THE 100 GREATEST HEADLINES EVER WRITTEN

1. THE SECRET OF MAKING PEOPLE LIKE YOU

Almost $500,000 was spent profitably to run-keyed ads
displaying this headline.  It drew many hundreds of thousands of
readers into the body matter of a "people-mover"
advertisement -- one which, by itself, built a big business.
Pretty irresistible headline, isn't it?

2. A LITTLE MISTAKE THAT COST A FARMER $3,000 A YEAR

A sizable appropriation was spent successfully in
farm magazines on this ad.  Sometimes the negative idea of
offsetting, reducing, or eliminating the "risk of loss" is even
more attractive to the reader than the "prospect of gain."

As the great business executive Chauncey Depew one
said, "I would not stay up all of one night to make $100; but I
would stay up all of seven nights to keep from losing it."   As
Walter Norvath says in Six Successful Selling Techniques "People
will fight much harder to avoid losing something they already
own than to gain something of greater value that they do not
own."  It is also true that they have the feeling that losses
and waste can often be more easily retrieved than new profits
can be gained.

What farmer could pass up reading the copy under such
a headline  to find out:  "What was the mistake?  Why was it
'little'?  Am I making it?  If it cost that farmer a loss of
$3,000 a year maybe it \rquote s costing me a lot more!  Perhaps
the copy will also tell me about other mistakes I might be
making."

3. ADVICE TO WIVES WHOSE HUSBANDS DON'T SAVE MONEY -- BY A WIFE

The headline strength of the word "advice" has often
been proven.  Most people want it, regardless of whether or not
they follow it.  And the particular "ailment"  referred to is
common enough to interest a lot of readers.  The "it happened to
me" tag line, "by a Wife," increases the desire to read the
copy.  (This ad far outpulled the advertiser's previous best ad,
Get Rid of Money Worries.)

4. THE CHILD WHO WON THE HEARTS OF ALL

This was a keyed-result ad which proved spectacularly
profitable.  It appeared in women's magazines.  The
emotional-type copy described (and the photograph portrayed) the
kind of little girl any parent would want their daughter to be.
Laughing, rollicking, running forward, with arms out stretched,
right out of the ad and into the arms and heart of the reader.

5. ARE YOU EVER TONGUE-TIED AT A PARTY?

Pinpoints the myriads of self-conscious, inferiority
complexed wallflowers. "That's me!  I want to read this ad;
maybe it tells me exactly what to do about it."

As you go along you will notice how many of these
headlines are interrogative ones.  They ask a question to which

people want to read the answer.  They excite curiosity and
interest in the body matter which follows.  They hit home --
cut through verbose indirectness.  The best ones are challenges
which are difficult to ignore, cannot be dismissed with a quick
no or yes and without further reading, are pertinent and
relevant to the reader.  Note how many of the ones included here
measure up to these specifications.

6. HOW A NEW DISCOVERY MADE A PLAIN GIRL BEAUTIFUL

Wide appeal:  There are more plain girls than
beautiful ones --  and just about all of them want to be better
looking.

7. HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE

This helped to sell millions of copies of the book of
the same title.  Strong basic appeal:  We all want to do it.
But without the words "how to"  the headline would become simply
a trite wall motto.

8. THE LAST 2 HOURS ARE THE LONGEST --  AND THOSE ARE THE 2 HOURS YOU SAVE

An airline ad featured a faster jet-powered flight.
Headline is a bull's-eye for air-experienced travelers who know
what those last two interminable hours can do to their nerves
and patience.  Like many fine headlines, it doubtless came right
out of their personal experience of its writer.  This headline
(and all the others discussed here) would have been good even if
it had not been supported by any picture at all.  But its effect
was heightened by a photo of a wristwatch with the hour marks
indicating one to 10 bunched together -- and 10, 11, and 12
stretched wide apart.

9. WHO ELSE WANTS A SCREEN STAR FIGURE?

Who doesn't?  Except men --  and this successful and
much-run ad is not addressed to them.  "Who else"  also has a
"get on the bandwagon"  connotation:  Not "Can it be done"  but
"who else wants to have it?"

10. DO YOU MAKE THESE MISTAKES IN ENGLISH?

A direct challenge.  Now read the headline back,
eliminating the vital word "these." This word is the " hook"
that almost forces you into the copy.  "What are these
particular mistakes?  Do I make them?"  Also notice (as with
many of the other headlines reviewed) that this one promises to
provide helpful personal information in its own context, not
merely "advertising talk."

