James D. of James Direct is one of the most capable old school marketers I know... who comes from a lineage of direct marketers. James is one of the greatest proponents of A.B.T. Always be testing! He's UNDER the radar and likes it that … [Continue reading]
What's up here? Did somebody just take an internet sales letter, print it, staple it and mail it... to a sucker's list? Hey, the letter is addressed to yours truly. And yours truly learned a long time ago that anyone can get taken. The … [Continue reading]
When you see the same offer week after week... month after month... you know the marketer on the other side of the medium is making a MINT. If you sell information products, have a look at this offer. Heck, if you promote health and beauty … [Continue reading]
From early March of 2020, the term "pandemic pivot," started being thrown around. While it sounds good in principle, it's easier said than done. Here is an advertiser, everyone in the supplements world knows. One of the things that keeps … [Continue reading]
Here's the brand that got its pricing strategy from JP Morgan: "If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it." So you'll never find a price quoted in any of their ads. … [Continue reading]
(UPDATE November 2020) The immune system angle is KILLING it for this mailer. The latest test package will be posted soon) This is one of those cases when you've got to reference a CAPSTONE advertising principle to make sense of things. Strong … [Continue reading]
Here's a 16-page pitch for a $195 options home study course on DVD. “My Weekly Options Paycheck Machine made an incredible 6,712.7% return in just one year … it can give you a hefty ‘paycheck’ every week – without you having a job.” –Dale … [Continue reading]
(UPDATE: This was first published on May 4, 2020. As of November 10, 2020, this piece has mailed again and again -- both as a solo mailing and also as a "ride-along" in newsletter packages.) Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It's one of the most concise, yet … [Continue reading]
Here's an increasingly endangered species. It's a self-help direct mail package. Amazon's Audible service has disrupted many publishers like Nightingale-Conant. … [Continue reading]
Link corrected. Point, Click and Profit. These guys know how to do it like none other in direct mail. For trading software and subscription selling check out... … [Continue reading]
Here's a 62-page package from a brand that was built entirely on the power of story selling. Sure, this bookalog's an oldie -- from the early 2000s -- but that doesn't make a dime's worth of difference when we're talking about an evergreen story … [Continue reading]
Here's as supplements 2-for-1 running in Canadian press. New Nordic is one of the best established international brands in the supplements world. Here it's paired as a half-page horizontal insertion with a booming pain relief/arthritis … [Continue reading]
In January 1980 gold hit a record $850 an ounce or $2,670 in today's money. That's almost $1,000 higher than the price of gold at the time of this writing in October of 2020. With the roller-coaster ride of 2020 just beginning, the gold bugs … [Continue reading]
The American press is FILLED to the gills with those advertorial style insertions selling supplements to seniors. Everything from memory pills, to blood sugar remedies to (ahem!) men's health offers. Many of the best performing ads may ring the … [Continue reading]
What's October surprise? What's November surprise? Here it is from the Oracle of Wiki. "In American political jargon, an October surprise is a news event deliberately created or timed or sometimes occurring spontaneously to influence the … [Continue reading]
The "November surprise" is one of the strongest pulling leads in direct response. This crisis copywriting package is no exception. You've got to hand it to copywriters -- they can be amazingly accurate prognosticators. The midnight call I got … [Continue reading]
This is the ad for the breakthrough book that put Dr. Wayne Dyer on the map. It's likely there were more than a few book buyers in 1976 who were disappointed to discover this book contained no mention of erogenous zones. Part of the book's success … [Continue reading]
It's getting down to crunch time. Here's the crisis copywriting package du jour. You may have noticed when reading these epic mail pieces, it's a bit like watching a dystopian movie -- Escape from New York, Omega Man or Mad Max -- "boomer … [Continue reading]
Here's a 1,556-word, full-page ad that's been running strong since September of 2020. There are even more insertions as we wind down the year. While this epic advertorial format is anything but new, it's interesting to note that it's never been … [Continue reading]
Here's an ad that EXCELS at capturing leads for prospects who would otherwise disqualify themselves... and turn the page on an offer that could surely help them. It doesn't matter how sparkling the copy is if the prospect finds a giant ESCAPE … [Continue reading]
What's selling like hotcakes during this pandemic and excruciatingly l-o-n-g home sheltering? Supplements! Supplement sellers are able to tap the largest captive audience in history who is MASSIVELY concerned about its health. New avenues of … [Continue reading]
It’s rare when you can pick up an ad over 50 years later and say: “Hey, great product… wonder if I can still get it?” Rarer still when the copy sings and sells with almost no need for fine tuning all those decades later. But that’s exactly what … [Continue reading]
This 1990's space ad from the South China Morning Post is the counterpart to the now 30 YEAR mailing mega-control for International Living. Testing different media and different advertising formats remains a key to success in direct response. … [Continue reading]
Here's a package for the timely Social Chaos Survival Guide. It's a dark picture indeed. I try not to get the marketer's version of "medical students' disease" when I read packages like this. That's the condition frequently reported in med … [Continue reading]
No matter where you live -- no matter your industry -- if you're in direct response, you know the two planetary advertising poles that guide us all. And what better example is there than weight loss. Up top, we've got a classic Rodale magalog. … [Continue reading]