It's hard to keep a good ad down. And this full page ad for Dr. Sears' Re-Nourish formula is marking its second anniversary of taking names and ringing the toll-free order line. Al Sears has spent decades and millions establishing himself as a … [Continue reading]
Here's a newcomer (September 2022) for a painless Jacuzzi Bath Remodel. The "7:00 AM Today and 4:00 PM Tonight" before and after picture is a nice touch. The "50% Off Installation" is a commonly seen in the unaddressed mail that arrives in many … [Continue reading]
"Dear Fellow Gardener, I'm not kidding! You can solve literally hundreds of lawn, garden, and houseplant problems - even get rid of indoor pests like ants and moths - with common household items. … [Continue reading]
Marketing is like life. Some marketers have zero scruples, while others are overly scrupulous. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. As an editor-archivist-publisher, I try not to get too carried away with my own "algorithms." So while this … [Continue reading]
Too late for those inclined to get out their pitchforks over the "class-bound" name of this 125-year old British aid society. The "Old Gray Lady" hammered the Distressed Gentlefolk's Aid Association in a 1989 article entitled "Lifting a Pinkie for … [Continue reading]
About a week after publishing "My Copywriting 'Blasphemies' Against Eugene Schwartz" I stumbled upon this ad. As Michael Corleone grunts in The Godfather Part III: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!" And so it was for this … [Continue reading]
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]
If you'd like to make a mint with a BREAKTHROUGH business opportunity pitch... This timeless 8-page template lights the path. This marketer boasted the Obi-Wan Kenobi of biz-op as his mentor... he was Luke Skywalker. The story selling force … [Continue reading]
It was May of 2020. That was the last time a Fisher Investments ad appeared in a newspaper. Alas, that may be the last of the Mohicans in this closing chapter of print newspapers. Fisher's trademark qualifying copy has long been "if you have … [Continue reading]
This marketer excels at the risk free trial offer in health & beauty, here's their latest. Here's their winning weight loss offer arriving in a mailbox near you in September 2022. "Dear Lawrence, Do you try to cut down on carbs, but … [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]
Even on those days when I feel jaded about the state of direct response -- yes, I'm a hopeless nostalgist -- all I need to do is break open a classic magalog like this to buoy my spirits. And after this last week of packing up my ad archive and … [Continue reading]
Inflation, deflation, recession, depression... and investing. What's old is new... and relevant again. Hey, tonight we're going to party like it's 1979. … [Continue reading]
Anyone wandering around Midtown Manhattan from the 1980s to the early 2000s remembers the electronics and furniture stores with the giant gaudy "Going Out of Business'' signs plastered on the store fronts. … [Continue reading]
This was a big mailer for a men's health offer in the mid to late 2000s. Unlike other direct mail packages, it's hard to feel the effect of this package via a scanned image. … [Continue reading]
On April 15, 2020, I sent an email broadcast with the subject line: "EPIC Ads That Command..." I've discovered from my own personal usage that "(Blank) that commands" gets high opens. … [Continue reading]
It's no secret. I've turned into a late in copywriting life super fan of Victor Schwab and his phenomenal advertising for his own agency. And rediscovering this "Which Ad Pulled Better?" series has only bumped it up a notch. Imagine a … [Continue reading]
This is one of the MOST instructive case studies in all of direct response. This ONE big idea cemented this advertiser's position at the top of his market for decades. And the most interesting thing about it is how little other marketers have … [Continue reading]
Here's a tame prostate promo compared to most I bump into nowadays. Better than the one that nearly made me lose consciousness last week! Hope I'm not projecting too much with my prostate problems. … [Continue reading]
Everywhere I turn these days, it seems I'm getting pummeled with prostate promos. I lamented over this recently. What do you want from a boomer with an enlarged prostate? (Technically, not a boomer, but I've gotten worn down over the years trying … [Continue reading]
Here's a marketer who mails his list EVERY day. I count a whopping 927 marketing emails in my inbox from Bryce Paul beginning on 6/25/20. … [Continue reading]
I may be a one man "clearinghouse" for direct response... but that doesn't mean I relish every magalog that sails into the mailbox. This one knocked me for six (I think I've at last figured this expression out) as the British like to say. … [Continue reading]
This ad may be fifty years old at the time of this writing in August of 2022. But it offers a TON of insights about success in direct response. First things first, let's start with the EVERGREEN THEME. … [Continue reading]
"- In Great Britain, a young boy astounds the medical community by almost completely reversing the physical effects of a congenital disease for which there is no known cure - without pharmaceuticals of any kind. - In Brazil, a film crew captures … [Continue reading]
Video restored. It was an early 1990s sensation that made a fortune with DRTV spots. And it all started with an oddball inventor. … [Continue reading]