The Attraction of the Specific:  In this first
breather let us stop to impress upon your mind how significant a
part the "specific" plays in so many good headlines.  It appears
in many of our first 10.  And it will appear in a surprising
number of the next 90.  You will see how magnetically it helps
to draw the reader into the body matter of an advertisement.
So notice, as you continue reading, how many of these headlines
contain specific words or phrases that make the ad promise to
tell you:  How, Here's, These, Which, Which of These, Who, Who
Else, Where, When, What, Why.  Also note how frequently exact
amounts are used:  Number of days, evenings, hours, minutes,
dollars, ways, types of.  This "attraction of the specific"  is
worth your special attention --  not only as relating to words
and phrases but also concerning headline ideas themselves.  For
example, compare the appeal of "We'll Help You Make More Money"
with "We'll Help You Pay the Rent."
 

11. WHY SOME FOODS "EXPLODE"  IN YOUR STOMACH

A provocative "why"  headline.  Based upon the
completely understandable fact that some food combinations
virtually "explode"  in the stomach.  Broad appeal.  (Relevant
picture of chemical retort shaped like a stomach, starting to
explode.)

12. HANDS THAT LOOK LOVELIER IN 24 HOURS --  OR YOUR MONEY BACK

Universal appeal to women.  Result guaranteed:  "Or
Your Money Back."
13. YOU CAN LAUGH AT MONEY WORRIES  -- IF YOU FOLLOW THIS SIMPLE PLAN

Something everybody wants to be able to do.  A
successful keyed ad upon which many thousands have been spent.

14. WHY SOME PEOPLE ALMOST ALWAYS MAKE MONEY IN THE STOCK MARKET

A profitable checked-result ad selling a book written
by a partner in a well-known and highly regarded brokerage
house.  Important key words:  "some"  and "almost"  --  which
make the headline credible.

15. WHEN DOCTORS "FEEL ROTTEN" THIS IS WHAT THEY DO

What's the secret of the success of this well-known
ad?  First:  The suggestion of paradox.  We seldom think of
doctors as being in poor health themselves.  And when they are,
what they do about it is information "right from the
horse\rquote s mouth" carries a note of authority and greater
assurance of  "reward for reading the ad."   Note the positive
promise of reward in "This Is What They Do."

Also, the use of the unabashed colloquialism "feel
rotten"  gets attention; sounds human, natural.  Besides, it has
surprise value,  since the vocabulary of the advertising pages
has a certain sameness and stilted quality.  Many a headline
fails to stop readers because its vocabulary is so hackneyed.
No word or phrase in it has any attention-arresting element of
surprise, no words, expressions, or ideas not commonly used or
expected in the headline of an advertisement.  This ad pulled
only half the number of responses when a test was made changing
"When Doctors Feel Rotten"  to  "When Doctors Don't Feel Up To
Par.  (Other examples of the use of common colloquialisms and
words are given, and commented upon, in many of these good
headlines.)

Since the idea of using headline words not commonly
utilized in the lexicon of advertising is worth such serious
consideration, let us cite a few more examples.  For a book on
scientific weight control:  The one word "Potbelly"!  (Not very
elegant, but it proved an effective stopper.)  For a dictionary:
A single word (onion, hog, shad, pelican, skunk, kangaroo, etc.)
as the boldface headline of each in a series of small-space
advertisements.  You couldn't miss it on the page and you wanted
to know what it was all about.  The copy followed through by
illustrating how simple and clear were the definitions in that
particular dictionary.  For a book of golf instruction: "Don't
Belly-Ache About Your Golf This Year!"

16. IT SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT YOU CAN OFFER THESE SIGNED
ORIGINAL ETCHINGS -- FOR ONLY $5 EACH

Anticipates the reader's natural incredulity
concerning such an exceptional bargain.  Thus helps to overcome
his doubt in advance, by acknowledging the likelihood of it.

17. FIVE FAMILIAR SKIN TROUBLES --  WHICH DO YOU WANT TO OVERCOME?
 

"Let me keep reading --  to see if I have one of the
five."  The old "which of these"selling technique; not "do you
want?"  but "which do you want?"   (Interrogative headline helps
entice readers into the copy.  Note how many of these hundred
are interrogative headlines.)

18. WHICH OF THESE $2.50-TO-$5 BEST SELLERS DO YOU WANT -- FOR ONLY $1 EACH?

This keyed ad sold hundreds of thousands of books.
Strong comparative-price bargain appeal.
19. WHO EVER HEARD OF A WOMAN LOSING WEIGHT --  AND ENJOYING
3 DELICIOUS MEALS AT THE SAME TIME?

Another example of a headline which anticipates
incredulity in order to help overcome it.

20. HOW I IMPROVED MY MEMORY IN ONE EVENING

This is the famous "Addison Sims of Seattle" ad which
coined that household phrase.  Could you escape wanting to read
it?

21. DISCOVER THE FORTUNE THAT LIES HIDDEN IN YOUR SALARY

One of those good "discover what lies hidden"
headlines.  (Note others here.)  A proven puller for an
advertiser offering sound securities on a "pay out of income"
basis.

