Here's another BLAST from the past. This one comes right out of the pages of the March 1995 issue of Success as a full blown 24-page insert... for a $5K seminar no less. Anyone who's been around the block already recognizes the man on the cover … [Continue reading]
Here's a new lead magnet I just discovered on LinkedIn from Fisher Investments, now with $211 billion in funds under management. As you may know, I'm a huge fan of Fisher's lead gen, both in print and online. Since there's little readership in … [Continue reading]
You can learn some valuable lessons from marketers who do transactions in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sure the margins might be small in the precocious metals market, but the volume is head-spinning. … [Continue reading]
It's interesting to see the giant purveyor of collectibles and costume jewelry, the Bradford Exchange, getting into the CBD/pain relief market. There's no mistaking what's on tap with an envelope like this, is there? … [Continue reading]
Just because you see an ad running far and wide doesn't mean it's ripe for the picking, even a decade later. To understand why an ad or headline "works" you've got to know "the deal" first. … [Continue reading]
Consider this. How many advertisers in the language learning market are pounding their heads right now... trying to create new ideas? Meanwhile, there's a bounty of treasure right under their noses -- ideas that could be getting them LOTS more … [Continue reading]
This is a textbook "testimonial headline" in the world of book advertising. Book advertising in 2023? YES... it will continue to matter because it's a TRUE test of a an ad writer's mettle. As we've seen with the late 20th Century copy … [Continue reading]
It pays to escape your own echo chamber once in a while. In my case, my very sanity rides on it. Because the solitary world many of us inhabit -- be it copywriting, programming or archiving -- can be as suffocating as it is solitary. As a … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
No supplements for sale in this 1,971 word epic. This weight loss ad lasted the equivalent of several lifetimes (from 1992-2004) at a time when outrageous claims dripped off the page of almost every diet ad. This one is different. What are … [Continue reading]
Some say health books are dead. Not so! Others say envelope packages are passé. No way! … [Continue reading]
Real estate advertising these days is usually overshadowed with photography and video, often to the detriment of the sale. … [Continue reading]
Forget about "sneak up." This is teaser copy that does NOT beat around the bush... and it hails from one of the all time direct mail kings... … [Continue reading]
Here's how one of the best in the biz sells cosmetic dental procedures. When you're selling services for $10,000 and over, it helps to tell the COMPLETE story. Sometimes it takes 24 pages to do so. … [Continue reading]
I was just watching Louis Navallier's VSL for "How to Survive [and Even Thrive] In Socialist America..." And then this blast from the past, focusing on the Stock Market Downturn of 2002, with a young looking Louis N, crosses my path. He references … [Continue reading]
This was a successful lead generation ad from the late George Fontanills, founder of Optionetics. Fontanills led seminars across North America for his options trading products and subscription services. This was a solid, successful seminar ad … [Continue reading]
John Caples was the great story selling adman of the early 20th Century. Seems like "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano" has been swiped more times than memory champion Akira Haraguchi can recite π (Pi)... to 111,700 digits in 2015. But … [Continue reading]
Inspiration abounds in the world of direct mail marketing... with things like: - Bonus overload - Fascinating "see-page" bullets and... - Dimensionalizing the value of an offer... so your prospect is eager to buy NOW … [Continue reading]
Street cred doesn't get any better than this in direct response selling. This case study may be from 1981 but the SELLING POWER of a proof element like this transcends time and markets... And I'll never grow tired of it. … [Continue reading]
Hide the warts or show the warts? Not every product or service begs the question. But for those promoters who aren't nameless, faceless service providers and product pitchers... It's a vital question that can have an impact on your bottom … [Continue reading]
Rodale was built on the back of direct response copywriting since the early days in the 1940s when J.I. Rodale advertised farming and gardening books in display advertising. … [Continue reading]
"Is your business suffering profit decline and morale decay due to the recession? Perhaps, it's time to try a new agenda. Perhaps it's time to adopt the new but proven system that can bring you great business in tough times. Martin Edelston's … [Continue reading]
I know what you may be thinking, . How does anyone in his right mind (even an ad archivist) stumble on noteworthy ads from over a century ago? … [Continue reading]
"SNAP! Change Your Personality in 30 Days" is a pretty whimsical title, even for a big-promise self-help book. While the ad copy for this offer is classic book advertising... any 20th Century advertiser would recognize... the goal is loftier, as … [Continue reading]
Here's some of the finest advertising you'll find in the higher education for the masses arena... With the fine art of long form direct response. You can't help but walk away with a plethora of great ideas when you dig into the exciting … [Continue reading]