In the 1980s and 1990s... he was one of the biggest players in direct response His newsletter towered over others in paid subscriptions. Till he blew it up with a VERY dumb play. This is a blockbuster magalog from twenty years ago with a ton … [Continue reading]
The high resolution training videos that pepper the promos of giants like Performance Golf seem light years away from the genteel book advertising of the 1970s. (The copywriter/consultant behind this outfit took them from $400K/mo to $8M/mo - … [Continue reading]
This ad campaign is not for those with a weak stomach. It may be the most shocking ad campaign run in mainstream publications in this generation. Read at your own discretion! … [Continue reading]
This is an offer headline that's just begging to be repurposed! This renewal offer arrived via postcard for The Bob Livingston Letter. There's no incentive or any bonus report loading here, just an ironclad offer with the reference point of … [Continue reading]
Here's an advertising lead with staying power. It was last seen in 2012 and it's it's mailing again (multiple times) in 2025 … [Continue reading]
There's a whopping 30 thousand supplements for sale to treat almost every malady under the sun. Here's a tabloid sized magalog that mailed successfully in the early part of the last decade. I dug it out of the deepest layers of my archives for … [Continue reading]
If you're reading this, then you're likely aware of a few important things. - Gary Bencivenga is in the pantheon of ad writers and a new DM package of his doesn't surface every day. - The great Rodale Publishing, built on the back of winning … [Continue reading]
I had a dash of mild compunction before posting this Gary Halbert oldie... but I doubt it will scandalize anyone these days. And after reading this intriguing bullet from the ad: "Why your fingernails may be unconsciously turning your lover off," … [Continue reading]
Here are some hard won secrets for selling in the golf market... From one of the ablest marketers of our time. … [Continue reading]
Here's one of the 300+ ads in The Big Book of Billion Dollar Lead Generation, coming out this week of April 21st. I remember seeing the headline for the first time and thinking, What a concept! … [Continue reading]
Time-Life sold books as continuity series, where customers subscribed to a series and received books periodically. Series like The Life World Library, The Old West, Foods of the World, and World War II were among the most successful. … [Continue reading]
Costume jewelry... junk jewelry? Watch your language! These are fine collectibles and from everything I've read, they are. Moreover, no matter your market or industry, you can ALWAYS learn something from the prolifically great in-house … [Continue reading]
While not a recent promo, I unearthed numerous mailings for this supplement. No idea if it's still mailing in 2025. … [Continue reading]
Here's an April 2025 doom and gloom proclamation headline from Dylan Jovine and Behind the Markets with the subject line "WARNING to All American Investors." … [Continue reading]
Okay, maybe 2011 isn't prehistoric by most standards, but in financial markets (and financial marketing), it's darn dated. … [Continue reading]
This 1982 print ad for Julian Snyder’s The Way of the Hunter Warrior: How to Make a Killing in Any Market packs a wallop, especially when combined with this headline. … [Continue reading]
How do you sell 100,000 home study courses at $195 to brand new customers? And do it all in the span of one year? This bookalog was the mailbox hit that did just that. … [Continue reading]
Barry Kaye began his life insurance career in 1962 with The New England, where he shattered all first-year sales records, and established himself as a rainmaker in a field known for high attrition. Kaye made copious stacks of cash over the years … [Continue reading]
Here's how the big boys and girls scouted for copy talent before the Web. … [Continue reading]
RootBlast has been going strong for three decades and has done the rounds of DRTV, print and direct mail. These insertions are packed with long copy and plentiful proof elements in the home gardening market. … [Continue reading]
The hour-long VSL (video sales letter) with all the persuasion on the planet doesn't mean diddly... If you don't have the right positioning. Make that memorable positioning. … [Continue reading]
I've gotten around a bit in the direct response world as an introvert. I had two great phone conversations with Boardroom founder and marketing legend, Marty Edelston, after I sent him this ad collection. His passion for direct response was … [Continue reading]
Rototillers, lawn mowers, chippers & shredders, snow blowers, leaf blowers & vacs. You don’t sell any of these in one step—at least, not most of the time. Here’s a trio of Troy’s hottest lead generation promos from the company’s high … [Continue reading]
The wide wild world of weight loss advertising from twenty years ago is light years from today. Then again, print advertising itself is a pale shadow of what it was in 2005. That aside, here's a GIANT 3-page spread that had multiple insertions … [Continue reading]
Barry Kaye was a 40 year fixture in direct response advertising in the areas of insurance, taxation, wealth creation and seminar marketing. Here's a great piece of lead generation that's NOT for everyone -- both the headline and the BANNER in … [Continue reading]