If you’re an advertising copywriter who’s learned my 5-Step System For Creating Radio Commercials That Get Results, you’re already familiar with the headline archetype that I’ve dubbed “The Andy Rooney Open.”
(Yeah, sounds like a golf tournament.)
If you travel as much as I, these headlines from a magazine ad probably speak to you directly and make you want to hear what’s coming next….
“DON’T YOU HATE…
“Getting stuck at a taxi line with no cars in sight?
“Being stranded in a foreign city with no directions?
“Paying $100 instead of 100 Lira for a taxi ride?
“Looking for a cab in NYC during rush hour?”
If you don’t travel much, those headlines probably had no effect on you.
But the advertiser — LimoReservations.com — wanted to grab the attention of frequent travellers.
And they succeeded…by speaking directly to their target audience.
That’s what your radio commercials do, right?
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@Dan – I purchased your 5-Step System years ago and it’s definitely been a helpful resource. Coincidentally, just last week I was working on a script for a local business that prepares homemade meals that customers can take home to freeze and throw in the oven later, and “The Andy Rooney Open” came to mind for my headline idea, to target busy moms: “Don’t you hate spending two hours in the kitchen for something they’ll eat in five minutes?”
As you’ve said many times, the opening line is “the commercial for the commercial.” Your 5-Step System was worth the price just to get some good headline ideas. Thanks, Dan!
@Neal: Wonderful headline!
@Dan: Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!