22. DOCTORS PROVE 2 OUT OF 3 WOMEN CAN HAVE MORE BEAUTIFUL SKIN IN 14 DAYS

Women want it.  "Why two out of three?  Am I one of
the two?  How have doctors proved it?  Quick results are what I
want...Only fourteen days!"

How Many Words Should a Headline Contain?

You have probably often read about the desirability
of having no more than a certain number of words in your
headline.  Yet, in this second breather, we want to point out
that many of the headlines already quoted (and others to follow)
are, by ordinary  standards, quite long. Yet, despite their
length, they were successful.

Obviously, it is not wise to make a headline any lengthier than its
primary function actually requires.  However, greater-than-usual length
need not worry you...provided the headline's high spots of interest are
physically well broken up and clearly displayed --  and provided
the personal advantages promised to the reader are presented so
oppositely that it is almost as though his own name appeared in
the headline.

Worth recounting is the story of Max Hart (ofHart, Schaffner & Marx)
and his advertising manager, the late and great George L. Dyer.  They were
arguing about long copy. To clinch the argument Mr. Dyer said, "I' ll bet you
$10 I can write a newspaper page of solid types and you'd read every word
of it."  Mr. Hart scoffed at the idea.  "I don't have to write a
line of it to prove my point," Mr. Dyer responded.  I'll only
tell you the headline:  "This page is all about Max Hart!"

23. HOW I MADE A FORTUNE WITH A " FOOL IDEA"

Paradoxes excite interest.  Broad appeal:  Almost
everyone has once had a pet money-making idea that others have
thought foolish and impractical.  Sympathy for the underdog:
"What' s the story of this man who 'turned the tables' on the
people who ridiculed him?"

24. HOW OFTEN DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF SAYING:  "NO, I
HAVEN'T READ IT:  I'VE BEEN MEANING TO"?

A well-known book club has spent a great deal of
money on this ad.  Headline aimed accurately at is large
market-- people who "mean to"  keep up with the new books but
somehow "never get around to it."
 

25. THOUSANDS HAVE THIS PRICELESS GIFT --  BUT NEVER DISCOVER IT!

"What 'priceless gift'?  Why is it 'priceless'?
If'thousands'  have it perhaps I have it too."   The
"undiscovered" angle has great attraction.   Legions of people
are convinced that they possess talents and abilities which
others have never discovered.  Consequently, their world is
unfortunately inclined to underrate or misjudge them.

26. WHOSE FAULT WHEN CHILDREN DISOBEY?

What parent wouldn't be stopped cold by this
headline?  "I'm the one who's probably to blame.  It's a
distressing condition -- and, most important, a reflection upon
me.  Maybe this ad tells me what to do about it.

27. HOW A "FOOL STUNT"  MADE ME A STAR SALESMAN

What is the 'fool stunt'?  Why did people call it
that?  How did it transform this fellow?  I'd like to be able to
'sell' myself and my ideas --  even though selling may not be my
vocation.  (A large expenditure was made profitably on this ad
after its result  had been proven.)

28. HAVE YOU THESE SYMPTOMS OF NERVE EXHAUSTION?

Everyone likes to read about his "symptoms."  The
appeal is broad; the condition of "nerve exhaustion" is common.

29. GUARANTEED TO GO THROUGH ICE, MUD, OR SNOW -- OR WE PAY THE TOW!

If you offer a powerful guarantee with your product,
play it up strongly and quickly in the headline.  Don't relegate
it to minor display.  Many products are actually backed up by
dramatic guarantees -- but their advertising does not make the
most of them

30. HAVE YOU A "WORRY" STOCK?

Perhaps this ad will tell me why I need not lose any
sleep over it --  or how I can replace it with one that will
zoom.

31. HOW A NEW KIND OF CLAY IMPROVED MY COMPLEXION IN 30 MINUTES

Promises a desirable reward for reading.  And the
true experience of another person (with something relevant to
our own desires) is always interesting.

32. 161 NEW WAYS TO A MAN;S HEART --  IN THIS FASCINATING
BOOK FOR COOKS

Again the attraction of the specific --  tied up with
a strong basic appeal.

33. PROFITS THAT LIE HIDDEN IN YOUR FARM

Widely run in farm papers, with exceptional results.
The hidden-profit idea and the suggestion of retrieving a loss.

34. IS THE LIFE OF A CHILD WORTH $1 TO YOU?

Trenchant headline for a brake-relining service.
Strong emotional appeal:  How the life of a little child may be
snuffed out by an accident due to your ineffective brakes.

35. EVERYWHERE WOMEN ARE RAVING ABOUT THIS AMAZING NEW SHAMPOO!

The colloquial: "raving about."  The "success"
word: "everywhere."  (The increasing popularity and sale of a
product are adduced as evidence of its merit.  "Nothing succeeds
like success" ; and people love to climb on a bandwagon.)  And
the overworked "amazing" still seems to have some power left.

