We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
ARE SALESLINES 45
The headline is your selling line. It can reach out and grasp the reader and hold him fora moment. But the follow-up is of equal importance. Don’t lose hard-won attention by turning it over to a dull block of weak type or anaemic copy. Present your best sales argument in simplest, most direct terms.
It may prove a valuable practice to save headlines for future reference, filing away effective catchline copy that may be encountered.
Speaking of headlines, it is frequently possible to capitalize on headline occurrences in the news as a basis for creating topical copy. Sometimes a news event will offer a lead for a fresh merchandising slant.
In summation, the duty of the headline is to arrest initial attention, to stimulate an inclination to read further, to build interest. A great share of the actual selling power of an advertisement may depend upon the headline or upon a combination of illustration and headline. Dynamic sales copy would be much less effective minus a forceful headline to secure initial attention.
The perfect headline is brief, vigorous, purposeful and interesting. It must be engaging and attractive in its message—and it ought to carry the reader in an easy, natural manner into an advertising story that sells!
ADVERTISING COPY
Advertising copy tells the story. It delivers the sales message, it makes the pitch.
Copy must sell. It must put into words the sales idea behind the advertisement, reflecting its purpose, its determined appeal. Copy will play upon the attractive or sensational angles of a sales story. It ought to be carefully and clearly aimed, with appeal as the target.
Your newspaper advertisement is your traveling salesman. Your copy, carefully created, with each word weighed, is his sales-talk. But your salesman’s audience-time is limited. He must speak briefly, quickly—convincingly. The reader’s attention is never secure.
If an illustration has served to attract and influence the reader, or if the headline has intrigued him, so far, so good. But usually this attention-winning promise or appeal must be amplified and logically developed into interest and desire; the advertiser must still follow through with his sales-talk, his copy. And it ought to be bright, vivid, exciting—and persuasive!
Some advertisements tell their stories in headlines alone. But much advertising will follow up the attention-winning lead with selling copy.
Generally speaking, advertising copy is designed to appeal to basic needs,