You know the ad.

The one with the powerful red headline.

The “pile of money” + Mercedes wealth shot. The “From the Desk Of:” header. The red, white and blue formatting, with exclamation points and yellow highlighting. The bold promises of riches, benefits. The P.P.P.P.P.S. The cheapo graphic design and typography.

Whenever I see this kind of message, a huge red flag goes off in my mind. I automatically disregard the integrity of the message and cast a very skeptical eye on whatever is being discussed. If I continue reading at all, it is only for entertainment value.

Back when I was a kid, Publishers Clearinghouse and Eddie Bauer let the pros do the writing. The quality control was better, and the products were actual tangible goods. But since the advent of AdWords, the sheer number of sketchy e-book hustlers and squeeze page pimps – ALL USING THE SAME FORMAT - has exploded. It's out of control.

I used to not mind clicking on ads that sounded promising, but I am getting strongly conditioned not to click on ANY ads. And not to believe in any product that features a sales letter, no matter how good it might actually be, or how much it could help me.

You could have custom written the copy for me alone, addressing me by my nickname and promising me untold action, thrills, and success at sex and business for eternity – and spiritual enlightenment – for only $49.97 . But if you stuck a bunch of P.P.P.S’s and “Money Back Guarantee” logo ribbon - and I would not click the button if you put a gun to my head. For the same reason I wouldn’t buy a Halloween costume at the Dollar Store, or a music player at the flea market – I just won’t go for cheap, tacky stuff.

C'mon man, who you do think I am?

Now I am aware that this is a time-tested ad format that a small percentage of people DO fall for. It is obviously the product of scientific split tests and billions of dollars - made and lost.

But what about the rest of us? Savvy net users who are getting tired of it. Will a statistically significant number of people become immune to it? Look at the Nigerian 419 letter, or a Viagra e-mail - they don't have much fizzle anymore.

I’m new to copywriting. I don’t like this kind of copy, and I’d rather not get involved in writing it. Is there not a more sophisticated way? A more modern, Web 2.0 style?

I sure hope so.

Or do you think trying to come up with a whole new paradigm for a landing page is a crazy idea? Are the laws of direct-response copy so written in stone, and hardwired to certain fixed human emotional imprints, that it would be foolish to even try?

O Gurus, please enlighten me…

hi and welcome;

I am not a "GURU", but I love words.

I enjoyed reading your post, I agree about what you said in the post and sorry for underlining some line.

There is a problem in copywriting and it relation with us (as a reader ).

but let stop thinking Problem, and begin to think solutions.

is Web 2.0 a solution? No.
are the new web technologies a solution ? No.

the big problem is in the content, I mean in words.

many copywriters build their copy to be scanned not to be read.

the solution in my vision is a return to the origine, a return to the basis.

a return to those OLD way of selling by words and reading, not scaning.

witch mean :

sales letters structure and style.

and then the design, accessibility, readability ...

this is my vision I may be wrong.

but please let read more, and look here, you may found some interesting idea.