Unusual direct-response marketing facts

A couple of interesting facts today.

Do you know what a Johnson Box is?

A Johnson Box is a box used to highlight some part of the ad or ad copy. So for instance, you’ll often see a guarantee or a testimonial in an ad, inside of a box with a solid border around it.

That box is called a Johnson Box.

But I bet you didn’t know the Johnson Box was created by, oddly enough, an Australian soprano singer named Gertrude Emily Johnson, back in 1915.

It’s true!

Ms. Johnson was trying to get an audition with a very well-known orchestra leader from Tasmania, and to get his attention, she put a guarantee on her CV (resume) and drew a box around the guarantee, using a pencil.

The guarantee said “If I’m not the best soprano you’ve ever heard, I’ll crawl across the stage on my knees at your next performance.”

Well, it worked, because she got the job and she never had to crawl on here knees anywhere. And that’s how the Johnson Box started.

Cool, huh?

And being in direct-response marketing, no doubt you know the importance of a good headline, right? But you’ll never guess what the DMA voted as the MOST effective headline of all time, back in a 1999 survey of all agency owners in America.

Think you know what it is?

Well, according to the DMA, the most effective headline ever was “Jesus wept” from an oldie but a goodie — the King James Bible, Gospel of John, chapter 11, verse 35.

This is the most powerful and moving headline ever created — and when it comes down to it — I’m sure you’ll admit, it’s hard to disagree with that statement, right?

Wild, isn’t it?

I hope you enjoyed these facts and I also hope you watched the webinar DC Fawcett, a member of my Mastermind Group, put on yesterday. Over 50% of the people who saw it, wound up opting in to DC’s list. And I don’t know whether you are familiar with opt-in rates, but that’s nothing shy of incredible!

If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out at http://www.kingofcopy.com/dc

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S.: By the way, nothing in today’s e-mail, with the exception of my comments about DC Fawcett’s video, has even the slightest hint of truth to it. It’s just another silly April Fool’s prank you’re going to be subjected to today. But I hope you enjoyed them none the less.

Now go watch DC’s video – which cost him a small fortune to produce — at http://www.kingofcopy.com/dc

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