an article, "Natural Golf earns coveted 'Top 25 Golf School' for 2002," as well as an unambiguous ad in reverse type, "FREE GOLF VIDEO." But the … [Continue reading] about Golf Advertorial (Lead Generation Ad)
Britain Needs An Idea (Book Advertising)
Some of my favorite DR ads (don't hound me that there's no coupon here) are arcane, long copy book ads. 2,000 plus word ads like this, Frank Buchman's story as told by Peter Howard, are fodder for plenty of contemporary topics such as the crisis in … [Continue reading] about Britain Needs An Idea (Book Advertising)
I Write With My Ears (by Eugene Schwartz)
This article hails from the pre-politically correct era of exclusive male pronouns. It's succinct and still amazingly insightful in 2015 because we face the same problems ad writers of fifty years ago did, namely: "what to say," "how to say it" … [Continue reading] about I Write With My Ears (by Eugene Schwartz)
Forget Benefits: 4 Examples of Advertising Appeals
In 1759, Samuel Johnson came up with this immortal line: "Promise, large promise, is the soul of an advertisement." For most of the last two-and a-half-centuries, his quote has stood the test of time. But Johnson could never have envisioned a … [Continue reading] about Forget Benefits: 4 Examples of Advertising Appeals
Railroad Advertising: Why Should St. Louis Be a Stepchild?
This is the follow-up ad in the series from the brilliant Chesapeake & Ohio campaign which changed the nature of cross-country transportation in the United States. Why Should St. Louis Be a Stepchild? Chicago has just won through service. It is … [Continue reading] about Railroad Advertising: Why Should St. Louis Be a Stepchild?
Is Newt Gingrich Above the Law?
Rarely dip my toe into the realm of political advertising but couldn't resist this one. Given Newt Gingrich's long time talent for self-sabotage, it probably won't be long before he vanishes from the public stage for a decade or so. The ad in the … [Continue reading] about Is Newt Gingrich Above the Law?
Beaten By My Wife
Few things about advertising get my heart racing faster than headline split testing. All the more so if it concerns email subject lines. Like traditional headline testing, subject line testing can lead to dramatic increases in response rates. But … [Continue reading] about Beaten By My Wife
MF Global Ad: We Have Convictions
Here's a howler of a headline that surely hails from a martini soused agency person. "Everyone has opinions. We have convictions." Turns out this platitudinous ad writer was a pretty good forecaster, if jail time isn't simply a matter of … [Continue reading] about MF Global Ad: We Have Convictions
Fundraising Ad: Save the Children
The Winstons aren't trying to save the world. Just a little piece of it. There are Apaches on the reservation in Clear Fork, Arizona, who can remember the last, hopeless Apache uprising in 1900. But for Della Alakay, a seven-year-old Apache, the … [Continue reading] about Fundraising Ad: Save the Children
The End Of America
Has reality finally caught up with financial direct mail? Here's a sampling of the covers from the latest promotions going through the mail. * The End of America from Stansberry and Associates * American Apocalypse from Martin Weiss and * … [Continue reading] about The End Of America
What’s an Advertorial?
What is an advertorial? Straightforwardly, the word advertorial is the combination of the words advertisement plus editorial. Here's the skinny. People are used to reading editorials and often averse to reading ads, so if you format your ad to look … [Continue reading] about What’s an Advertorial?
Crypto Nazi Copywriting
Who are the Crypto-Nazis and what in the world do they have to do with copywriting? It started with a conversation some years ago with a marketing colleague who proclaimed: "my customers are crypto-Nazis." "They watch Fox news, read Newsmax, and … [Continue reading] about Crypto Nazi Copywriting
10 Ways To Protect Your Children Against Halloween Hazards (Supermarket Advertorial)
Makes me nostalgic for my years back in old New York. These 10 Safety Rules for Halloween by Julia Waldbaum saw annual insertions and added an interesting advertorial style twist to the usual, "white bread" approach to supermarket advertising. Happy … [Continue reading] about 10 Ways To Protect Your Children Against Halloween Hazards (Supermarket Advertorial)
Should We Also Flood the Sistine Chapel So Tourists Can Get Nearer The Ceiling?
This ad is a time machine stretching back to 1966 and a reaction by David Brower of the Sierra Club to the intellects in Washington (on par with today's incumbents) who proposed flooding vast portions of the Grand Canyon in the name of profits. The … [Continue reading] about Should We Also Flood the Sistine Chapel So Tourists Can Get Nearer The Ceiling?