Headlines and Taglines Advertising Strategy (Alstiel and Grow)

Headline types, when to use it News: when you want to introduce a new product, new brand, new feature Direct benefit: when you want to promise a reward or highlight the prime benefit in the headline Curiosity: when you want to intrigue the reader into finding the main ideas in the body copy Emotional: when you want to sell the image and/or invoke resonance in the reader

Headline types, when to use it Directive (Command): when you want the reader to do something Horn blowing: when you want to impress the reader by being the biggest, the fastest, the first, etc Comparison: when you want to differentiate your brand from the competitor or use a metaphor to describe your product Label: when you want to focus on the brand name, product name, or campaign tagline rather than discuss features/ benefits

Magic Words Advice, Announcing, At last, Free, how, how to, new, reduced, this, wanted, which, who else, why

Writing Headlines with Style Style – Headline – Visual – Client Question – Do you really need more proof that drinking impairs your judgment? – Plain girl morphing into a fashion model as it gets later in the evening – MADD Question – Ever seen a grown man guy? – Broken whiskey bottle on floor – Crown Royal How-to – How to convert liters into cups – Race car and racing trophies – Acura

Writing Headlines with Style Style – Headline – Visual – Client How-to – How to write an obituary for your teenager – [All-type ad] – Partnership for a drug-free America Quote – I told my dad I stopped raising hell and he called me a quitter – Redneck-looking guy smoking a cigarette - Winton Quote – These tables are my voice and I’m about to holla the world – DJ scratching two turntables – Moutain Dew Red

Ineffective Headlines Asking a question that cannot be answered (confusing) Asking a question that can be answered with a simple yes or no (no involvement) Using a headline as a caption, describing rather than interacting (no synergy with visuals and limited involvement)

Ineffective Headlines Using puns that have no relation to the product or the market Insulting, condescending, patronizing (annoys intelligent readers) Being clever for the sake of cleverness (trying to impress rather than persuade)

Subheads

Preheads

Top 10 Taglines A diamond is forever Just do it The pause that refreshes Tastes great, less filling We try harder Good to the last drop Breakfast of champions Does she …. Or doesn’t she? When it rains, it pours Where’s the beef?

Top 10 Taglines DeBeers Nike Coca-Cola Miller Lite Avis Maxwell House Wheaties Clairol Morton Salt Wendy’s

How to write more Effective Taglines Keep it short and simple Think jingle Try to differentiate the brand If you have to be generic, go global Play with words Don’t confuse or mislead Justify your choices