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Bonobos Employee #2 Demonstrates the Right Way to Respond to Criticism
Yesterday, I was not kind to the folks who wrote the Bonobos ad posted here. Of course, I had no idea whether or not anybody at Bonobos would ever see my critique. To my shock and delight, Employee #2 at Bonobos (Adam) posted a comment within 15 minutes from the time I hit “publish.” I […]
Continue reading93% of Copywriters Agree: This Ad Sucks
I was reading Inc. magazine over the weekend when I came across this Bonobos ad (click the image to see it full-size in a separate tab): The ad begins with the following headline: 93% of men agree. BONOBOS is better. There are two major problems with this headline.
Continue readingTrite Headlines and Old Virgins
The headlines and copy used in big brand ads are often so ridiculous they’re hardly worth commenting on. But I found this post by Nancy Friedman both funny and interesting. She writes: “X just got better” [is] a formula frequently employed by headline writers short on time and imagination. She then lists 18 specific examples […]
Continue readingFlattery from a Stranger
So I got this little gem of an email in my inbox this week. GREETINGS MY NAME IS ANGEL AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF MEDIA REPRESENTING VISUAL MEDIA IMPACT IN TARRYTOWN, N.Y. I AM EMAILING YOU BECAUSE I SEE POTENTIAL IN YOUR TRAFFICKING DUE TO MY EXPERTISE OF SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZING. I HAVE OVER […]
Continue readingAn Ancient Copywriting Lesson for Modern Times, Courtesy of Rick Santorum’s Nephew
Recently, fellow copywriter Robert Stover introduced me to the concept of ethos in sales copy. Ethos literally means “character.” In other words, we often judge the persuasiveness of a sales message based on the character of the person who is doing the selling. While the idea that some sales people are more trustworthy than others […]
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