Printers' Ink, Sep 9, 1926 (Vol. 136, No. 11): profile of Milton Feasley, Listerine 'halitosis' copywriter ('Always a bridesmaid, never a bride')
The pattern
This still is filed under Lettered cover hook.
Define
The cover is the hook, and the hook is lettering: a title treated as an image.
Mechanism
Type as bait. The words are drawn so they stop the hand before the contents are known.
Verdict
A journal, book, or issue must sell itself on a rack or a feed
Why it works
The cover ad by N.W. Ayer uses an intriguing headline and illustration to draw the reader into a story about how they solved a difficult advertising problem (visualizing quietness for an oil burner).
Steal this when
You need to showcase your agency's creative problem-solving abilities.