The late Martin Zweig was far from being the biggest investment newsletter publisher and advisor. But his reputation of being RIGHT, more often than not, superseded what the Zweig Forecast lacked in paying subscribers. … [Continue reading]
“How To Be Gourmet Cook in One Easy Lesson” (The Seasoning for Cracking Copy)
Kudos to the copywriter who cooked up this cracking space ad back in 1982. He or she left no spice out from this rollicking advertising recipe. The frontman for this promo is Gayelord Hauser, the decades long health and beauty guru to the … [Continue reading]
“Pay Less for Everything! (Or Get It Free!) (Copy That Turns “Bargains Booklet” into Revenge Getter!)
Here's one of the current champs (April 2024) in the "Save Money & Rebates" category. This package kicks off with a quote often attributed to Sam Walton: "I was asked what I thought about the recession. I thought about it and decided not … [Continue reading]
Gary’s BIG Backend Bucks & SMASHING “Stick Letter” (4 steps for turning $39.95… into $289… into $4,046)
Here's Part II of the amazing Halley's Comet commemorative coin case study. It's the ESSENCE of what being a COMPLETE marketer is all about. … [Continue reading]
“Are You Ready for the Energy Shock of All Time?” (Irresistible Envelopes)
This package is for a penny stock that has long ago been delisted for a newsletter that never existed, not really. In almost all cases, the penny stock pitch you get in your mailbox will offer a newsletter for sale, in this case Andy Carpenter's … [Continue reading]
“We are wine experts and wine lovers, but we are NOT wine snobs here!” (Bonner Private Wine Partnership)
Truth be told... When the Bonner Private Wine Partnership launched a few years ago, I was a doubter. After all, what does a conglomerate that specializes in financial newsletters, memberships and the like know about marketing wine? … [Continue reading]
“My breathing is clear.”
Maybe it's me, but I'm noticing a lot more testimonial type or "prospect parlance" headlines. This is no minor nuance because unlike a headline that makes a claim, say "10 days to clear breathing"... This one sounds like it came straight from … [Continue reading]
Little Known Referral Letter from Gary Halbert (Business Development)
Many are familiar with Gary's two-step, "Hot New Reports" lead gen ad which ran in BIG media, like The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. But most have never bumped into his complete referral letter to the friends and colleagues of his … [Continue reading]
How to Turn Little Lead Gen Ads Into BIG Response (UPDATED)
Before the Web... this is how you got clients on demand for copywriting, consulting and business development. And of course, newsletter subscribers -- the springboard for all the above. It's the old advertising dance known as the … [Continue reading]
“What Western Legend Received America’s Highest Honors?”
Here's a hot control package from the Bradford Exchange Mint that's mailing in 2024. You can get yourself a random silver round from any number of coin dealers for two to three dollars above today's silver spot rate, around $27 at the time of this … [Continue reading]
“Who gets results like this just from walking? You can.”
This full page Bowflex Treadclimber ad had plenty of insertions between 2003 and 2006. Like any good lead generation ad for a high ticket offer, this now defunct product had a price around $2,000 and there were three response mechanisms in the … [Continue reading]
“How to Fix a Broken Portfolio” (Give Me 30 Minutes!)
I pulled this BIG IDEA direct mail gem out of my archive room yesterday and realized I'd rediscovered something special. And the zealous notes in the margin of this package immediately confirmed it! … [Continue reading]
“Most writers will spend a year or two writing a book. And 20 minutes on the title.” (Ted Nicholas on Book Titles and More)
Dr. William Fischer turned to Ted Nicholas when he ran into a brick wall with two failed book promos. Here's what the late, great Ted Nicholas wrote about it in his November 15, 2009 issue of "The Success Margin." "Bill Fischer, for example, … [Continue reading]
“Kiss Your Blocks Goodbye!”
As a long time "self help sucker" I used to have an enormous self-help library. Over the years, it's whittled down and been replaced largely with book on Catholicism: moral theology, catechesis, lives of the Saints and the like. But Wayne Dyer … [Continue reading]
“It’s Time To Make Your Mind Give Up Its Secrets”
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]
Jay A’s Amazing 2-Page AD-VENTURE in USA Today (UPDATED)
I only know one person on the planet who talks this way... in marketing circles or otherwise. Here's what he says of this two-page spread which appeared in the November 1, 2019 edition of USA Today. "Recognize how we used posture, performance, … [Continue reading]
“Secret Bargains, Shocking Steals, Sweetheart Deals”
Just kidding about the Sample A. Sample, . You'll notice that's the name of the addressee for this Bottom Line Personal promotion. This GIANT tabloid goes all the way back to 1999... and of course there's plenty of obsolete content like: … [Continue reading]
Selling High Ticket Products to Newsletter Subscribers With Inbound Telemarketing
Here's an epic 52-page sales letter for a solar power generator for when "the lights go out." The publisher and copywriter, Lee Bellinger, has groomed his audience in the pages of his Off-Grid Confidential to swing for offers jut like … [Continue reading]
Selling PAIN PILLS to Boomers and Seniors
Forget the photos of haggard, pain ridden boomers and seniors clutching a knee or doubled over with a wrenched back. This direct mail cover sports a T-Rex (tyrannosaurus rex!) with a host of familiar maladies like tight shoulders, sore lower back, … [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]
Unlikely Book Title Becomes Self-Help Sensation (“Advice From A Failure”)
Who would ever think of publishing a self-help title like: "Advice From A Failure?" Conventional wisdom says: "No!" After all, authors, marketers and promoters are supposed to "have it together." There's obviously no "one size fits all" in … [Continue reading]
How one man’s criminal misconduct could make your company 10, 20, even 50 times more profitable – legally!
This was THE Mr. X promotion. After it mailed far and wide, there were a flood of copycat Mr. X promos. Not to preserve anyone's anonymity, but because the MYSTIQUE of Mr. X led to a a lot of response. This is still an evergreen business … [Continue reading]
What Every Copywriter Should Know About Branded Viral Guides
What does the renowned International Paper campaign, "The Power of the Printed Word," have to do with a real estate guide I'm creating for moving to Arizona? Maybe nothing, maybe everything. But as surely as a paper company uses its own product … [Continue reading]
Thank You Mister President… For This Great Copywriting Lead
Here are two magalogs that mailed 20 years apart. The first one just just ahead of Bill Clinton's inauguration. And the second one during Barack Obama's second term. Being the oddball archivist I am, I thought of the "All persons fictitious … [Continue reading]
“Designer Clothes At Giveaway Prices” (Under the Radar British Female PHENOM)
This one ran BIG in the British press in the mid 1990s. Even though it's from yesteryear -- the five magic words in this headline -- represent a textbook ad in the "save money" category. This advertiser was prolific across British media for … [Continue reading]
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