36. DO YOU DO ANY OF THESE TEN EMBARRASSING THINGS?

Bull's-eye question.  All of us are afraid of
embarrassing ourselves before others; being criticized, looked
down upon, talked about.  "Which 'ten' are they?  Do I do any of
them?

37. SIX TYPES OF INVESTORS --  WHICH GROUP ARE YOU IN?

This ad produced inquires in large quantities.
Investors reviewed the characteristics of each of the six

groups, as described in the ad, then inquired about a program
designed to meet the investment purposes of their particular
group.

The Primary Viewpoint -- The "Point of You"

Breather No. 3 is a short one because you already know the
"lesson"  very well.  But to stress its importance let us point
this out to you:  Forty three of these 100 headlines contain one
of these actual words --  " you," "your," or "yourself."   Even
when the pronoun is first person singular, (for example, "How I
Improved My Memory in One Evening") the reward promised is so
universally desired that it is, in effect, really saying, "You
can do it too!"

Thousands of words have already been written
about the "point of you" -- but let me remind you that, given
a fountain pen, 96% of 500 college women wrote their own names;
shown a map of the U.S. A., 447 men out of 500 looked first for
the location of their home towns!  Howard Barnes, of the
American Newspaper Publishers'  Association, really was on
target when he said:  "To call up an image of the reader, all
you need to do is pin up a target.  Then, starting at the
outside, you can label his interests in this order:  The world,
the United States, his home state, his home town, and we' ll
lump together in the black center his family and himself...me.
Myself.  I come first.  I am the bull's-eye."

38. HOW TO TAKE OUT STAINS...USE (PRODUCT NAME) AND
FOLLOW THESE EASY DIRECTIONS

An example of a good "service"  ad --  one which,
besides being relevantly tied up with the product, also contains
helpful information usable in itself.  (Such ads often have
considerable longevity because they are cut out and used for
future reference.)

39 TODAY...ADD $10,000 TO YOUR ESTATE -- FOR THE PRICE OF A NEW HAT

Who wouldn' t want to do that?  Doubt as to the
promise is offset by the fact that the advertiser is a large and
reputable insurance company.

40. DOES YOUR CHILD EVER EMBARRASS YOU?

Direct, challenging, a common circumstance.  Brings
up a flood of recollections.  How can such unpleasant
experiences be avoided in the future?  Based upon a strong
selfish appeal.  Parents are, first, individuals;  second,
parents.  The kind of reflection that children cast upon the
prestige and self-esteem of their parents is a useful copy angle
to remember.  (This headline is the negative opposite of No. 4,
The Child Who Won the Hearts of All.)

41. IS YOUR HOME PICTURE-POOR?

A rifle-shot question hitting thousands of readers.
Illustrated by photo of an otherwise attractive living room with
blank areas on its walls; with X's indicating where pictures
would improve the room's appearance.

42. HOW TO GIVE YOUR CHILDREN EXTRA IRON -- THESE 3 DELICIOUS WAYS

It obeys the wise maxim of newspaper reporters:
"Start where the reader is." In other words, the public already
accepts the fact that children's blood should contain plenty of
iron.  So the headline goes on from there --  promising "extra"
iron and "3 delicious ways" to get it ("delicious"  ways;  so
not the common parent vs. child battle).

43. TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WRITE -- BUT CAN' T GET STARTED
 

Unerringly selects its audience, which is large --
and stymied.

44. THIS ALMOST-MAGICAL LAMP LIGHTS HIGHWAY TURNS BEFORE YOU MAKE THEM

The word "almost"  lends believability.  Headline
promises an automatic no-effort method of relieving an annoying
condition or avoiding a dangerous emergency.

45. THE CRIMES WE COMMIT AGAINST OUR STOMACHS

Another "tart where the reader is" headline -because
most people already believe they often give their digestive
process some pretty rough treatment.  This rapport, between the
theme of the ad and the common belief of its readers, makes the
"we"  and "our" practically equal in effectiveness to "you"
and "your."

46. THE MAN WITH THE "GRASSHOPPER MIND"

An immediate association with himself leaps to the
mind of the reader.  He wants to check at once on the personal
parallel.  What are the symptoms?  Starting things one never
finishes?  Jumping from one thing to another?  "How much am I
like him?  It's not a good trait.  What did he do about it?"
This is an example of a negative headline that strikes home more
accurately and dramatically than would a positive one.

47. THEY LAUGHED WHEN I SAT DOWN AT THE PIANO --  BUT WHEN I
STARTED TO PLAY!

Another one that has entered our language.  Sympathy
with the underdog.  Particularly interesting, structurally, as
an example of a headline which "turns the corner"  by using a
final tag line to make itself positive instead of negative.
Also worth remembering:  The before-and-after angle can be
effective in many headlines.

