http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gasso/104670492929338?ref=ts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Words THAT WORK
CORUSCATE
(KOR-uh-skate)
Part of Speech: Verb
Definition: From the Latin for "to flash/vibrate" -- is to sparkle; to exhibit brilliant technique or style. To emit vivid flashes of light; sparkle; scintillate; gleam.
Example: "[My] body of work in elementary school included coruscating monographs on raccoons and airplanes and G...eorge Washington Carver"
Monday, September 27, 2010
Green News: P&G to Go Green
"P&G has said its research shows there is strong interest among consumers in things with both environmental and economic benefits. Its own bottom line also benefits from reducing energy and other costs."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/27/procter-gamble-moves-to-r_n_740635.html
Word of the Day
TRENDSTOMPING
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The collective action of mocking an easy target through online social networks, a fast-growing groundswell of ridicule that creates its own trending topic.
Example: "Heard of that snooty new restaurant Lower West? Yeah, the one that says it's too chic for its clients.
They deserve a good Twitter trendstomping."
http://www.bryanboy.com/bryanboy_le_superstar_fab/2009/11/upper-east-restaurant-makati.html
From Karlo Samson
Friday, September 24, 2010
Mommy, Are You Ready?
Moms-- always ready to fight cough and colds with Loviscol for Kids and Dimetapp.
Word of the Day
LOCAVORE
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | a person who attempts to eat only foods grown locally |
| Example: | Locavores grow their own food or buy foodstuffs grown within their region. |
| Etymology: | 2006 |
| Usage: | cooking |
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Green Cross Sanitizing Gel-- Keep it Handy, Anytime, Anywhere!
Because kids should be germ-free. Always!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Heisting Hall of Fame Headlines by Michael Masterson PART 2 of 4
The Best-Known Headline Ever Written
Several years ago, Raphael Marketing compiled a list of 100 of "the best print advertising headlines ever written". As a goup, these ads sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products and services. (That would be tens of billions of dollars today.)
I looked through the list this morning and thought, "Boy, these are really good. I bet I could use some of them right now to improve my clients' copy!"
I'm not talking about copying them verbatim. A word or two or three, maybe. (And for a headline by a living writer, I wouldn't even do that.) But more than that is just plain dumb, because it doesn't work on so many levels. For one thing, it's cheating. And, it makes you a weaker marketer/ writer.
What I could do, though, is figure out what is going on beneath the surface (determine the DNA of those headlines), and then inject that into my clients' copy to invigorate it.
With that in mind, let's take a look at one of the "Top 100" headlines. In fact, let's look at the headline that came in at number one. It was written in 1925 by John Caples for a correspondence course from the U.S. School of Music:
They laughed when I sat down at the piano...
But when I started to play!
This headline instantly conveys all the key elements of a successful ad:
One strong idea
One desirable benefit
One driving emotion
One inevitable solution
In just 15 words, Caples tells a powerful story. You can see someone approaching a piano in a crowded room-- perhaps it's a dinner party. You can see the look of disbelief on people's faces as he nears it. When he pulls back his cuffs, a twitter of laughter starts. Before his fingers touch the ivories, there is a chorus of abusive cackling.
How can you not feel sorry for this guy? Surely you have experienced, sometime in your life, a similar moment of embarassing derision. Who hasn't?
Imagining this situation, you feel his need for revenge and approval-- two of the deepest and strongest human desires.
Now comes the second line-- "But when I started to play..."
You can see the shock and disbelief on the faces of those who were laughing. Our hero has begun playing, and the music is flowing like wine. Men grow pale with amiration and jealousy. Women glow in appreciation.
And then the thought hits you: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could play the piano?"
Based on Caples' headline alone, the reader of this ad is already half-persuaded to sign up for the course it is selling. As I suggested above, this is an astonishing amount of work to get done with 15 simple words.
To be continued
Several years ago, Raphael Marketing compiled a list of 100 of "the best print advertising headlines ever written". As a goup, these ads sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products and services. (That would be tens of billions of dollars today.)
I looked through the list this morning and thought, "Boy, these are really good. I bet I could use some of them right now to improve my clients' copy!"
I'm not talking about copying them verbatim. A word or two or three, maybe. (And for a headline by a living writer, I wouldn't even do that.) But more than that is just plain dumb, because it doesn't work on so many levels. For one thing, it's cheating. And, it makes you a weaker marketer/ writer.
What I could do, though, is figure out what is going on beneath the surface (determine the DNA of those headlines), and then inject that into my clients' copy to invigorate it.
With that in mind, let's take a look at one of the "Top 100" headlines. In fact, let's look at the headline that came in at number one. It was written in 1925 by John Caples for a correspondence course from the U.S. School of Music:
They laughed when I sat down at the piano...
But when I started to play!
This headline instantly conveys all the key elements of a successful ad:
One strong idea
One desirable benefit
One driving emotion
One inevitable solution
In just 15 words, Caples tells a powerful story. You can see someone approaching a piano in a crowded room-- perhaps it's a dinner party. You can see the look of disbelief on people's faces as he nears it. When he pulls back his cuffs, a twitter of laughter starts. Before his fingers touch the ivories, there is a chorus of abusive cackling.
How can you not feel sorry for this guy? Surely you have experienced, sometime in your life, a similar moment of embarassing derision. Who hasn't?
Imagining this situation, you feel his need for revenge and approval-- two of the deepest and strongest human desires.
Now comes the second line-- "But when I started to play..."
You can see the shock and disbelief on the faces of those who were laughing. Our hero has begun playing, and the music is flowing like wine. Men grow pale with amiration and jealousy. Women glow in appreciation.
And then the thought hits you: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could play the piano?"
Based on Caples' headline alone, the reader of this ad is already half-persuaded to sign up for the course it is selling. As I suggested above, this is an astonishing amount of work to get done with 15 simple words.
To be continued
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