Generally, we can classify effective advertising headlines into five basic categories: benefit headline, provocative headline, news/information headline, question headline, and command headline.

Benefit headlines make a direct promise to the reader. News/information headlines include many of the how-to headlines and headlines that seek to gain identification for their sponsors by announcing some news or providing some promise of information. Provocative headlines are used to provoke the reader’s curiosity. To learn more, the reader must read the body copy. A question headline will pique the reader’s curiosity and imagination by asking a question that the reader is interested in. A command headline orders the reader to do something. It motivates the reader through fear or emotion or because the reader understands the inherent correctness of the command.

3.2.2 Comparison of headlines of different types of advertisements

   Table 4 tells which type of headline is most used in a certain type of advertisements.

Table 4 Comparison of headline s in three types of advertisements

 
 Benefit
Headline
 News/Infor
headline
 Provocative
Headline
 Question
Headline
 Command
Headline
 
Daily
Consumer

Goods
  
15%
  
25%
  
15%
  
40%
  
5%
 
Technical
Equipment
  
10%
  
30%
  
30%
  
25%
  
5%
 
 
Service
  
35%
  
10%
  
40%
  
10%
  
5%
 

       Why question headlines are more frequently used in daily consumer goods ads? American sociolinguist Daniel N. Maltz (方薇, 1997:144) concluded through study that women tend to ask questions. They have ubiquitous curiosity. So the women-targeting ads, daily consumer goods ads, cleverly employ question headlines to cater to women’s curiosity. The question can be what women care, such as “ Which of these continental quilt patterns will suit your bedroom best?”; or what women seldom think of, such as “Hear the one about the comedian who never drank milk?”. No matter what kind of question, it will arouse women’s interest effectively. 

       According to the comparison, information headlines are most popular in technical equipment advertisements. For example:

    Here’s the filmless version.

    It’s about exchanging information easily with people you trust.

    The muscular V6 gives the Grand Vitara undeniable appeal.

        …

    Technical equipment is the result of science and high technology. Unknown information in an advertisement accounts for a large proportion. Unlike daily consumer goods ads, no introduction of a product is necessary in headline, because we are so familiar with these daily used products that almost all information becomes given information. Therefore, headlines of technical equipment ads mean to attract readers by displaying the unknown information of a product.

    However, service ads tend to give promise in headline to attract readers. For example:

    Wherever you are, whenever you need us, the Allianz Group is always there for you.

    The right bank can make all the difference.

    Cancer patients fly free on the wings of angles.

    …

    Banks, insurance companies, public utilities and airlines prefer using benefit headlines to emphasize what they can do to customers. Consumer goods and technical equipment can present themselves in beautiful pictures. However, service ads are not able to present their “product” in print except language. So, they have to highlight their “product” in the headline.

4.  Discourse features

4.1 Body Copy of an Advertisement

In general, a written advertisement consists of five parts: headline, body copy, slogan, illustration and trade mark among which headline, body copy and slogan are the main parts. Headline plays a role in catching attention from readers; slogan can be used as a device to create a corporate image and a common practice to conclude advertisement.

In this section we will discuss the body copy as a discourse component. The advertiser tells the complete sales story in the body copy. Set in smaller type than headlines or subheads, the body copy is a logical continuation of the headline and subheads. It is also where the sale is closed. The body copy should relate to the campaign appeal and to the reader’s self-interest, and it must explain how the product or service being advertised satisfies the customer’s need. The body copy may concentrate on one or several benefits as they relate specifically to the target audience. In some cases, especially in daily goods ads, body copy is omitted just because readers know what they are.

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