“When it comes to your future, this extraordinary seer is able to see things that you can‘t even conceive!” Welcome to the wacky world of Maria Duval. "Who is Maria Duval? How can she dare pledge to predict your lucky numbers so you can win the … [Continue reading]
30 Years in the Mail and Still UNBEATABLE
Hey, if I told you this mailing was a textbook example of enargia, you might say, "I'll take a raincheck!" I'm not projecting my own ignorance -- I was in the dark about this rhetorical term for years. What's enargia? A picture is worth a … [Continue reading]
“These Popular Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Can Trigger a Heart Attack!”
This is NOT a current magalog, but it's one that beckoned to me from my archive room. … [Continue reading]
Massive Maths Membership Model
What can I say? I'm as partial to British English as I am to alliteration... so maths it is. You could just as easily call this Direct Response Vs. Everything Else. Math Magic was classic winning direct response advertising. … [Continue reading]
Human Engineering Print Ad Secret 99% of Online marketers NEVER TEST (Revisited)
99% of online marketers will never test it... even though thousands of print insertions have PROVEN it boosts sales. Most are possibly leaving a small fortune on the table. What is it? … [Continue reading]
The “Ad Within the Ad” and “Who gets the money from an ad like this?”
You've probably bumped into this at some point, . The "ad within the ad" can be very effective for brands and products that are widely known. In this case, the hundred-year-old London-based, Save the Children, has been a household name for … [Continue reading]
Almost a Century of DYNAMITE Direct Response (“Send for your complimentary copy of Architectural Digest”)
Architectural Digest pulled no punches when it came to lead generation with gusto. Insertions by the boatload appeared in every top shelf publication. … [Continue reading]
The Copywriter Whose Clients Bought Him A Mansion (UPDATED)
He was the mid 1980's diet kingpin -- who became a jailbird -- who became the world's greatest "off the page" beauty copywriter. Ask a roomful of direct response people, "Who's the most successful working copywriter today?" and you'll get a … [Continue reading]
“Free Website Reveals the Most Realistic Money Making Secrets on the Entire Internet”
This bullet-laden quarter page ad saw exactly ONE insertion in September of 2007. … [Continue reading]
“NOTICE: Special Release of ORIGINAL MORGAN SILVER DOLLARS up to 146 years old to select VIPs only!”
This envelope package from National Collector's Mint, Inc. for a perennial BIG numismatic draw -- original Morgan Silver Dollars -- has been mailing steadily for over two years and trudges on in mid 2024. This package is the epitome of the … [Continue reading]
“Watch Me Commit Career Suicide on Camera…” (Short Sellers Trading Advisory)
This was perhaps the swansong, blockbuster DM promo for Agora Financial before it went under. This package pitched Rickard's Crash Speculator at a hefty $2,995 a year. … [Continue reading]
“Discover how the rich get richer, even when the market falls.”
The late George Fontanills was a leader in options trading education. His company, Optionetics, ran full page lead generation ads in major market newspapers from 2002-2009. Like true seminar lead gen, the copy told just enough to get … [Continue reading]
“3 Beauty Product Mistakes That Make You Look Old”
You can still spot some blockbusters in the last of the Mohicans chapter of newspaper print advertising in the USA. This full page ad for Dr. Sears beauty formula, Restore, is picking up steam in mid 2024. … [Continue reading]
“Do you have any of these coins in your pocket?”
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]
“Out-of-shape 55-year-old golfer, crippled by arthritis…”
You could almost bet your eye teeth this British insert was penned by John Carlton. The 27 word headline is certainly one of the tells. … [Continue reading]
“Why be lost for words? You can be confident in another language in 3½ weeks”
This turn of the century control ran as a quarter page insertion for Accelerated Learning Systems. The copy and offer would make for a solid landing page in the language learning market. … [Continue reading]
“Get My FREE Report On Lethal Fighting” (Self-Defense Lead Gen)
Here's a self-defense ad that ran for years in the martial arts mags and pubs like Soldier of Fortune. It was written by direct response veteran, Ralph Charlton. This old school lead gen from the 1990s and early 2000s includes: - 1-800 … [Continue reading]
How Layne Lowery Founded (and Sold) the Ultimate DM Supplements Brand
Perhaps, it's a tad hyperbolic calling Health Resources the "ultimate" supplements brand, sold by direct mail. But for my money, Health Resources had it all. - Powerhouse products prospects couldn't get enough of - Direct mail copy that took … [Continue reading]
A STUPID Mistake That Cost an Advertiser $300,000… by the New York Attorney General
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]
“YES. You can increase your creative power.” (BREAKTHROUGH Brands that Keep on Going)
Here's an ad for the sequel to the million-copy bestseller Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. The 98 year old Betty Edwards IS the brand. Frankly, I miss old school print ads like this, especially in the realms of self-help and creative … [Continue reading]
10-Year Running Lead Gen in Real Estate Agent Business Development
My friend, Craig, ran this ad in the real estate agent magazines for ten long years. It sucked up leads like crazy. Why? … [Continue reading]
Masterpiece of a High Ticket Info Marketing-Speaking Business Sales Letter (PLUS… When They Lose the Order Form!)
I have a big "mea culpa" for this entry. There's no envelope and no order form for this HOT high ticket offer. Or to be more precise, I think they can be located, but it'll take a minor archeological expedition to locate them in my archival … [Continue reading]
How to Hook 3 MILLION Paying Subscribers!
“Do You Come From Royal Blood, ? This has been one DYNAMITE appeal for Ancestry.com which takes in $1 billion a year in sales... according to its new owners, Blackstone Inc., the international private equity behemoth that now makes the "vampire … [Continue reading]
“I challenge you to read this paragraph in 5 seconds.”
Here's one of the great power of demonstration ads of all times. Why? Anyone who picked up a newspaper was conceivably in the target market for Reading Dynamics. … [Continue reading]
Whiz Kid Discovers Hidden Code… for Ticking Off the SEC (Trading Ad)
Message to marketers who want to PUMP themselves up and EXAGGERATE claims -- DON'T do it. Success in direct response is as much about SAFETY FIRST (a favorite phrase of 9th World Chess Champion, Tigran Petrosian) as it is about staying relevant … [Continue reading]
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