48. THROW AWAY YOUR OARS!

Short and positive commands often make good stopper
headlines.  When Ole Evinrude, the outboard-motor king, ran a
small ad with this headline he took the first step toward
building his one-room machine shop into a big business.  (A
similar headline, Throw  Away Your Aerial!, was also once
responsible for building a business in the radio field.)  This
type of headline is worth thinking about when the product you
are advertising eliminates the need for some heretofore
necessary piece of equipment, some onerous job, or some sizable
item of expense.

49. HOW TO DO WONDERS WITH A LITTLE LAND!

A successful headline which pulled 75% better than
"Two Acres and Security"  and 40% better than "A Little Land --
a Lot of Living."  The reason: "how to"  and "do wonders with."

50. WHO ELSE WANTS LIGHTER CAKE --  IN HALF THE MIXING TIME?

Strong appeal.  Another good "who else"  headline.
(No. 9, Who Else Wants A Screen Star Figure?)

51. LITTLE LEAKS THAT KEEP MEN POOR

A keyed "retrieving a loss"  ad whose checked
resultfulness justified frequent repetition.

52. PIERCED BY 301 NAILS...RETAINS FULL AIR PRESSURE

Who wouldn't be interested in reading more about a
tire like this?

53. NO MORE BACK-BREAKING GARDEN CHORES FOR ME --  YET
OURS IS NOW THE SHOW-PLACE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

A good example of a before-and-after headline which
makes the turn from negative to positive.  Also worth noting:
It has an effective element of excitement in it --  a feature of
many good headlines, communicating the copywriter's enthusiasm
to the printed page.
 

Don't Worry about a "Negative" Approach...

This breather No. 4 is about negative headlines.  "Accentuate the
positive; eliminate the negative,"  said a song of some years
ago.  For years that has also been the popular refrain of the
advice often given to copywriters.  Discussion about negative
headlines has sometimes sparked more fire than enlightenment.
Yet our 100 headlines include 21 which are completely negative
and 10 others which start with a negative approach and then
become positive.

So the negative approach must have some good
reason for existence.  It has.  What is it?   One of the
principal objectives of a headline is to strike as directly as
possible right at a situation confronting the reader.  Sometimes
you can do this with greater accuracy if you use a negative
headline which pinpoints his ailment rather than the alle
viation of it.  (For example, Is YOUR Home Picture-Poor? --
Have YOU a "Worry" Stock? --  Little Leaks That Keep Men Poor.)
So when you face that kind of situation don't be afraid to "
accentuate the negative."   Let's proceed to another great
headline which captured a place in our everyday language.

54. OFTEN A BRIDESMAID, NEVER A BRIDE

So poignantly true, so pointed -- and so common.

55. HOW MUCH IS "WORKER TENSION" COSTING YOUR COMPANY?

An ad which was successful in business magazines
reaching executives.  "I want to know which are the kinds of
'worker tension' specifically.  What is 'worker tension' costing
other companies in net profits?  How much is it costing us?  If
it is, what can we do about it?"

56. TO MEN WHO WANT TO QUIT WORK SOMEDAY

Selects its readers without wasting a word.  (And who
can say that the audience isn't kind of large?)

57. HOW TO PLAN YOUR HOUSE TO SUIT YOURSELF.

This pulled almost 20% better than "How to Avoid
These Mistakes in Planning Your Home."  Apparently, people
expect the architect to avoid the mistakes --  but feel that
they themselves know better than anyone else what will best suit
their particular needs and preferences.

58 BUY NO DESK -- UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN THIS SENSATION OF THE BUSINESS SHOW

Strong "stopper" type of "command" headline,
adaptable for many uses.  Copy quickly follows with "until you
have checked as to whether it has this feature, and this one,
and this..."

59. CALL BACK THESE GREAT MOMENTS AT THE OPERA

Sometimes it's a good idea to "start where the reader
was."  This nostalgic headline was used to sell phonograph
records of great operas.  The idea can be used in a positive
way: Tying up with a desirable remembrance.  Or it can be used
negatively: Contrasting a certain new product advantage with an
undesirable remembrance.

60. "I LOST MY BULGES...AND SAVED MONEY TOO"

Word "bulges" is a stopper, not commonly used in
advertising lexicon.  Double-edged appeal:  The promise to end
an unwanted condition and to save you money also.

61. WHY (BRAND NAME) BULBS GIVE MORE LIGHT THIS YEAR

This one illustrates an important point, one which
many advertisers hate to swallow.  It is usually not a good idea
to tell the name of the company (or the brand name) in the
headline --  or to make it tell too much of the story.  When

this is done right in the headline itself it often gives the
whole thing away and does not tempt the reader into the copy.
However, as in this case, when the advertiser is a nationally
famous company (particularly when it is noted for its
enterprise, innovations, improvements, and research), the use of
the company, or brand name can add news value to the headline
-and help to substantiate the truth of the claim made in it.

