What good is all the painstaking work on copy if the headline isn't right? If the headline doesn't stop people, the copy might as well be written in Greek.

The advertiser's logotype at the bottom of the ad can be considered as part of the headline. After reading the headline, the reader instinctively looks down at the logotype to see the company name.

Now I spend hours on headlines - days if necessary. And when I get a good headline, I know that my task is nearly finished.

Remember that the reader's attention is yours for only a single instant. They will not use up their valuable time trying to figure out what you mean.

The purpose of the headlines must be to convey a message to people who read headlines, then decide whether or not they will look at the copy.

The business of judging a headline AFTER you read the copy is wrong. It takes for granted that everybody reads the copy.

Unsuccessful headlines were not written without a strong appeal, but it was the wrong appeal for that product and that audience.