Page 158 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

headline enclosed in speech marks. It reads, “If you’ve just ordered
a new sofa cover, don’t read this . . . It will break your heart!”
At a stroke they call to the ad their entire target market, that is,
people interested in buying sofa covers. Those who have will read
because the curiosity factor is so high. Those who haven’t will read
because they think, rightly, they might learn something to their
advantage.
The speech marks are important because they make the headline
look like a real person talking. And indeed a real person is talking,
as the ad carries a byline, “A special report by John Nesbitt.” There
follows a detailed account of Lynplan’s products, service, even history
as a family-run business started by the current managing director’s
father, a World War II bomb-disposal engineer. My favorite cross-
head reads, “The 7 Things You Should Expect From Your Sofa Cover
Company.” I defy you not to read on.
I counted the words in the body copy and made it 745. Forgive me,
Lynplan, if I missed a few. Top marks.

In practice

• Look at the articles in your favorite newspaper or magazine.

Remind yourself that this is what you paid to read.

• Try adopting an editorial style for your next ad. Try signing it

and writing it as if you were a journalist writing a story, rather
than a copywriter writing an ad.

100 GREAT COPYWRITING IDEAS • 149