62. RIGHT AND WRONG FARMING METHODS -- AND LITTLE
POINTERS THAT WILL INCREASE YOUR PROFITS

Exceedingly profitable in farm papers.  A combination
of negative and positive appeals, with a lot of "come hither"
for farmers.

63. NEW CAKE-IMPROVER GETS YOU COMPLIMENTS GALORE!

There are three things which advertising can tell its
readers:  (1) what the product is; (2) what it does; and...this
headline utilizes the third (and often overlooked) one:  In
terms of  the advertisers it is this: What other people will say
of you, think of you, do for you -- how they will admire you,
envy you, imitate you -- because of what my product can
accomplish for you.  In terms of the prospective customer it is
this:  Because of what your product can do for me, people may
think more of me!

This third factor (which is an extension of the No. 2 factor
mentioned above) can be made so effective, and is so often neglected
that it rates special attention here as Breather No. 5.  The proper
use of it can make advertising copy make more sales.  Therefore, it
is worth a prominent niche in your memory.  To keep it there,
visualize a somewhat ridiculous picture.  (Tying up an absurd
pictorial association with a concept you want to remember is of
course a well-known aid to memory.)  The sketch is of a boy sitting
on the prow of a PT boat.  His mother is sit ting in the stern.
Between the two the initials "PT"  are printed in big letters on
the side of this type of small but very fast patrol boat used so
extensively in World War II in the South Pacific.  This mental picture will
help you remember the initials "BOY PT MOM."  And these are the
initials of the phrase, "Because Of You, People Think More Of
Me."

Headline No. 63 utilizes that factor.  It promises the
reader that this new cake improver will win her compliments from
others;  that because of you (the advertiser) other people will
think more of her (the reader).  You are offering to show her
how to make what she might later call her "reputation cake."
Sometimes this element in copy is called the "prestige factor,"
and is considered only as an extension of the "what the product
does"  type of copy.  (In discussing the advertising of ladies'
perfumes Hal Stebbins calls it "selling the effect of the
effect.")  In the advertising of a great many products, it can
be made so persuasive, so compelling, that it rates at least a
subcategory of its own.

64. IMAGINE ME...HOLDING AN AUDIENCE SPELLBOUND FOR 30 MINUTES

A profitable narrative-ad headline.  Broad interest
in this kind of ability.  Narrator's surprise and apparent
humility lend credence and humanness to the statement.
 

65. THIS IS MARIE ANTOINETTE -- RIDING TO HER DEATH

An often-repeated ad for a set of books.  It pulled
eight times as many responses in 1/4-page size as were ever
received from a double-spread.  This is the only straight
"curiosity"  headline included here.  Its headline was
relevant--  not, as so commonly used, one of those trick devices
to force attention when advertising a product not closely
related to the headline.
66. DID YOU EVER SEE A "TELEGRAM"  FROM YOUR HEART?
A real stopper of a headline, with a great deal of
lure in the copy. Top picture shows a cardiogram report printed
upon a Western Union telegram form.

67. NOW ANY AUTO REPAIR JOB CAN BE "DUCK SOUP"  FOR YOU

What do you know -- the words "duck soup"  in an ad!
But doesn't it tell the story in a more unusual way than would "
easy,"  "simple,"  or some such word -- particularly to the type
of market this ad is aimed?

68. NEW SHAMPOO LEAVES YOUR HAIR SMOOTHER -- EASIER TO MANAGE

A result that all women want is clearly and
persuasively stated.  Word "leaves" makes it sound effortless.

69. IT'S A SHAME FOR YOU NOT TO MAKE GOOD MONEY --  WHEN
THESE MEN DO IT SO EASILY

The colloquial "it's a shame."  Sympathetic
understanding of the reader: "You are as capable as these other
men."  (Headline, of course, is supported by photos and good
testimonials.)

70. YOU NEVER SAW SUCH LETTERS AS HARRY AND I GOT ABOUT OUR PEARS

Friendly, human, disarmingly ingenuous, refreshingly
non-"advertisy" in language.  And, of course, the reference to
"such letters."

71. THOUSANDS NOW PLAY WHO NEVER THOUGHT THEY COULD

A headline perennially profitable for a large music
school.  Again, the copy is crammed with testimonials and
references substantiating the claim.

72. GREAT NEW DISCOVERY KILLS KITCHEN ODORS QUICK! -MAKES
INDOOR AIR "COUNTRY-FRESH"

The headline of an ad that launched a big business.
Faces a common problem head-on; offers an easy and pleasant
solution.

73. MAKE THIS 1-MINUTE TEST  --  OF AN AMAZING NEW KIND
OF SHAVING CREAM

The "make this test" angle has been used in many good
headlines.  It is widely usable for others.  Its purpose is to
induce the reader to participate in a demonstration of the
product's merits.  However, if credible and dramatic, the test
can represent a persuasive demonstration whether or not the
reader ever actually makes it.

