John Caples - Advertising Ideas

[DEAS ADVERTISING A Practical Guid,eta Methad,sThat Make AdaertisementsF6/orlt

ADVERTISUNGIDEAS A

Guide to Methads

Practica{

That Make AdaertisementsWark

BY

JOHN CAPLES

of Batten, Barton, I)ursti'ne & Osborn,Irrc'; AuthoroJ"Tested'AdaertisittgMethods"and " Ad.aertisingfor I mn'ediateSales"

FOREWOR'D BY

FREDBRICK C. KENDALL lldilor,

Adaertising & Selling

Frnsr Eorrrox

McGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY, Ixc. NEW YORK AND LOND ON 19 3 8

Coevntcnr, 1938,nv tnp McGn,lw-Hrlr, Boor Cour.lNY, fxc. PRINTED

IN TIIE

UNITED

STATES Or. AMERICA

AII rights reserued.Thi,s book, or parts ther eof, rnay not be r eproduced, in any torm without permission of the publishers.

THE

MAPLE

PRESS COMPANY, TORK'

INTR@DU€T[@[N purpose of this book is to shon'you how ff\HE I to make better adr.ertisements-to tell you definitely and specifically: -how to choose effrctive appeals -how to write headlines that are "stoppers" -how to write copl' that sells -how to make all kinds of layouts -how to get attention b1' using brides, babies, animals, cartoons, conric strips, etc. -how to use sex appeal -how

to use hunror, horror, news, curiosit5', and self-interest -how to introduce ne$'products -how to sell several products in the sarnead, -how to handle contests, premiums, and free ^ v

ofrers -'how to -how to --how to -how to

build prestige increasecoupon returns get orders b1'mail make people follow your ads week after week and tnonth after month, just as they follow a continued story -holv to nake advertisernentsachievethe prirnar]' purpose thel' are intended to achieve; namell', to .sellnore tnerchu.nd'ise. 1'he method of preseutntion is the "case methocl." One hundred advertisementsthat were

(a) The 100 advertisetnents are printed on right-hand pages, where you can most easil;rsee and studl'them. (b) The discussion of each advertisement is printed on the left-hand page facing it. This is to enable you to have the advertisement con.stantly before you while you are readingtJref acts about it. (") A system of referencenumbers is used to tie up the text x'ith the illustrations. For example, if a large numeral @ is placed alongsidethe headline of an advertisement, a sirnilar numeral @ is placed alongside the paragraph in the text which discusses the headline. 'I-here Important: are definite, proved reasons for the inclusion of every single advertisement. X{ere opinions and personal preferencesare not consideredsufficient re&sons. Of course,there are hundreds of advertisements n'hoseproved recordsof successentitle them to be included in a Lrookof this kind. However, in order to keep the book within the lirnits of a single

outstandingil' ,l.,"""..fuI in producing results are reproduced just as the;' appeared in publications i except that color is omitted). 'f heseads are taken ;rparL and analS'zed-headline, layout, illustrations, and copl'-section by section, feature by feature-in order to show you how they work,

usable volume, it was necessarvto boil the list down to 100 exanipies. I{ere are some of the factors that have been used as guides in the selection of these advertisements:

why they were successful, and how you can take these successfulmethods and use thern as your

The salesdirectl-vtraceableto individual adver'tisements, wherever this information was avail-

_ 0wn.

v

!-or your convenience,the book is arranged as foliox's:

able. vii

.".-

Coupons, sample rer;uests,and other forms of dinect inquiries. 'fhe number of box tops and coins received from advertisements offering premiums, etc. The number of entries reeeived in the case of contest advertisements,with especialemphasison entries accompaniedb.v proof of purchase of the product. I\'fail order sales in the case of mail order aclvertisements. The tabulated results of asking thousands of rnagazinereadersrvhichadvertisementsthey have noticed and reatl in current pubiications.

l\nd finally, the experiencegained ove-ra periotl of years through millions of dollars spent in testing advertisementsto find out which sell tlit most goods. In other words, every recognizt,'l device has been brought to bear to ma.kecertiLitt that the methods explained in this book are methodsthat utork. For assistancein the preparation of this bttrrk, thanks are due to M. V. Caples,the ts.B.I).O. Library-Research Department, I\[r. Wi]liam I. Orcharcl.ilIr. Robert Uhl, and Mr. I{erbert 1\'est. Nnrv

Yolrx,

Decentber, 7937,

JouN C,rpr,ns.

