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Attention Copywriters- What is your favorite headline of all time?

by Brad Spencer
56 replies
Hey Copywriter Warriors,

I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share your personal favorite headline of all time?

I just think it'd be a fun exercise!

Cheers,

Brad
#attention #copywriters #favorite #headline #time
  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Frank Kern's Pipeline Profits System had a "Fast Mover Bonus" that came with this headline:

    How To Make People Give You Money And Stuff.

    It was followed by this:

    Pay Attention Because This Sort Of Works Sometimes

    Those just crack me up.
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    "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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  • Profile picture of the author lakshaybehl
    Can you imagine the Money flowing from that towel of yours being unstoppable?

    That was the headline that got me buying my first IM product back in 2005.

    -Lakshay
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  • Profile picture of the author ecoverartist
    This might freak you out, but here's one I wrote for the pet food industry:

    What Do Dirty Chicken Feet, Syrupy Sugar and Contaminated Restaurant Grease Have to Do with Your Pet?

    They're All Hidden Ingredients in the Food They Eat - Every Day!
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  • Profile picture of the author Doug
    FREE Beer Tomorrow!

    Read it on a Tavern marque in Appleton, WI.
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  • Profile picture of the author mariner7
    Enter the wonderful world of amazing live
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    The real live fun pets you grow yourself
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyPlus
    "Money Likes Speed"

    - Carl Willoughby
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    • Profile picture of the author DavidO
      Okay, this will sound lame compared to the previous but as a pure marketing headline you can't beat the classic: "They laughed when I sat down at the piano, but when I started to play..."

      This is deceptively powerful.
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      • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
        Originally Posted by DavidO View Post

        This is deceptively powerful.
        Even today. Guitar World, October 2009:

        They laughed when
        I said they could have
        Perfect Pitch
        ...until I showed them the simple secret
        - and they heard it for themselves!

        This one's been running more or less unchanged as long as I can remember. They did change the photo of the creator; from a weird semi-angelic thing with a tuning fork, to a scruffier unshaven fedora-wearing picture. I find it to be rather an improvement.
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        "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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      • Profile picture of the author RentItNow
        Originally Posted by DavidO View Post

        Okay, this will sound lame compared to the previous but as a pure marketing headline you can't beat the classic: "They laughed when I sat down at the piano, but when I started to play..."

        This is deceptively powerful.
        I agree. Very powerful headline.
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        I have no agenda but to help those in the same situation. This I feel will pay the bills.
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  • Profile picture of the author BigVin
    Boy Eats Own Head
    - National Enquirer
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    The life of a marketing nut...
    Vince Whinnery's Blog
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    • Profile picture of the author KenThompson
      Originally Posted by BigVin View Post

      Boy Eats Own Head
      - National Enquirer
      As far back as I can remember in my childhood, my
      mother read that every single week. Naturally, being
      a curious lad, I couldn't resist the headlines and stories.

      I'm not sure that's good reading for a 10 yr old. Things
      can get confusing, you know. Wondering what to believe. lol.

      Now, I wish I saved every one of them. I don't know why.

      Things about martian boys. Some guy from Europe marrying a
      mermaid. lol. Stuff like that.
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      • Profile picture of the author mannyf
        "Girls just wanna have Funds"

        I thought that was pretty classic. Some great headlines in here
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  • Profile picture of the author lenlatimer
    From the New York Post

    Headless body Found in topless bar
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    Len Latimer
    Copy-In-A-Box, an amazing Word Add-in Tool that adds Dazzle & Personality to your copy. My WSO

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    • Profile picture of the author JoeC
      Hello Everyone.

      My first post here, need to jump in sometime.


      "Do You Close the Bathroom Door Even When You're the Only One Home?"

      Psychology Today headline by Bill Jayme -

      A little weird, but a great combination using intrigue and curiosity. It was a long running control for many years I believe.

      JC
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  • Profile picture of the author SRLee
    Some of the fun headlines are actually really funny!

    Frank Kern's headline got me curious. Where can I find that sales page?

    That headline was funny yet commanded a certain level of attention. Nice!

    Regards,
    Shaun
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    • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
      Originally Posted by SRLee View Post

      Frank Kern's headline got me curious. Where can I find that sales page?
      It's not a sales page - it's from a series of PowerPoint slides he used at a 2006 seminar in Melbourne.
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      "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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      • Profile picture of the author SRLee
        Originally Posted by CDarklock View Post

        It's not a sales page - it's from a series of PowerPoint slides he used at a 2006 seminar in Melbourne.
        I'm actually subscribed to his mailing list, and he is one of the guys that I look forward to receive mail from.

        Last I watched his videos, I was stuck on the screen! He looks like Billy Ray Cyrus! He's way of talking was great too. He sounds perfect relaxed when presenting the videos.

        Frank FTW!
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  • Profile picture of the author lenlatimer
    "Doctors Remove Baby's 2nd Head"

    This was the subject in an email I did. Saw this at CNN - actually happened -the 2nd head was not alive or anything. I was afraid I'd gross everyone out. But I tied it in to a sales story about a little devil on one shoulder telling you to go ahead, and the little angel on the other shoulder telling you you had better wait- the idea was to get them to make a decision on an offer. Got only a couple complaints, but it was sucessful.
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    Copy-In-A-Box, an amazing Word Add-in Tool that adds Dazzle & Personality to your copy. My WSO

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  • Profile picture of the author Jag82
    I like this...

    "The Secret of Making People Like You"...


