MEL MARTIN/HENRY COWEN

BOTTOM LINE/PERSONAL
(1990)

GH-5
Mel Martin/Henry Cowen
Bottom Line/Personal 1990

Comments
“What never to eat on an airplane” was a headline in
the letter before it became Bottom Line’s most famous
envelope headline. Once it got onto the envelope, it took us
years to beat it – though it did go through some redesigns.
This package began its life as a typical Mel Martin
package, with a letter that was 98% fascinations and 2%
statements that these must be the most valuable secrets
ever published. (Contrast this with many of our later
magalogs and bookalogs, which rely heavily on giving away
some answers.)
However, copywriting legend Henry Cowen had written
a package for us, for Boardroom Reports, that began, “I know
you’re busy. I know you have too much to read. And yet,
that’s exactly why…” With a few minor adaptations, we
tested it for Bottom Line/Personal, too, and it won.
Other samples for same product: GH-2, 11, 12, 14 …
MR-13.

GH-5