!o

C@NTENTS Conlents According: to Products Pace

Prce Cosmetics and Pharmacetttical

Apparel, Etc. Jantzen Swimming Suits Spencer Corsets l'alon Slide Fastener

n1 al

111 oa

.ltdom obiles, SuPPlies,Eb. Ethyl Gasoline Fisher BodY Ilord Accessories Ford Cars General Motors Golden Shell l\{otor Oil Liberty Mutual Automobile Insurance Mobiloil Packard Motor Cars Flymouth Cars Socony-Vacuum Motor Oil Super-Shell Gasoline Texaco Gasoline Willys Motor Car

187 189 171 193 189 163 191 55 I 1, 109 145 JC IDI

107 143

Books,Pamphlets,Etc. Black, Walter J., Inc. Book-of-the-Month Club, fnc' DoubledaY, Page & Co. McGraw-Hill Book ComPanY, Inc' Itelman Institute of America Shers'in CodY School of English Simon & Schuster, Inc.

9,191 2l 39,117 :J5

87 Ary

Cantera Supplies Agfa !-ilms Eastman Kodak Co.

sttpplies

Absorbine Jr. Brorno-Seltzer Camay Soap Colgate's Dental Cream Coty Face Powder Cutex Nail Polish Johnson & Johnson Baby Cream Baby OiI Baby Powder . Baby Soap Tek Tooth Brush Lifebuoy Shaving Cream Lifebuoy Soap Listerine Lux Toilet Soap Lysol Disinfectant Parke, Davis & Co. Palmoli'r'e Soap Sal Hepatica Squibb Dental Cream Squibb Tooth Pos'der Tek Tooth Brush Woodbury's Facial SoaP

99 cl

77' 1 8 1 161 ca 35 lv 70

79 79 toc

53 53 63 6D

159 IbD

r83 19 19 O!l

Electrical Appliances, Etc. Bell System TelePhones Evcready Batierics General Electric Mixer General Electric t'oaster Radio Sets Schick Shaver

t lo tDl tt

a

ttl 1ryR

\.23

59 Food,sand Food' Products

Ligarettes and Tobacco Camel Cigarettes Kool Cigarettes Old Gold Cigarettes Prince Albert'lobacco Raleigh Cigarettes

65 179 199 165 1 l d

tt,

Calumet Baking Powder Campbell's SouPs Campbell's Tomato Juice Chase & Sanborn Cofiee Coca-Cola Crisco

Jrl

153 83 "/ 135 81

ix

.-

Pecs

Del l\{onte Foods Del Monte Fruit Cocltail Gold Medal Flour Heinz Beans Hormel Soup Kaffee-Hag Cofrce National Biscuitt Ritz Crackers Sanka Cofree Softasilk Flour Welch's Grape Juic'e

141 141

197 | .).) 103 69 {9 49 J)

l 1 9 ,t 9 5 71

F urni shing s ond Dmraliotts Bell System Telephones Bigelow-Sanford Carpct Co., fnc. Curtains Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co.

115 ol

127 I3

fit'.,aps,Cleansers, Etc. Boraxo f)a.nray S,lrp I)rano I'els-Naptlra Soap Ivory Flakes Ivory Soap Johnson & Johnsol Raby Soatrr Lifebuoy Shaving Cream l,ifebrroy Soap Lux Lux'Ioilet Soap Lysol Disinfectant Lysol lly'gienic Soap Palnrolive Soap Sunbrite Cleanser Woodbury's Facial Soap

I ?:t ??, I ril l'll) ti I l:J9 1:19 i9 5:i 9i

ai fr5 rJ5 1rJ5 +5 23

Schools,Courses,Etc. Gifts, Jerelry, Etc. Cellophane Gift'Wrapping Hamilton Watehes Hickok Belts, Etc. Schick Shaver

?01 101 141 123

I nsurance and F inancial fnvestors' Syndicate Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. Northwestern National Life Insurance Co. Phoenix Mutual Life fnsurance Co United States Savinss Bonds

93 19i t25 i[3 o

113

Liqttor Canadian Club Whiskey Fleischmann's Gin Paul Jones IYhiskies

o/

169 z5

Hugo lrench Course Pelman Institute of America Roth Memory Course Sherwin Cody School of English

DI

95 o 6t

Trauel, Tours, Etc. Canadian Australasian Line Chesapeake and Ohio Lines United Air Lines

17 .91 149

Miscellaneotts Air Conditioning Cellophane Community Chest ' DuPont Cellulose Sponges Flori.sts' Telegraph Delivery Association Fountain Pens 'Freon Refrigerant Metro-Goldwyn-N{ayer Pietures World Peacervays,Inc.

