Over 28 years, today’s swipe generated $2 billion. It was written by copywriter Martin Conroy in 1974 for the Wall Street Journal and is considered the most successful direct mail package of all time.
But poor Martin wrote it for a flat fee, not a royalty. What’s 5% of $2 billion!?
Obviously, it’s brilliant. And yet it breaks a few big copywriting “rules…”
Instead of a headline (the most important element of any sales letter), there’s a logo for the WSJ.
And while it’s mostly conversational, there’s a snobby tone at times, “If you feel as we do that this is a fair and reasonable proposition…”
Also, there’s no real proof. No testimonials. Everything is subtle. It lets the reader make all the connections (a subscription WSJ will get me ahead in life), despite the story being completely fabricated.
You see, this is a blatant swipe of Bruce Barton’s “The Story of Two Young Men” fundraising letter from the early 1900s, which apparently had a 100% response rate.
At its core, it’s an emotional story of being left behind by your peers. That’s is power. That’s why it worked for Barton and then Conroy decades later, and could work for you too.
Click here to add The Story of Two Young Men to your swipe file.