From 1999 till 2005 I ran a discussion group with many of today’s top marketers and copywriters.  Not only did we exchange great ideas but also great finds.   In 2003 I happened upon what seemed to be a predecessor of the “Two Young Men” ad that the WSJ has consistently used.

This ad was printed in 1919.

Unfortunately the original format of the ad is impossible to replicate in text format. The ad was originally in three columns with headline on top and coupon to send in. It was a full page ad in a magazine.

This lead generation ad is VERY well done.

Great use of current events (many men had just returned from WWI) and tie-ins to history.

Use of contrast by using the “Two Men” type story that was later used in the greatest sales letter of all time.

And lot’s more….

What are some of the things you notice?

“In an opinion test, people hesitate to reveal their selfish motives. For example, in an opinion test of life insurance advertising, an ad with the headline, ‘What would become of your wife if something happened to you?’ outpulled an ad with the headline, ‘To men who want to quit work someday.’ When these same ads were subjected to a mail-order sales test, the results were reversed.”

John Caples
How to Make Your Advertising Make Money