A Copywriting Idea from 1928
I love studying the history of marketing, advertising and copywriting and always keep my marketing radar on for smart marketing ideas I can use and share with you. If you simply maintain a constant mode of searching around you for marketing ideas you can use in your business, thereās a high probability you can leverage the brains and creativity of others.
I am not talking about plagiarism or theft. I am talking sparking inspiration and putting your own twist on what other smart people are doing.
A search through my blog shows example after example of ideas Iāve come across and shared with the hope of inspiring you, and in this article I am going way back to 1928 for a possible copywriting idea you might be able to use.
It comes from Little Blue Book #863 published by the Haldeman-Julius Publishing Company in 1928. E. Haldeman-Julius was the creator of the Little Blue Books, a collection of some 2,000 titles aimed at consumers. All the books had a blue cover and measured 3 1/2 x 5 inches. The titles of the Little Blue Books were wide and varied. You can see a list of them here.
The business Haldeman-Julius built around them is worthy of the marketing student, and you can get a copy of the book, he published, The First Hundred Million, which describes how he built his business.
Back to Little Blue Book #863.
What caught my eye was the use of the noun ābunk,ā which is an early 20th century abbreviation of the word ābunkumā which means nonsense.
Given the fact this is not a word you often hear and itās pithy punch and meaning, I think a bunch of readers can use this word in their next copywriting headline, report, email, etc.
Is there consumer belief and nonsensical ideas around what you sell?
If so, you can use this word to get attention and dispel any inaccurate thinking or beliefs.
To prove my point, I am hosting another Monday Marketing Challenge and a great little book by Jim Straw, Mustard Seeds, Shovels and Mountains, is the prize I will send to the lucky winner.
To be eligible all you need to do is use the word ābunkā in a headline around what you sell or service and leave it below. I will pick one random winner this Thursday morning and announce in an email I send that morning. You may have to do a little research for this one (click here to search the online database of Little Blue Books), but itās bunk if you think you cannot use this word in your marketing <g>.
UPDATE: Nice job to everybody who submitted an idea for a headline. Ā There were a lot of good ones. Ā Congrats to Gary Robinette for being picked as the random winner of the book giveaway.
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