Testimonial lead

The pattern

This still is filed under Testimonial lead.

Define

The first voice on the page is a customer's. Proof arrives before the company's claim.

Mechanism

Borrowed voice. The lead sentence is already someone else's verdict. The seller speaks second.

Verdict

The result is easier to believe from a peer

Why it works

The picture shows a smart couple walking away from us, he in top hat and black coat, she in white with a fur wrap, and the caption "A LITTLE FRIEND OF MINE" first reads as the man's sly remark about the woman on his arm. The brand name below turns the joke: the little friend is the pill, so a medicine is presented as a discreet companion a gentleman keeps about him, and no complaint has to be named.

The big idea

"A little friend of mine" seems to describe the lady on a gentleman's arm, then the brand name reveals the little friend is the pill.

Lines from the ad

A LITTLE FRIEND OF MINE

BEECHAM'S PILLS.

Steal this when

Steal this when your product deals with something people would rather not discuss and a double meaning lets you sell it without naming the problem.

The emotion

Written to Amusement. It makes the Say move.

A little friend of mine first reads as the gentleman's sly remark about the lady on his arm, then the name Beecham's Pills turns it, so the brand arrives as the punchline.