74. ANNOUNCING...THE NEW EDITION OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA THAT
MAKES IT FUN TO LEARN THINGS

The "announcement"  type of headline (when bringing
out a new product) wins attention because people are interested
in new things.

Neophobia? --  Americans Don't Suffer from This Ailment!

Breather No. 6 is here to remind you that in a great
many of these headlines you find the word new --  or connotation
of it, such as "new kind of," "new discovery,"  "new way to"
etc.  Americans are partial to the new or novel;  they do not
suffer from neophobia.  To them the mere factor of newness seems
to be prima-facie evidence of  "betterness."  Undeviating
affection for the old and tried may be strong in other
countries; in ours the desire to try the new is stronger.  The
great achievements of our inventors and enterprising

manufacturers have trained us to believe that if it's new it's
likely to be better.  However, the word "new"  in a headline
should be backed up by copy pointing out the merits of something
really new and advantageous, not some transparently trivial
difference.   And now we come to another familiar headline...

75. AGAIN SHE ORDERS..."A CHICKEN SALAD, PLEASE"

You still hear it quoted.  It sold hundreds of
thousands of copies of an etiquette book because it capsulized a
common and embarrassing situation.

76. FOR THE WOMAN WHO IS OLDER THAN SHE LOOKS

This headline was a stopper to thousands...and more
successful than the subtly different "For the Woman Who Looks
Younger than She Is."

77. WHERE YOU CAN GO IN A GOOD USED CAR

The headline of an excellent advertisement which
featured what the product does -- rather than what it is. It
appeared years ago, before practically everyone owned an
automobile. Underneath the headline was a picture of the Indiana
Sand Dunes, followed by good copy about the dunes and pointing
out that "A good used car brings the whole country to you and
yours.  Why not buy one?  You don't need a lot of money."
Finally, after selling the idea, the copy gave some specific
details about the cars which were for sale.

78. CHECK THE KIND OF BODY YOU WANT

Checklist displayed at top immediately invites
reader's participation in specifying "which of these"
improvements he would like to make in his physique.  Keyed ad
repeated frequently by well-known physical culturist.

79. YOU KILL THAT STORY -- OR I' LL RUN YOU OUT OF THE STATE!

A true narrative ad run by a nationwide chain of
newspapers.  Could you flip over the page without wanting to
know what happened?

80. HERE'S A QUICK WAY TO BREAK UP A COLD

In simple everyday words, a direct promise to end an
undesirable condition --  quickly.

81. THERE' S ANOTHER WOMAN WAITING FOR EVERY MAN -- AND
SHE'S TOO SMART TO HAVE "MORNING MOUTH"

Had quite an impact on women readers, this toothpaste
ad.  Obviously, for there surely is a lot of motivation in its
theme:  "No woman wants her husband to carry the memory of her
morning breath to work with him. The attractive women he meets
during the day don't have it."

Stale News to the Advertiser May Be Fresh News to the Reader

And now we come to Breather No. 7.  Don't think
that because it is our last one it is of least importance.  In
fact, its value becomes apparent when you realize how many of
these headlines employ it.  "Get news (or new value)
into your headline" is probably the best way to define
it.  Since you can't pack everything into a headline,
stick to your principal appeal -- but give it news value
if you can.  And remember that what may be stale news to the
advertiser may be fresh news to the reader.  The advertiser is
of course thoroughly famili ar with his manufacturing methods,
the ingredients he uses, the functi on of his product.  They may
have no news value for him.  They may even be similar to those
of his competitors.  But that is not true of the readers of his
advertisements.  Something about the product or the service it
renders may be entirely new and sensa tionally persuasive to the

public.  And the advertiser who features it first captures its
appeal for himself, regardless of the "me-too" efforts of competitors
who may have heretofore failed to capitalize upon it.

82. THIS PEN "BURPS" BEFORE IT DRINKS -- BUT NEVER AFTERWARDS!

Headline expressed in a few words a copy theme credited with
pushing one brand of fountain pen up to a leading position.

83. IF YOU WERE GIVEN $200,000 TO SPEND -- ISN'T THIS
THE KIND OF (TYPE OF PRODUCT, BUT NOT BRAND NAME) YOU WOULD
BUILD?

A "self-incriminating" (and widely applicable) way to have
the reader help to specify what he himself would value most in
such a product. The copy follows through along these lines:
Surely you would put this feature into it.  You would be sure
that it brought you this advantage, and this, and this...
Well, we've done it all for you.  As you can see,
this product was really created for you!

84. "LAST FRIDAY...WAS I SCARED! -- MY BOSS ALMOST FIRED ME!

A human narrative people wanted to read because it
did --  or could -- "happen to me."

