A Perfect Example of Direct Response Copywriting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Back in 1927, when print marketing was starting to gain traction at an unprecedented pace, along came John Caples. After participating in a couple of apprenticeships and taking an engineering job, John quickly became bored and decided to try his luck in professional advertising. Soon, he was tasked with creating a mail-order advert for the US School of Music, and what followed laid the foundations for modern-day direct response advertising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John simultaneously (albeit, inadvertently) used the backbone of the AIDA copywriting framework<\/a>, advertising copywriter Eugene Schwartz\u2019s<\/a> concept of speaking to the fears and desires of your audience, and legendary mythologist Joseph Campbell\u2019s storytelling template of the hero\u2019s journey to compose one of the greatest direct response ads of all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ad makes use of an emotionally charged headline to get the reader to pay attention: \u201cThey laughed when I sat at the piano\u2014But when I started to play!\u201d<\/em> Getting the reader\u2019s attention is the first stage of the AIDA framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, Mr. Caples cleverly formats the headline to convey just enough information without spoiling the outcome. Readers who come across this ad will be interested to continue following along with the rest of the story, which is a textbook example of the cliffhanger trope and the second stage of the AIDA formula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the prospect takes the bait, John introduces the ad\u2019s protagonist\u2014Jack. In this scenario, Jack is a substitute for the target audience\u2019s wishes, wants, and desires. After a friend of Jack\u2019s, Arthur wraps up his performance of Ethelbert Nevin\u2019s The Rosary, Jack confidently gets up on the stage and assumes a playing position on the piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before long, an audience member starts heckling the newcomer: \u201cCan he really play?\u201d<\/em> Arthur responds: \u201cHeavens no! He never played a note in all his life\u2026\u201d<\/em> The opening section slowly turns up the anxiety in the room, mimicking how people typically stress out over major upcoming events and thus triggering their insecurities. It speaks directly to the audience by invoking the emotion of shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Eugene Schwartz, an effective copy should elicit strong emotions in your readers such as fear, shame, or desire. Emotionally charged readers are more likely to read your advertisement until the end, increasing your chances of converting them to paying customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, Jack starts playing the piano and everyone who laughed at his antics suddenly falls silent, like in a trance: \u201cInstantly, a tense silence fell on the guests. The laughter died on their lips as if by magic. I played through the first bars of Liszt\u2019s immortal Liebestraume. I heard gasps of amazement. My friends sat breathless\u2014spellbound.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pulling off a twist for the ages, John Caples transforms the pent-up anxiety into a desirable outcome for everyone at the party. Jack gets to enjoy his playing experience in front of a live crowd, while the audience gets to hear an emerging talent demonstrating his piano skills for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, after the excitement dies down, Jack reveals his secret: \u201cHave you ever heard of the U.S. School of Music? They have a new simplified method that can teach you to play any instrument by mail in just a few months.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowingly or not, Mr. Caples borrows elements from the cyclical nature of the hero\u2019s journey to take the ad\u2019s readers on a wild ride. It\u2019s a notable instance where direct response copywriting brushes shoulders with select mythology tropes to augment an otherwise mundane mail-order advert into something truly special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The playing stage delineates the barrier between the known and the unknown world. Jack, feeling the call for adventure, braves his fears and passes the threshold without flinching an eye. The piano assumes the role of the monster, which Jack needs to tame to overcome his anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, Jack\u2019s already gone through the wringer, tamed the monster by learning how to play the instrument, and conquered his inner fears months in advance. However, the audience doesn\u2019t know that and expects Jack to bomb or perform some kind of practical joke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To their surprise, Jack goes through the proverbial death and rebirth in a single sitting, with the U.S. School of Music acting as his mentor throughout the entire journey. After the reveal, John Caples organically introduces the unique sales proposition (USP) to the story: \u201cIt seems just a short while ago that I saw an interesting ad of the U.S. School of Music mentioning a new method of learning to play which only cost a few cents a day!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only that, but this new system allows students to master playing an instrument without the presence of a teacher: \u201cThe ad told how a woman had mastered the piano in her spare time at home\u2014and <\/em>without a teacher!<\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, Jack reveals his key helper: \u201cWhen the course arrived I found it was just as the ad said\u2014 as easy as A.B.C. And, as the lessons continued they got easier and easier. Before I knew it I was playing all the pieces I liked best. Nothing stopped me. I could play ballads or classical numbers or jazz, all with equal ease! And I never did have any special talent for music!