Comments on: Yours Free — My Gift to You! http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/ bly.com direct marketing blog Tue, 22 May 2012 15:10:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: hairy pussy sex http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-404637 hairy pussy sex Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:06:10 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-404637 <strong>hairy pussy sex</strong> hairy pussy sex hairy pussy sex

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]]> By: Frank Catalano http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-273171 Frank Catalano Sun, 04 Mar 2007 14:37:48 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-273171 The problem isn't the word "Free." It's the word "Gift." Why not replace the latter with what actually IS free? Or a different word than "Gift?" It would provide more clarity and, as Strunk and White note, being more specific and clear is far more memorable and motivating than being obtuse and opaque. Free Alarm Clock. Free Cool Thingie. Anything that doesn't promote redundancy is possible. The problem isn’t the word “Free.” It’s the word “Gift.” Why not replace the latter with what actually IS free? Or a different word than “Gift?”

It would provide more clarity and, as Strunk and White note, being more specific and clear is far more memorable and motivating than being obtuse and opaque.

Free Alarm Clock. Free Cool Thingie. Anything that doesn’t promote redundancy is possible.

]]> By: Bill Ryan http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-272328 Bill Ryan Thu, 01 Mar 2007 19:18:54 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-272328 Scotsman David Ogilvy back in an earlier century asserted that the two most powerfull words in the language were Free and New. Although, he observed, the word Free is difficult to use and is seldom used correctly. As in, for example, "Buy one and get one free." It wouldn't hurt, is my guess, to mention that all free gifts are new. Comment by Bill Ryan Scotsman David Ogilvy back in an earlier century asserted that the two most powerfull words in the language were Free and New. Although, he observed, the word Free is difficult to use and is seldom used correctly. As in, for example, “Buy one and get one free.” It wouldn’t hurt, is my guess, to mention that all free gifts are new.

Comment by Bill Ryan

]]> By: Apryl Parcher http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-270821 Apryl Parcher Sun, 25 Feb 2007 01:17:13 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-270821 We are conditioned to look for the word FREE and pick it out of surrounding context (especially in caps) much like our brains are constantly looking for patterns that look like faces among the everyday images we see. If it looks like a face, we do a double-take to confirm. Putting the word GIFT after FREE, gives the reader the slightest of nudges toward the double-take column, and one more chance to hook them into reading further to see what the FREE GIFT might be. Not everyone sees the Virgin Mary in the cheese, so to speak, but enough that it can be measured. Use every trick in the book, I say, and don't let your high-school english teacher proof the usage. She's not the one with the money on the line. We are conditioned to look for the word FREE and pick it out of surrounding context (especially in caps) much like our brains are constantly looking for patterns that look like faces among the everyday images we see. If it looks like a face, we do a double-take to confirm. Putting the word GIFT after FREE, gives the reader the slightest of nudges toward the double-take column, and one more chance to hook them into reading further to see what the FREE GIFT might be. Not everyone sees the Virgin Mary in the cheese, so to speak, but enough that it can be measured. Use every trick in the book, I say, and don’t let your high-school english teacher proof the usage. She’s not the one with the money on the line.

]]> By: Les Leslie http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-270765 Les Leslie Sat, 24 Feb 2007 21:41:30 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-270765 I find redundant phraseology very similar to fingernails on blackboards. However, for marketing purposes, I tend to put "free gift" into the "irritating but expedient" class. People perceive "gift" as having an invisible companion -- "obligation." "Free" not only does not seem to have this affliction, when used in concert, it seems to negate the invisible companion. (100% perception -- no basis in fact or logic!) I find redundant phraseology very similar to fingernails on blackboards. However, for marketing purposes, I tend to put “free gift” into the “irritating but expedient” class. People perceive “gift” as having an invisible companion — “obligation.” “Free” not only does not seem to have this affliction, when used in concert, it seems to negate the invisible companion. (100% perception — no basis in fact or logic!)

]]> By: nettie hartsock http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-270064 nettie hartsock Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:55:28 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-270064 Bob - I'm a sucker for opening something that has "free gift" on the outside, even just to see what they're offering. I don't think it's redundant in the case of selling copy. It's persuasive! Bob –

I’m a sucker for opening something that has “free gift” on the outside, even just to see what they’re offering. I don’t think it’s redundant in the case of selling copy. It’s persuasive!

]]> By: Manage Your Writing http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-269370 Manage Your Writing Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:01:01 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-269370 <strong>Redundancy all over again</strong> Bob Bly, this country's leading authority on copywriting, reports that one of his readers has challenged the phrase Free Gift as redundant. Bly responds that tests prove that in direct marketing, omitting the word ‘free’ and just saying ‘gift’... Redundancy all over again

Bob Bly, this country’s leading authority on copywriting, reports that one of his readers has challenged the phrase Free Gift as redundant. Bly responds that tests prove that in direct marketing, omitting the word ‘free’ and just saying ‘gift’…

]]> By: Mordechai (Morty) Schiller http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-269043 Mordechai (Morty) Schiller Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:36:49 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-269043 Right on, Richard! We're copywriters... not schoolmarms. Our job is to sell, not to educate. Right on, Richard!
We’re copywriters… not schoolmarms. Our job is to sell, not to educate.

]]> By: Richard Armstrong http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-268633 Richard Armstrong Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:08:10 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-268633 Alan Shawn Feinstein ... now there's a name I haven't heard in a while. That brought me back. Didn't our mutual friend Milt P. ghostwrite some books for him? As far as "Free Gift" goes, I'd say FREE, FREE, FREE GIFT if I thought it would bump up the response. We ain't writing to english perfessers. Alan Shawn Feinstein … now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. That brought me back. Didn’t our mutual friend Milt P. ghostwrite some books for him? As far as “Free Gift” goes, I’d say FREE, FREE, FREE GIFT if I thought it would bump up the response. We ain’t writing to english perfessers.

]]> By: Jodi Kaplan http://bly.com/blog/general/yours-free-my-gift-to-you/#comment-268402 Jodi Kaplan Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:00:29 +0000 http://www.bly.com/blog/?p=231#comment-268402 It's bad English and, apparently, bad Spanish too. I have a client (a Spanish direct marketer) who is in a constant tug-of-war with her proofreader about this. He takes it out, she puts it back in. However, it's also effective direct marketing in both languages, and given a choice between blindly following the rules and increasing response, both my client and I opt for the money! It’s bad English and, apparently, bad Spanish too. I have a client (a Spanish direct marketer) who is in a constant tug-of-war with her proofreader about this. He takes it out, she puts it back in. However, it’s also effective direct marketing in both languages, and given a choice between blindly following the rules and increasing response, both my client and I opt for the money!

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