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What Is Your Favorite Headline of All Time?

by Woody C
15 replies
What is your favorite headline of all time?

If you have ever read a headline that made you want to buy something or that you thought was amazing, then you know how important headlines are in copywriting.

Mine comes from a famous Eugene Schwartz ad:

"You Are Smarter Than You Think"

It gets me every time.

What is yours?
#favorite #headline #time
  • Profile picture of the author Robert_Rand
    Great question.

    Eugene Schwartz is definitely a great choice.

    "Do You Have the Courage to Earn a Half Million Dollars a Year?" is another great headline he wrote. It really is almost impossible to not continue reading...

    Personally, it's a tough choice but I really like:

    ''They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano but When I Started to Play!'' by John Caples.

    There are so many elements at work in that headline. It has the element of 1st person achieving something coupled with proving people wrong. Both are very attractive and very powerful. It also drives curiosity in a big way. For someone reading who's interested in learning how to play the piano it's a pretty irresistible ad.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
    Originally Posted by Woody Crenshaw View Post

    What is your favorite headline of all time?

    If you have ever read a headline that made you want to buy something ...
    HEADLESS BODY
    IN TOPLESS BAR

    New York Post (1980s)
    Signature

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    • Profile picture of the author Woody C
      Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle View Post

      HEADLESS BODY
      IN TOPLESS BAR

      New York Post (1980s)
      Umm.. I don't even want to know what that made you want to buy.

      I love it thought because it is short and it tells a mysterious story. It does entice the reader to continue reading. That's great. Thanks.
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      • Profile picture of the author Mr. Subtle
        Originally Posted by Woody Crenshaw View Post

        Umm.. I don't even want to know what that made you want to buy.

        I love it thought because it is short and it tells a mysterious story. It does entice the reader to continue reading. That's great. Thanks.
        In 2003, New York Magazine named it The Post's single greatest headline of the past 35 years.

        Who wouldn't spend 30 cents (back then) to buy that paper after reading that headline on the front page?
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  • Profile picture of the author Johnny12345
    My favorite headline?

    "At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock"

    Written by David Ogilvy, this is from one of the best ads ever written. It uses a hook to dramatize the car's quality, instead of merely claiming it. Genius.

    Johnny
    Signature
    => Need A Persuasive Sales Letter? Click Here...
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    • Profile picture of the author Powertreb
      Originally Posted by Johnny12345 View Post

      Written by David Ogilvy, this is from one of the best ads ever written. It uses a hook to dramatize the car's quality, instead of merely claiming it. Genius.
      David Ogilvy is definitely the man. I've learned an awful lot from his book, "Confessions of an Advertising Man".

      His ideas and techniques are as true today as they were in the prehistoric days of typewriters, Dick Van Dyke, and cheap cigarettes.
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      I'm in love with Vera

      This is why bees don't go to the doctor
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  • Profile picture of the author BigBenForCanton
    "Welcome to Sixburgh" is in a tie with the Sports Illustrated Cover with Santonio Holmes catching the game-winning TD score and it reads:That's six for the Sixth.

    Here we go Steelers here we go. We got any Steelers fans up in hear?

    This place has no personality.
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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod


    From the ultimate collection of classic comic book ads:

    Classic Comic Book Ads
    Signature
    Brian McLeod
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  • Profile picture of the author Adaptive
    "Got scissors? Eat free today!"

    (newspaper ad with 2 for 1 coupon for a restaurant)

    Regards,
    Allen
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    • Profile picture of the author Matt James
      From the ultimate collection of classic comic book ads:

      Classic Comic Book Ads
      Brian, what a great resource - thank you!
      Signature
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      • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
        Originally Posted by Matt James View Post

        Brian, what a great resource - thank you!
        My pleasure... I am also partial to those Charles Atlas ads with the 97 lb. weakling getting sand kicked in his face.

        But they don't have quite that same "je ne se que" that the Sea Monkeys have...

        Signature
        Brian McLeod
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  • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
    There is a billboard in So. Cal that I always liked:

    "GOT BEES?


    Killer Bees

    Call xxx.xxx.xxxx"

    Now as an animal lover I was kind of offended by it because
    I know it's just a calculated effort to strike fear into homeowner's
    hearts - and then profit from killing the bees, which are mostly
    harmless.

    But as a marketer - it's pretty darn concise.
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  • Profile picture of the author creativeblogger
    My favorites are ones I've written

    I know it's a bit sad, but seriously I get pleasure reading my own. I'm one of these sad people that laughs at her own jokes too!

    My all time favorite is

    The Truth about large penises

    It's such an intriguing title and doesn't disappoint when moving onto the content which is very scientific as well as humorous.
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