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, John Caples ends the hero\u2019s journey and closes the story\u2019s cycle, generating a desire in the readers to become as good at playing the piano as our lovable protagonist Jack. Additionally, creating desire is the third stage of the AIDA copywriting framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second to last section of the ad titled \u201cPlay Any Instrument\u201d<\/em> talks directly to the target audience, persuading readers that they too can replicate Jack\u2019s success quicker than if they took traditional lessons: \u201cYou too, can now teach yourself to be an accomplished musician\u2014right at home\u2014in half the usual time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the ad ends with an enticing CTA, which also doubles as the fourth and final stage of the AIDA copywriting framework: \u201cRight now we are making a Special Offer for a limited number of students. Sign and send the convenient coupon now\u2014before it\u2019s too late to gain the special benefits of this offer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What a great ad. It keeps readers engaged, it never gets dull, and it ends with a clear CTA that urges prospects to act immediately or lose out on the limited-time offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a final note, keep in mind that this advert performed very well for its time. Today\u2019s contemporary audience, however, is all but desensitized to this mythological storytelling approach and long-form type of copywriting<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless you\u2019re a god-tier copywriter<\/a>, don\u2019t just copy and paste John Caples\u2019 writing style down to a tee. Instead, try to adapt his ad structure to serve your specific needs, modernize the style to resonate with your target market, and be honest with your audience about your products and services. Following these core copywriting tenets<\/a> will help you improve your campaigns\u2019 conversion rate optimization (CRO), leading to a significant uptick in sales over the long haul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to John Caples\u2019 masterpiece, there are other direct response copywriting examples that are also worth mentioning. Here are some of the most prominent ones from the classical era of print marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this ad, Mr. Ogilvy used a real executive from Schweppes to pique curiosity and generate interest in new readers. The copy is relatively short, but it\u2019s filled with keywords such as \u201cauthentic\u201d, \u201cunique\u201d, and \u201cperfection\u201d, giving off a sense of high class, luxury, and exclusivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a good example of conveying the most information to buyers without going overboard with the length of the copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joe Sugarman helped BluBlocker sell at least 20 million pairs of their flagship sunglasses thanks to this ad. The ad has everything, including an intriguing headline (\u201cVision Breakthrough\u201d<\/em>), an eyebrow-raising Caples-inspired tagline (\u201cWhen I put on the pair of glasses, what I saw I could not believe. Now will you.\u201d<\/em>), and a captivating copy structure that frames the sunglasses in the most positive light imaginable to humankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply stated, it ticks all the boxes it needs to sell a quality product without exaggerating its benefits or downplaying its cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether or not you agree with the titular book\u2019s key premise, the ad itself is a winner on all fronts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, it uses an emotionally charged headline to get your attention: \u201cFood is Your Best Medicine.\u201d<\/em> Then, it stirs up controversy to keep you interested: \u201cThis is possibly the most controversial medical book for the public ever written.\u201d<\/em> Finally, it tells a sprawling story of a notable physician who practiced a holistic approach to everyday living in order to inject a newfound vitality into his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bill\u2019s visually striking Volkswagen advertisement aims (and succeeds) to turn the existing conventions of that time on its head. It challenges the prevailing notion that bigger is always better by offering an alternative solution to an overly saturated car market\u2014the Volkswagen Beetle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After capturing the audience\u2019s attention with an intriguing headline (\u201cThink small\u201d<\/em>), the copy then goes on to explain the Beetle\u2019s key strengths in a clear, simple, and concise way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arguably, Dale Carnegie\u2019s self-help book \u201cHow to Win Friends and Influence People\u201d<\/em> was destined to become a success no matter what\u2014with or without direct response advertising. But, Mr. Schwab\u2019s marketing campaign definitely made a positive impact on the future trajectory of the book\u2019s sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In it, Victor Schwab leveraged the power of genuine testimonials from people whose lives were improved by applying Mr Carnegie\u2019s strategies in their daily routines. These segments emphasized lasting improvements in both interpersonal relationships and professional environments thanks to revamped communication skills on the part of Mr. Carnegie\u2019s pupils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fathers of long-form advertising copy had decades of experience to perfect their craft and test various theories in the real world. Some of these theories became the cornerstone of modern direct response copywriting, and here are five of them to prove that notion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David Ogilvy, touted by many as a true advertising wizard, was once caught saying: \u201cIn the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ogilvy is 100% right. If your creativity eclipses the usefulness of your copy, you\u2019ll have a hard time selling your product or service to customers who need