For people who are almost (but not quite) satisfied with their own cooking — and can't figure out what's missing.

• If your crepes are delicious but too heavy, see page 263.
• The gourmet uses of kosher salt? See page 3 and page 22.
• If your cooked shrimp gets dry or rubbery when you
keep it overnight. see page 136.
• If your fried eggplant tastes oilier than it should, see
page 176.
• If you sauté chicken livers perfectly but they come out
tough, see page 152.
•How to make bottled horseradish taste like the fresh
kind. See page 211.
•How to keep sour cream from burning when you cook
with it. See page 23.
• What to add to domestic paprika if you can't find the
imported kind. See page 69.
• A substitute for champagne sauce that isn't perfect, but
works. See page 97.
More on The Chef’s Secret Cook Book (Mel Martin Ad #16)

Everybody's gaga over the dating market today.

Of course, it's a giant (and passionate) market, but there's nothing novel about it.

It goes all the way back to cuneiform tablets in Ancient Sumeria.

More recently, Symphony Press was in the vanguard of the dating and relationships category over 25 years ago.

This is an outstanding ad from 1983. I'm sure a lot of people responded to this offer to get the premium 100 Opening Lines.

Obama or McCain?

If you're a serious entrepreneur, it's time to get off the fence and take a stand.

And it doesn't even matter if you live in the United States. In fact, it may be even more vital to those who live in the United Kingdom or Italy.

At last, the issue is crystal-clear thanks to the guiding light of this U.S. Presidential Candidate's 16-word-quote. More on Obama Or McCain?

The headline:

"Fortunately, most Investors think like losers. That's how people like me get rich."

The photo:

A smug, smiling Julian Snyder straddles his limo, across the street from the New York Stock Exchange.

It takes no more than two seconds to absorb his positioning, making this a most memorable investment ad.

The appeal of the book, The Way of The Hunter-Warrior: How To Make A Killing In Any Market is based on the power of metaphor.

Take the following: More on The Way of The Hunter-Warrior: Julian M. Snyder (Investment Ad #44)

This has got to be one of the most potent three-word headlines in history.

It doesn't make a claim, it doesn't shout out a benefit.

It just asks the question, is this better than Botox?

Five to seven years ago, Botox was much more in the public's consciousness due to news stories about its link to unwanted and sometimes lethal side  effects.

But this anti-wrinkle/anti-aging cream, Strivectin-SD subtly promises all the benefits of Botox without the risk.

Klein-Becker is one of the major players in this market and the newsy, unpredictable copy approach made this a breakthrough ad.

This is the tried-and-tested lead generation ad for The Institute of Children's Literature.

It's been going strong for over 30 years in both space and direct mail.

This space ad is the latest incarnation of the piece written by legendary copywriter, Malcom Decker.

If you're a copy connoisseur, you'll want to download the PDF by clicking on the thumb on the left and read it at your leisure.

Two of the main take-aways are the magic of the word "Institute" which has been used by savvy direct marketers since the 1920's and the response-driving power of the "aptitude test."

You know everbody "gets in." Don't you?

In case you missed the first piece on Swiping Successful Business Models, here it is.

Many marketers may not realize Merrill Lynch was a company built in part on direct response advertising.

This is the 6,540 word display ad written by copywriter Louis Engel in the 1940's.

The offer is buried deep in the ad, yet it fetched over 10,000 responses.

In the last few days, I've spoken to friends around the globe — many who are marketers — and they're lamenting over "losing money" in the financial markets.

We marketers should be grateful to be in the best (and most accountable) profession on the planet…producing riches out of thin air…and without the need for the colossal leverage that sent Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch (and potentially A.I.G.) down the tubes.

We can wake up  tomorrow morning a run a promotion that can fill our coffers with cold hard cash.

What of the lifelong employees of Lehman who had most of their assets in company stock?

The year was 1919.

18-year-old copywriter, Lillian Eichler, was working for the New York Ad Agency of Ruthrauff & Ryan.

Her first problem:

To move 1,000 dusty copies of the pre-1900 Encyclopedia of Etiquette, written by Eleanor Holt, which were sitting on Doubleday's shelves.

Her second problem:

Most of the 1,000 copies were returned after the 5-day-trial period. Respondents weren't thrilled with the ludicrously archaic text and pictures.

Lillian's ad copy had emptied the shelves in mere days.

Doubleday, being the smart publishers they were, realized if Lillian's ad copy could move 19th-Century books, she was probably gifted enough to rewrite the book herself and have a second go at advertising it.

The result:

Lillian's revamped effort, The Book of Etiquette, sold two million copies at $2 each, in the course of two years, resulting in $2.5 million in net profits.

Nearly $26 million in 2008 dollars.

All inspired by the wish to unload a roomful of dusty books…and the vision of a young copywriter.

Reading this copy in 2008, it's stunning to realize it came from the pen of an 18-year-old girl, nearly 90 years ago.

Many of my subscribers, who've requested a direct mail package for the re-release of the Ultimate Online Swipe File, have been asking me…

Where is it?

Believe it or not, there's no foot dragging going on in my camp. It's taking that long, even with the help of assistants and outsourcers.

I don't believe in writing the marketing piece until the product is finished.

I did get off the treadmill for a while to put together a nano-version of what you can expect in the re-release.

There's an Info Marketing Blog 'Subscriber's Only' offer here until Sunday night.

Breakthrough Space Ads.

(The following is a 40+ year old article on one of the great women copywriters, Shirley Polykoff. She was #24 on Advertising Age's top 100 of the 20th Century and also one of the highest paid ad writers of the 1950's and 1960's. Though she wrote (and sloganeered) for giant corporate clients, her style was direct response at heart.)

Advertising: A Blonde Who Has More Fun

She likes the right copy that sells for Clairol.

Last month, Rosser Reeves told the Advertising Writers Association of New York that it should give its awards for ads that sold the product and not for mere excellence in creativity.

The Ted Bates chairman, speaking at the association's awards banquet, mentioned a number of campaigns that he believed should have been honored, but were not. On the top of his list was Shirley's Polykoff campaign for Clairol - "Does she …or doesn't she? Hair color so natural only her hair dresser knows for sure." Mr. Reeves documented his argument by pointing out that the campaign was so successful in selling the product that today Clairol spends more on advertising then Bristol-Myers original paid for the whole Clairol Company, the Clairol advertising budget is $36 million. More on Shirley Polykoff: Blonde Copywriters Have More Fun