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Your website headline has 7 seconds to make a promise. Your subhead has 7 more to prove it. Fail either, and your reader’s brain hits eject.
The First Punch fixes both— giving your copy the kind of impact that actually earns a second look. 6/10 First Punch slots for September gone. 4 left.
Telling the truth is disarming.
That’s why it’s probably the most impactful technique you can use when writing copy.
In 1981 Japanese car maker Isuzu Motors entered the U.S. market.
If you asked Americans to name a Japanese car maker… Isuzu wasn’t exactly top-of-mind.
This was a classic brand awareness problem.
Isuzu wanted to compete with Toyota in America. But their ad budget was one-tenth of Toyota's ad budget.
Even so Isuzu's sales showed healthy growth. In 1981 Isuzu sold 28,000 vehicles in America, representing 0.26% market share. By 1985 their market share was 0.68%, and Isuzu sold 105,000 cars that year in America.
But the auto industry is a brutal, competitive market.
And Isuzu knew that to survive they had to do something distinctive. To get noticed and stay top of mind.
So Isuzu hires ad agency Della Femina, Travisano & Partners.
In 1986, Joe Isuzu was born.
Joe Isuzu was a fictional spokesman who starred in a series of Isuzu car and truck ads from 1986 to 1990. Played by actor David Leisure, Joe Isuzu was a sneaky, snake oil car salesperson.
Joe was a big liar who made exaggerated claims about his Isuzu's cars.
On national TV commercials he said things like, "It's top speed is 300 miles per hour", "Isuzu dealers have millions in stock, so they're selling them for $9" or
"It can carry a symphony orchestra".
But the genius part of the ads were the subtitles.
Whenever Joe lied, subtitles showed up correcting his lies with humorous copy, “He’s lying.” And also pushing Isuzu's best features.
America fell so in love with Joe Isuzu that Isuzu ads went straight to the top-ten spots in consumer recall in 1989.
Perhaps there's a lesson here for brands in 2025.
We’re all just so used to seeing brands lie and brag they're "the best" that ANYTHING a bit more honest and tongue-in-cheek will stand out.
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》Dangerous Idea
Tell a relatable truth. It’s one of the easiest ways of getting your audience’s attention
If you saw this for 7 seconds, would you keep scrolling or bounce?
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You see, Gourdy’s Pumpkin Run” is a seasonal 5K fun race that happens in the autumn.
The trouble is, “Start your new fall tradition” is a vague promise.
This headline could just as easily be selling lattes or pumpkin scented candles.
Sure, it appeals to the seasonal sentiment of autumn but it forgets to explain what the hell is Gourdy’s Pumpkin Run (it assumes the reader already knows) or why this particular 5K deserves to become your “new fall tradition”.
To keep the reader interested, the subheadline should clarify the big promise made in the headline.
The problem is, Gourdy’s subheadline is 100% descriptive, 0% provocative. ⇝ “Dash 3.1 miles through the crisp autumn air before cooling off at the finish line with a cup of apple cider.”
The sensory detail is good enough. “crisp autumn air” and “cup of apple cider” evoke memory and seasonal vibes. But it’s still basically a race description with seasonal garnish.
Also, by focusing on ‘3.1 miles’ the copy commits a cardinal sin: It mistakes the technical specification for the actual appeal.
The truth is, no one ever fell in love with a Gourdy’s Pumpkin Run 5k race because of its precise distance. What people are really buying is the weird, irrational joy of it all—the seasonal ritual, the camaraderie, the cider-and-pumpkin payoff at the end.
So here’s how I’d add a lil more fuego and drama.
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1. This is a good attention grabber because you’re addressing directly the reader.