it the most. Cute copy that\u2019s also rich in purple prose, figures of speech, and various creative somersaults of the written word, is practically worthless unless it can convince your target audience to convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting someone\u2019s attention is very difficult. It requires them to leave whatever they were doing before reading your headline and shift their attention to your copy. This is where a great headline can pull through in your favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In one of his letters to his son, Gary Halbert emphasized the importance of writing compelling headlines. Specifically, he understood that specific headlines are better at grabbing your attention than generic headlines. If people can\u2019t be bothered to read your headline, how are they going to find out about your brand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example of a generic headline and its specific counterpart:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first headline is too generic to be interesting. The second headline is more descriptive, offering a realistic benefit (\u201cincrease your online ad conversions by 25%\u201d<\/em>) and an intriguing hook (\u201cwithout spending a fortune\u201d<\/em>) to capture incoming leads. Which headline is likely to generate more clicks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019re using AIDA, PAS<\/a>, or a different formula to create your headlines, make sure they\u2019re as intriguing, descriptive, and specific as they can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A great copy is built on top of a mediocre copy. And mediocre copy fails more often than it succeeds in the marketplace of ideas. So, to assemble a great copy, first, you must test different copy elements until some of them fall into place and produce a lasting winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Breakthrough Advertising<\/a>, Eugene Schwartz illustrates the concept of failure as a normal part of becoming a great direct response copywriter: \u201cA very good copywriter is going to fail. If the guy doesn\u2019t fail, he\u2019s no good. He\u2019s got to fail. It hurts. But it\u2019s the only way to get the home run the next time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Claude Hopkins, another copywriting legend, was a firm believer in the power of reason-why advertising. This marketing philosophy relies on a scientific approach to advertising more than it values flashy images, loud sounds, or clever product mottos. In other words, copywriters should always strive to give a concrete reason why a product or service is worth buying and avoid fluff in their campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following Mr. Hopkins\u2019s reasoning, advertising had to be treated as hard science instead of a guessing game. As such, he performed regular testing to weed out the losing elements in search of his best-performing copy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if you have your hands on more than a single promising headline, it\u2019s a good idea to start testing your headlines<\/a> and let real people filter out the losers from the home runs over a reasonable timeframe (3-4 weeks of extensive A\/B testing should do the trick).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once prospects get past the initial headline, it\u2019s the copywriter\u2019s job to keep them engaged until the end of the copy. There, you can reinforce your USP and introduce an irresistible CTA to close out the deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Joe Sugarman compared this process to sliding down a slippery slide, where your prospect is moving through the copy at a rapid pace until they\u2019re ready to spring into action and take you up on your offer at the finish line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/30134613\/Laughed-When-I-Sat-Down-Ad.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nJohn Caple\u2019s ad through the lenses of Joseph Campbell\u2019s The Hero\u2019s Journey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/30134549\/Heros-Journey.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEnding the advert on a strong note<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other Classic Examples of Direct Response Copywriting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
David Ogilvy\u2019s The Man from Schweppes ad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/13171521\/Schweppes-Copywriting-Ad.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nJoe Sugarman\u2019s BluBlocker ad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/30134507\/BluBlocker-Ad.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEugene Schwartz\u2019s Food is Your Best Medicine ad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/30134442\/Food-is-Your-Best-Medicine-Ad.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBill Bernbach\u2019s Think Small ad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/30134417\/Volkswagen-Ad.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nVictor Schwab\u2019s How to Win Friends and Influence People ad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/30134336\/How-to-Win-Friends-and-Influence-People-Ad.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5 Core Principles of Direct Response Copywriting from Master Copywriters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Creativity is useless unless it sells (David Ogilvy)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A great headline is the most important part of your marketing campaign (Gary Halbert)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Failure is a natural part of growth (Eugene Schwartz)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A concrete reason to buy is more powerful than a flashy ad (Claude Hopkins)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reading your copy should be equivalent to coming down a slippery slide (Joe Sugarman)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/30134247\/Coca-Cola-AI-Ad.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n