    Plenty of power headlines here...
    Jay Abraham: 100 Greatest Headlines Ever Written

    Jag
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  • Profile picture of the author Jimbeam
    Bad News or You Owe Me
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Faraday
    Works so good you'll wanna run home and SMACK yo mamma!

    Loved that one:

    On a WSO by Jeremy (of Jeremy & Don) for one of his boot camps

    In the right place

    "Smack" has gotta have potential somewhere in our copy, it's beautiful...
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    • Profile picture of the author Lance K
      I like this one of Halbert's...


      "Wife Of Famous Movie Star Swears Under Oath Her New Perfume Does Not Contain An Illegal Sexual Stimulant!"
      Signature
      "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
      ~ Zig Ziglar
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  • Profile picture of the author AndrewStark
    Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich

    This is a fantastic book by David Garfunkle, probably my best buy from Amazon.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kevin-VirtualProfitCenter
    "When is a diet pill worth $150 a bottle?"

    I posted this somewhere else today, don't remember where, but the first time I heard it I thought it was the most brilliant headline I'd heard in a long time. Imagine making the extremely high price of your product the reason people should buy it.
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  • Profile picture of the author DougBarger
    Ad for Gold's Gym membership:

    "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano...But When I Picked it Up!"

    Edit: Can't remember where I heard that one so can't take the credit for it, but thought it was funny too. :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Cherilyn Woodhouse
    A few of my random faves...

    - "We Don't Care that The Other Guy Does it For Free... And You Shouldn't, Either" (paraphrasing because I can't find the source...)
    - "The Kind Mom Used to Use!" (ice bag drop-in ad, next to the photo)
    - The Fast, Easy Way to Mend & Hem & Wear it Again! (has a nice rhythm to it... some liquid sewing product promoted by Billy Mays...)
    - "Wind Defying Umbrella" - simple, to the point, and definitely piques curiosity.

    Just a few
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano...but When I Started to Play - They Shat Themselves."
    ⓒ malcolm lambe
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  • Profile picture of the author herrick
    "Most people are too busy earning a living to make any money"

    Joe Karbo sold 2.7 mill. books "the lazy man's way to riches" at 10.00 each over 20 years ago with that headline.
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  • Profile picture of the author actionplanbiz
    "I NEED PEOPLE WHO AREN'T MAKING MONEY"
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  • Profile picture of the author seobro
    "winners have results, losers have excuses - whats yours?"

    priceless...
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    http://www.seobro.com
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Cohen
      Here's a Halbert headline I like ...

      High School Student Loses Almost
      600 Pounds and Now Devotes His
      Life to Helping Others Get Skinny!

      It tells the story of a person who went from a tragic circumstance to one of triumph and purpose in life.

      Arouses strong curiosity plus implies a benefit.

      Alex
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  • Profile picture of the author erosking
    Heres one that I have used don't remember where I saw it but it works most of the time:
    Are you afraid to get rich? Well let me scare you to death
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  • Profile picture of the author Andy Jenkins
    "This headline space intentionally left blank"

    The ORIGINAL StomperNet Launch, October 2006.
    Signature
    www.AndyJenkinsBlog.com

    "Shakespeare didn't have a word-processor. When we got word-processors, we didn't get Shakespeare"
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  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    The Ironic Halbert Ad

    "How A Bald Headed Barber Saved My Hair"

    Gotta love how he pours on petrol to the curiosity flames.

    All the best,

    Ewen Vile
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  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    Couldn't get to sleep thinking about this.

    Shows what a good question does to you!

    Anyway came up with another 2 classic headlines which have the same pattern as the last one I posted.

    When broken down it becomes easy to make one for yourself.

    Let me show you...

    First are the 2 Headlines...

    1 Eugene Scwartz
    "How A 79 Year Old Chinese Man Has Sexual Congress 5 Times A Day"

    2 John Carlton
    "How A One Legged Golfer Humiliates Pro Golfers"

    The exact wording may be out slightly, as I'm going on memory on this.

    Now for making your own head turning headline...

    Start with "How A" then add a most unlikely character to the story.

    An example would be "How A Broke Garbage Man"
    "How A Skinny 4 Foot Nine Nerd"
    "How A Homeless Mom Of 11"

    That's the set up which Hollywood Blockbusters are made of ...Forest Gump, Pretty Woman, Erin Brockinvich.

    Now time to add the amazing feat our audience quitely lusts after...

    Using the previous starters,

    "How A Broke Garbage Man beded 7 Beauty Paegent Winners"

    "How A Skinny 4 Foot Nine Nerd Took Out A Purple Belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Master With This NEW Game Changing Method"

    "How A Homeless Mom Of 11 Now Has Her Own Money To Feed The Starving Children Of Africa"

    Once again...unlikely person/animal plus heroic feat.

    Go through the headlines again and you can imagine the reader thinking ..."Geez that's what I want, how come that person got it, I'm better than him/her"

    You're lighting a fire in the readers belly straight away...and getting the reader fired up to take action...action to pull out his/her credit card and, by golly, Molly IS going to have what the character in the story has.

    See how it goes from disinterest to high attention in seconds this type of headline creates?

    Let's see how many whacky headlines we can come up with, since I got the ball rolling with these 3.

    All the best,

    Ewen Vile
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  • Profile picture of the author Josiah
    Eugene Schwartz with his deathly curious...

    "The sex food so potent, priests were forbidden to eat it"

    Josiah
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  • Profile picture of the author Big Al
    I read one that was a newspaper headline but think has potential (maybe weight loss niche or similar ...)

    "She was easy to love -- until she took her clothes off"

    Made me laugh. I really love the John Caples ...

    "They All Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano,
    But When I Began to Play..."
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