100 Best Ever Headlines And Why They Were Successful – Part 4

Part 4 of a 4 Part Series of the “100 Best Ever Headlines And Why They Were Successful”.

Here are the final 25 Best Ever Advertising Headlines and why they were so profitable.

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

Check list 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 familiar with his manufacturing methods, the ingredients he uses, the function 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 sensationally 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?”

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 effects.

88. ARE THEY BEING PROMOTED RIGHT OVER YOUR HEAD?

Another question aimed at a big target: the 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 LOWBROWS?

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 highbrow 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. A big investment house ran the ad.

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

Of course the “bargain appeal” is a sure-fire — and this 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 GOLD-MINE OF EASY “THINGS-TO-MAKE” EVER CRAMMED INTO ONE BIG BOOK

Perhaps you have a new 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 multi-purpose “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 CENTS ON TWO 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.