75 201 167 797 73 127 75 31 105

Contents According to Aduertising Appeals and Techniques r\ttenti on-getters Bargain Appeal Cartoon Contests Department Store Copy Economy Angle Editorial Technique Famous People Fat Reducing Get Rid of Work

x

1 4 , 1 6 , 2 3 , 3 0 , 4 8 , 5 5 , 5 9 , 6 1 , 7 8 , 8 0 , 8 5 , 9 2 , 1 2 3 , 1 5 5 , 1 5 9 ,1 6 3 ,1 8 1 ,1 8 5 , 1 8 7 , 1 g g 1 2 1 , 1 2 7 ,1 7 5 , 1 9 5 45,57, 69, 91, 1 2 9 , 1 5 1 dq I lt 119,199 r27, 175 1 2 , 3 2 , 1 3 11, 4 3 ,1 9 1 , 2 0 0 7, 13, 55,74,133,1 5 7 , 1 6 3 7 , 1 1 , 2 1 , 2 7 ,3 1 , 6 5 ,7 1 ,8 3 ,1 0 7 ,1 6 9 , 1 8 5 71,111 3, 95, 177

05,i;;

Copy 4 5 , L 2 9 , 1 5 1 '1 7 9 CoPY Jmorous 3 . 9 , 3 9 , 1 g , 4 7 , 5 1 , 8 ? , 9 5 ,1 1 ? ,1 1 9 ,1 9 5 ,1 9 7 ,1 9 9 Long CoPY g, 21, 39, 47, 51, 87, 95, 117' 121 \[ail Order ' 3 , g g , 7 7 , 9 5 , 1 1 9 , 1 3 7 , 1 9 1 ,1 9 9 Ilfoney, Profits' Btc. 2 2 , 4 7 , 1 0 3 , 1 1 9 ,1 9 5 Money Back 1 1 , 5 5 , 1 0 7 ,1 3 1 ,l 3 ? , 1 4 9 , 1 ? 3 ,1 9 3 , 2 0 0 News 7 1 , 1 2 7 , 1 ? 5 ,1 9 9 Newspaper CoPY 2 5 , 6 7 , 1 0 7 ,1 3 5 ' 1 7 1 Poster Technique 1 4 7 , 1 7 9 , 1 9 5 ,1 9 7 Premiums 133, 141, 153, 189 125, 123, 108, 6 7 , 1 0 1 ' 3 , 2 A ,2 5 , 3 7 , Prestige APPeal 1 6 1 , 1 7 5 , 1 7 7 ,1 7 $ 1 4 3 , l 1 l , r 2 7 , 1 2 3 , 1 6 .4 1 , 4 7 , 7 5 , 1 0 11,2 1 , Prices 105. 195,159,167 Promoting Fublic \Yelfare g , 5 7 , 7 1 , 8 5 ,9 5 , 9 7 , 1 1 1 , 1 8 3 Quick Results 7, r1,23,83, 107 Radio Tie-uP 93,37,81, 169 Recipes 53,63,99 Scare Copy 47, 117 Scattered CoPY --1 5 , 1 6 , 3 1 , 3 4 , 4 1 , 6 1 ' 1 2 3 ,1 6 1 . ,_ Sex Appealdl; Short CoPY Strip Technique 5 , g , 4 3 , 5 1 ,9 5 ' 1 5 7 Story CopY g , 2 7 , 4 7 , 6 5 , ? 1 , 7 7 , 8 5 ,9 5 , L 5 7 , 1 6 9 1, 8 1 ,1 8 5 ' 1 9 5 ' 1 9 7 Testimonials -12.40,48,55,7g,100,114,129,135,14I,!47,171'178'201 Timely CoPY . 75,137 Trade Journal CoPY g 2 , 9 5 , 5 3 , ? 9 , 1 2 7 , 1 3 1 , 1 3 9 '1 4 1 Two or more products in one advertisement g 7 , 4 9 , 5 9 , 6 1 , 9 1 , 1 1 5 , 1 3 3 , I 4 5 , 1 4 7 ,1 5 1 , 1 5 3 , 1 5 9 , 1 6 3 ^5rror

ill; i33 -- A,Q7, 69,'1,'u:u'gi:hnu*X'"'Zl"lli' ii, ur,65, 4,5j,i, 3J8,,

Layout

Jusual

ContentsAccording to Publicatio'ns 58, 68 Atner'icanXlagazine Chain Store Age tou ' Chicago Tribttne 170 1 6 8 ' 1 6 6 ' , 1 6 2 ' , 1 6 0 ' 1 4 8 ,1 5 4 ,1 5 6 ' 2' l + , 2 { , 9 8 , : l ( } ,1 ( ) , 5 ' 2 , 5 ,6{ ,6 , 7 2 ,9 2 , 9 8 ,1 0 0 ,1 4 0 ,1 4 4 , Coll'ier's 88

