Dr.

Mauldin'sHeadlineStarters
Iusedthiscollectionofheadlinestarterstobuildthousandsofadsforlocaladvertisers.Eachheadline starterisadifferentheadlinetypeorapproach.Thelistbeganasnotesfromclassicadvertisingbooksand evolvedovertheyears. 1. Speaktoaspecificgroup.Grabatargetaudience.Themorespecificthebetter! Carowners,saveonegallonineveryten. Cowboysandcowgirls!ComeseeEdKanesWesternWear,openintimefortheRodeo! Apartmentprisoners!Ifyourepayingmorethan$000amonthforrent,youcanprobablyaffordanew home.(bank) Emptynesters,heresjustthehomeyouvebeenwaitingfor.(realestate) 2. Gobeyondtheproductbenefittotheendbenefit: "Theskinyoulovetotouch." Thetreeinyouryardhasitsrootsinyourwallet.(treeservices) 3. Dramatizethemagicmomentwhenthebenefithappens: "TaketheNesteaPlunge." Onetripplumber 4. Whenyouhaveasoughtafteritem,justyelloutwhatyouareselling: "Diamonds!Save25%to50%duringBest's3daysale!" Thegardunishere!Thegardunishere!(supermarket,announcingseasonalproducearrival) TheYukonGoldsareinpotatoesyoueatlikecarrots! 5. Dramatizeadramaticdetailthatconveysabigbenefit: "At60mph,theloudestnoiseinthisnewRollsRoycecomesfromtheelectricclock." Eventheweightofthisbulldozerwontbreakthissteelreinforcedhomefoundation.(developer) 6. Promisethebenefitasfastoreasy: "Loseweightwhileyousleep" Fastloans.$500to$500,000foranypurpose.(bank) 7. Problemsolutioncopyyellouttheproblemtobesolved: "Feethurt?""ItchyScalp" Loseitandyoumakealocalcall.(VISAintroductionbylocalbank) Showyoucansolvethetoughestproblem.Showyoucanpassthetorturetest: "Howtohaveacool,quietbedroomevenonhotnights." Wellfinanceyourusedcar,evenifyouhavepoorcredit. 8. Accusepeoplewithproblemyousolve: "Whycan'tyouwrite?" Youreageek.Itstimetogetcool. HappyNewYear!Yourefat!(healthfoodstore,NewYearresolutionsads)
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Whenthemajormotivationissocial,dramatizetheidealconsumer: "VirginiaSlimsnotlikethefatcigarettesmensmoke" "ThemanintheHathawayshirt." TeddyandFloMannlovetoentertain(interiordesigncenter) Becomeanewpersoninasinglevisit(hairextensions) Offerinformationforselfimprovement: Offerinformationintheaditself:"DoyoumakethesemistakesinEnglish?" (Use"this"or"these"tosaythedesiredinformationisrightbelowinthead.) "Howtowakeupthefinancialgeniusinsideyou" "SpeakSpanishlikeadiplomat" Learntomakebeautifulporcelaindolls Offeramerchandisebonusorafreesample: Freehearingtestsforseniorcitizens. Havedinnerfortwo.Thechampagneisonus. Putpricingintheheadline: Saleseventsaresocommonthechallengeistocreateheadlinesthatgrabatarget.Hereareideas: Salespricesformerchandiseorservicesofknownvalue.Youneedthreebitsofinformation:regularprice, amountsaved,andsaleprice.Doyoufeaturethesalepriceoramountsaved?Youcantellbylooking. Ifindoubt,alwayscommunicatethevalueofwhatsforsale. Ifyouhaveahighprice,putitintheheadlineandpayoffthevalueinthecopy: At$550,000,hereswhythisspectacularhomeinBoulderisanexcellentvalue.(realestate) Usesomethinguniqueaboutwhatyoureofferingtomakeyourheadlinesparkle: 53sizzlingpricesandasailboat.(supermarketadwithadrawingforakidssailboat) Tryafreshwaytoofferahowprice,suchasthisheadlineforahalfpricesale: Payhalfnow,nothinglater! Whenyou'reintrouble,usebrutalhonesty: "70uglymattressesatourlowestpricethisyear"(furniturestore) Bythetimeyougethere,thislovelyusedsofawillprobablybesold.(used&rentalfurniturestore) WhenmyleaseranoutonRoute9,Icouldraisemycarpetpricesormove.Imoved.(carpetstore) WhatselfrespectingwomanfromWellesleywouldbuycarpetinagarage?(carpetstore) ThebeststarterhomeinAshlandhas3bedroomsandneedspainting.(realestate) Offerinformationofpracticalvalueinthead,inthestore,onthewebsite. "33waystosavetimeandmoneyfromthepagesofGoodHousekeeping" SixreasonspeoplewillloveNHBsnewAutomatedTellers(bank) Maywetalkwithyouaboutlingerie?(lingerieboutique) Challengetheprospect: Canyoupassthismemorytest?" "Quiz.Costofdentalcare"(dentaloffices,multiplestores)
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Repeat,repeat,repeatakeywordorphrase: "TakeAlkaSeltzerforfast,fast,fastrelief" YoullloveLibbys,Libbys,Libbysonthelabel,label,label. Choices,choices,choicesfordieters!(restaurantwithnewhearthealthymenu) Whenyouhavesomethingnew,sayso.Startyourheadlinewith:"New....""Announcing....""AtLast...." Newglassesintwohours(optical) Newcarsforcollegegradsnomoneydown,payaslittleas$000permonth.(autodealer) Writeineditorialstyleinnewsstyleorfeaturestyle: "PatientproblemsguidedthedesignofthisnewNorthHoustonDentalCenter" "DentalCenterannounceseveningandweekendhours"(dentalcenter) AldineMedicalClinicannouncesmajorexpansionofservices(medicalclinic) Trythesecommonlysuccessfulstarterwords: "Howto....""How....""Why....""Which....""Wanted....""Adviceto...." Howtofindmoreshoesthanmallstoreshaveatlowerprices Usecasehistoriesortestimonials: "TheylaughedwhenIsatdowntoplay...." Growthoflocalconstructionsupportslocaljob,economy(headlineinbankcampaignthatmadeheroes oflocalbusinessownerswhogotconstructionloanstobuildlocalbusinesses) Makeyourproductasymbolforthemainbenefit: "Promiseheranything.ButgiveherArpege." Diamonds.Takeherbreathaway.(DiamondCouncil) Tenderaged(brandingbeefsoldbySidsSupermarket) Whenthebenefitisboring,doubtedordull,dramatizetheevidence: "A$10,000mistake"(TeclaPearlsadforbeautifulfakepearls) "The4amtomato"(Sid'sSupermarket) AsktheprospectNOTtobuy: "Don'tbuyahearingaiduntilyou'vetriedthisnewaid."(hearingcenter) Whenyouhavesolidfacts,makedirectcomparisons. IfyourethinkingFordTaurus,youlllikeHondaAccordbetter.(Hondadealer) DontbuyaToyotaCamry,thensay,IcouldhavehadanAccord.(Hondadealer) Showpopularity,thechancetouseaprovenproduct.Butprovethepromisewithfacts,ademonstration, oracasehistory: "10,826otherpetroleumengineersreadthismagazine. "I'mvotingforoneofthesixbestmayorsinAmerica."

