You can tell a real copywriting connoisseur must have gotten his hands on this package twenty years or so ago.
It’s a little weather-beaten and there are some hand-written notes and mark-ups in the letter.
Oh, and since this was from the early days of the 21st Century, there’s the option to order this home study system on audio cassette.
No matter. This one stands the test of time, as all good business development products (and pitches!) should. [Continue reading]
This is NOT your everyday direct mail package. It straddles the markets of biz-op, self-help, mind dynamics and a little bit of Maria Duval for good measure Here we've got a 56-page bookalog, 14-page sales letter and a 4-page lift letter. … [Continue reading]
Audio-Forum ran this campaign for TWENTY solid years, starting in 1977. The great Don Hauptman was the genius behind it. ¿See that inverted exclamation point at the beginning of the headline? Quoting Rodney Dangerfield... ¡That little … [Continue reading]
This is surely not your first time coming across those mighty Vikings of health and beauty product lines that vanquish, New Nordic. Here is one of their latest half page insertions that's making the rounds in October of 2021. There are few … [Continue reading]
The Sumerian invention of cuneiform tablets was in widespread use as far back as 3400 B.C. Initially, its purpose was for keeping accounts and records of business transactions, but later it developed into a full fledged writing system. And … [Continue reading]
''The Next Two Years Should Generate More Wealth Than the Previous 20 Combined! 'If it were anyone else who said it, I would have dismissed this prediction as nonsense.' -- Bill O'Reilly INSIDE: See how to claim TWO bestsellers WITHOUT paying … [Continue reading]
There's no anonymity or "playing it safe" as a newsletter publisher. Unlike the pills and potions in the world of health and beauty, but without the massive markets, the newsletter business obligates the publisher to "put it all on the table," … [Continue reading]
How could any self-respecting ad archivist resist this swipe in a case study that cost an advertiser $300 k? You've likely run into A Little Mistake That Cost a Farmer $3,000 Each Year in Victor Schwab's classic house ad spread 100 Good … [Continue reading]
"How does Dan Kennedy do so many things so well?" "How does anyone accomplish so much in the span of a few hours?" "How does Kennedy manage to come up with cracking copy... seemingly every time?" These are some of the questions I've pondered … [Continue reading]
This 27-year control in both the mail and print wasn't top dog for lack of competition. Let's hear it straight from the copywriter's mouth. Malcolm Decker was one of the greats of direct mail copywriting for many decades. Since there's no … [Continue reading]
The eye supplements category may not be as prominent as blood sugar, digestion or joint pain but, it's a bustling market with an endless supply of prospects looking for an edge with dietary supplementation. This visually impressive magalog for … [Continue reading]
This is a textbook "testimonial headline" in the world of book advertising. Book advertising? Yes, it will continue to matter well into this new decade because it's a TRUE test of a an ad writer's mettle. As we've seen with the late 20th … [Continue reading]
Bill Bonner is the undisputed heavyweight champ of enargia in copywriting. Enargia may not flow off the tip of the tongue, but this word of Greek origin for "vividness," has a great track record for selling, both in direct mail and in … [Continue reading]
Here's a 2021 spin on a mature market familiar to all of us in direct response -- the copywriting game. With the draconian public health restrictions (at last!) beginning to recede (at least in many parts of the States) it's time to get back to in … [Continue reading]
Here's a red blooded trading pitch (from a few administrations ago) that's a hodgepodge of several successful direct response headlines, sub-heads and product names, including the redoubtable "Little Black Book." You'll notice there's a good deal … [Continue reading]
RootBlast has been going strong for three decades and has done the rounds of DRTV, print and direct mail. These insertions are packed with long copy and plentiful proof elements in the home gardening market. … [Continue reading]
Here's an interesting package that mailed ahead of the 2016 US presidential election. Given the worldwide public health policies, restrictions and mandates -- which seemingly mushroom by the day -- the timbre of this piece has more than a little … [Continue reading]
What a great lead with a WIDE fishing net... ready to pull in almost any reader. You can certainly see the influence of Paul Michael's amazingly evergreen, “How You Can Make a Killing in Coins” in this direct mail package. Few writers can … [Continue reading]
Here's the kind of promotion that helped build Weiss Research's "Safe Money Report" into the BIGGEST and best known financial newsletter in the world in the mid-2000s. It was Clayton Makepeace's copy that single-handedly brought in a legion of new … [Continue reading]
The Guinness Guide to Cheese is featured in the essential Ogilvy On Advertising. Yes, this is a brand ad and a damn fine one in the annals of food advertising. The layout with the photos and summaries of the various cheeses make for irresistible … [Continue reading]
Newspaper print was on its way out long before early 2020, but these last 18 months have really expedited the process. The "80/20 of newspaper print" seems much more like 95/5 since most national advertisers (who happened to largely be supplement … [Continue reading]
Always pay attention when something mails for 3 SOLID years, like this promo did. It was also BIG in online display. This advertiser sucked out EVERY last drop of response... thanks to the powerful three-word combination in the headline. In … [Continue reading]
The fabulous LIVE MAINE LOBSTERS print ad got me hungry for some food copy. What could be better than a Hancock Gourmet Lobster catalog? Gourmet food promos almost always have great photography (similarly with travel and real estate … [Continue reading]
Recently one day, I stumbled across this remarkable print ad and asked myself the question: "How'd this ad get into my possession?" Then it hit me. Surely, this full page ad was no "mere mortal" ad. I reached for the 520-page transcript from … [Continue reading]
This is without a doubt one of the GREAT food membership newsletters that rides along with members' quarterly product shipments. And it hails from one of the greatest advertising copywriters ever to pick up a pen. … [Continue reading]