62,

Cosmopolilan 136 Drug Topics 104 Fortune 180 1 3 0 , 1 3 2 , 1 5 2 ' 1 2 8 , 32, 44,60, ?8, 80, 84, 110, Good ITousekeePing 2 2 , 3 6 ,4 8 Ladies' Hotne .Iournal 26,138 t trIcCall's )Iagazine 174 Neu I'ork SundaY Ilirror L2(i New I'ork SrrnrlrrY.Net's 70, 198 l,{ew }'ork Tim.es 116 Nen, I'ork Times Suntlay ltlaguzine 38 PoptLlar trIechanics 1 7 8' L 7 2 , 1 7 6 , 1 6 4 , 1 5 8 , ll4, 122,124,134, r42,146,150, SaiurrlayEz,ering Pttst 4, 6, 18, 56, 64' 82' 106' 108' 182, 184, 186, 200 1 0 , 1 2 , 1 6 , 4 2 , 9 0 , t r 8 8 ,1 9 2 '['inw I$agazine 34, 96 'l'rrrc Story Ilagazine

I

!o

F@REW@RD

ten yea'rs' T I{A\rE known John Caplesfor about t a,nd durins that time have published in Arluertising & Selling upwards of twenty-five articles written by him. To my mind, the chief value of his writing is that it is based on facts rather than on oPinionsXtr. Caples began his advertising career as a *,riter of rnail order copl'-a type of work where every advertisement can be measured by the actual sales it produces. In 1927 he went into general advertising and carried with him the hardboiled viewpoint of the mail order man' He applied mail order tests to general advertising' and where these could not be applied, he devised tests. fn 1932 he wrote the book "Tested l{ethods," which became a best YclvertisinE seller in the advertising field' In 1936 he wrote another volume entitled "Advertising for fmme-

l*

diate Sales." Also in that year he was appointed by the Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies to serve on a committee to study methods of testing advertising

Tiris third volurne, "Advertising Ideas," is dif{erent in a number of respectsfrom any advertising book ever published before. The earliest advertising bo,rks showed advertisementswhich' in the opinion of the authors, were worthy o{ note' Certain recent books have reflected the scientific trend of the times by showing advertisements rvith proven records of success. This book not only shows you successfuladvertisements,but it tells you how to produce successful advertisernents. The book will help writers becauseit tells how to write copy that attracts readers and produces sales.It will help artists becauseit shows how to produce layouts that get attention' It will help advertising managers and other executives whose work touches advertising and sales' AIso teachers of advertising and students will find here a simple explanation of how to build good advertisements. Above all, the younger man in advertising, the man whose future depends on knowing the latest scientific methods, will learn from this book how to make a,dvertising make nrone'' Fnnppnrcr

c. Kn*n'tr'r',

\)ditor, Aduertising & Selling.

XIII

TISINGIDEAS That Make Aduertisements Worlc

Advertisingthe CheerfulSide of the Story C'1O]IE advertisers make themselves known by \. L) spencling large sums of money annually. 'fhis is called "tonnage of advertising." Others, such as the I'hoenix Jlutual Life fnsurance aceontplish resttlts b.v spending relaCon-rpan-v,

not m:rny peopie read lengthy advertisements ciear through. But people who are really interested-in othe"r words, the real prospecls for a Retirement fncone Policy-will read every word' This advettisement gets results as follows:

tively srnall sttnrsof nronel-scientit'cally. Everl' nerv Phoenix Jlutu:rl advertisement is first tested for salesresults in a single publication. Onll' the advertisements rvhich produce a large number of coupons and salesare used in natl'onal

e @ @ '\ quick Inessage is. conveyed to glancers by the illr-rstration, the heacliine, and ' the name plate, "Phoenix Nlutual'"

magazines. The advertisement at the right appeared in Collier's and other nationttl magazines' It is a tested arlvert isement. Note the cheerful, self-interest approach of this advertisement. It features the money you get rvhen you retire, insteacl of the money your rvidow would get if you were suddenly taken awtw-. Note the extremely Iong copy. Most advertisers rvoukl hesitate to use so much text. They would say, "So felv people will read it." It is true that

o

@ @ The copy "o^tui.,, a long sales nressage for those lvho are really interested.Incidentalll', the panel at the left @ is a complete tttlvertise'the three columns at the right @ ment in itself. also tell a complete stor.v.Actually two advertisements have been cornpressedinto a single page' @ The coupon o{fers a free booklet containing f urther inf ormation. This selects the so-called " hot prosp""t. "-1hg people who are likely to buy iurmediately if properly approachetl by a salesman.

PFIOENIX

MtfTtTAL,

one page, black and white, various magazines.

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