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Dramatizewhathappensifyoudonotusetheproduct: "Nocameracantakeyesterday'spictures."(Kodak) "Don'tputacoldinyourpocket."(Kleenex) "Yourbestfriendswon'ttellyou."(Listerine) Buildmysteryandintrigueaboutthekeybenefit: "IsthisrarefacialsoapfromBelgiumworth$5abar?" Thiswine.Thislabel.Anintimatedinnerbecomesaromanticfantasy.(wine) Whenyoucan,giveafreesampleintheaditself: "ThisisMarieAntoinetteridingtoherdeath."(encyclopedia) "DoyoumakethesemistakesinEnglish" Dramatizetheoppositeofyourmainbenefit: "Ittakesatoughmantomakeatenderchicken."(Perdue) Tieintocurrentnewsortopicalevents: "HereisthehearingaidPresidentReaganchose"(hearingcenter) Animatetheinanimate: "Tiredblood." "227horsesfeelingtheiroats." Ifpeopleautomaticallyreplacewhatyousell,getthemtousewhattheyhavenow: "Gotmilk? Bestadswereformilkandcookies,usinghumortogetyoutowatchanotherwiseboringadconcept. Therealeffectwasnotgettingpeopletobuymilk,buttousewhattheyhave.Whentheygetlowonmilk, theybuymore.Brilliant!

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CharlesMauldin,1988,2009