85. 76 REASONS WHY IT WOULD HAVE PAID YOU TO ANSWER OUR AD
A FEW MONTHS AGO

An interesting example of an ad that backtracks -- pointing out in detail
what the reader missed by not buying the product before.  A
frequently repeated ad used by a well-known news magazine to
pull for subscriptions.

86. SUPPOSE THIS HAPPENED ON YOUR WEDDING DAY!

A profitable narrative-ad headline which makes it pretty hard to
flip the page.  "What was this tragic happening?  Could it -- or
did it -- happen to me?\rdblquote \par  \line"

87. DON'T LET ATHLETE'S FOOT "LAY YOU UP."

This pulled three times better than Relieve Foot Itch.  It gives
the disease a relevant name, points out unwanted effect.

88. ARE THEY BEING PROMOTED RIGHT OVER YOUR HEAD?

Another question aimed at a big target:  T he legion of
frustrated, discouraged people who feel that their ability
and conscientiousness are not being amply rewarded by recognition
and advancement. (Frequently run by an educational institution
which checks the resultfulness of its advertisements.)

89. ARE WE A NATION OF LOW-BROWS?

This headline helped to sell inexpensive editions of the
classics, by the hundreds of thousands.  It starts where the
reader is -- because we, as a nation, are not reputed to be
greatly addicted to the high-brow type of literature.  Yet
this successful campaign showed that Americans know very well
the difference between the meritorious and meretricious --  and,
if challenged, can prove it with orders.  The "we" angle avoids the
accusatory "you."

90. A WONDERFUL TWO YEARS' TRIP AT FULL PAY --  BUT ONLY
MEN WITH IMAGINATION CAN TAKE IT

This ad about a course for businessmen was repeated again and
again, for a period of seven years, in a long list of magazines.
It offers a worthwhile reward for reading -- with an intriguing
challenge in its second line.

91. WHAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO KNOW...ABOUT THIS STOCK AND BOND BUSINESS

The headline of a full-page newspaper ad crammed solid with
small-size type -- and nary a single picture!  It drew 5,000 replies
when first published, has since appeared in more than 150 newspapers.

Promised helpful information of interest to a large audience.
The ad was run by a big investment house.

92. MONEY-SAVING BARGAINS FROM AMERICA'S OLDEST DIAMOND DISCOUNT HOUSE

Of course the "bargain appeal" is surefire -- and this headline is a
good example of straightforward presentation.
93. FORMER BARBER EARNS $8,000 IN 4 MONTHS AS A REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST
Featuring an actual testimonial can make a good headline.  In
this case, the reader's first reaction is "if a barber can do it
maybe I can too!"

94. FREE BOOK -- TELLS YOU 12 SECRETS OF BETTER LAWN CARE

If you are offering something entirely free (such as a booklet or sample)
-- and want requests for it in quantity -- feature it right in your headline.

95. GREATEST GOLDMINE OF EASY "THINGS-TO-MAKE"  EVER CRAMMED
INTO ONE BIG BOOK

Perhaps you have anew product (or even an old one) and still
lack sufficient accurate data as to which, specifically, are the
strongest selling appeals to feature in your advertising.  In that case,
it is often good strategy to "merchandise" the multipurpose "coverage"
of your product as thoroughly as you can.  By doing so, you avoid
the risk of laying too much stress upon any specific appeal which
may prove weak or ineffectual.  And,  by exposing many of your
product's uses and advantages, you at least enable your
reader to know what they are -- so that he can judge for
himself the ones which appeal most to him.

96. $80,000 IN PRIZES!  HELP US FIND THE NAME FOR THESE NEW KITCHENS

No review of good headlines could be considered
even fairly representative unless it included an example of one
featuring a prize contest.  Of course, it first boldly displays
how much money can be won; secondly, what you have to do to win
some of it.

97.  NOW!  OWN FLORIDA LAND THIS EASY WAY...$10 DOWN AND $10 A MONTH

This one also represents a commonly used headline offer -- easy
terms -- and conveys it forcefully and persuasively.

98. TAKE ANY 3 OF THESE KITCHEN APPLIANCES -- FOR ONLY $8.95
(VALUES UP TO $15.45)

The familiar reduced-price offer which we see in so many
different and alluring forms.

99. SAVE $.20 ON 2 CANS OF CRANBERRY SAUCE -- LIMITED OFFER

An example of the ever-popular coupon-redemption offer.
"Limited offer\" to increase response.  (Sometimes an actual
expiration date is stated, to spur quicker action.)

100. ONE PLACE-SETTING FREE FOR EVERY THREE YOU BUY!

So now we've finished running the hundred -- except for this
last type of headline:  The ubiquitous free offer.  The rules specify
(as exemplified here) that when something must also be bought; this
requirement must be displayed with sufficient prominence.
"Free"  is of course a hackneyed and moss-covered word, but there
doesn't seem to be any equally strong or less blatant substitute for it.
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