"Why men crack..."
This 1924 ad was the first big win for agency Young & Rubicam which had a tremendous impact on Postum's sales . The long-form style of this ad was completely...View More
different for a cereal ad & so was the copy. Instead of focusing on the cereal & its attributes, the ad begins by inducing fear & hitting pain points around deteriorating health hence the headline "Why Men Crack" and introductory warning quote from a nameless, yet imposing authority figure. They then frame Postum as the solution & enhance the pitch with a story about a hospitable character named Carrie Blanchard. In the ad, Carrie is described as traveling around the country & deliciously preparing Postum for over half a million people. After building rapport & authenticity with the Carrie story, they lead right into the offer which is smartly labeled "Carrie Blanchard's Offer", thus making the reader feel like they are dealing with Carrie vs. a big company. The offer is a trial offer for a thirty day test of Postum cereal and the deal is sweetened with Carrie offering to send them directions to make it as good as her. Although all of Postum's ads weren't geared towards men, Carrie is certainly a great character to appeal to men. Regardless, the offer is incredibly strong & very innovative for its time.
