Reading yesterday’s Seattle Times, I smiled as I read the headline for a page two story from the Associated Press. Aunt’s undies make brief work of blaze. In London, a British woman’s underwear saved the day, doubling as an emergency fire blanket when her kitchen caught fire. When the fire broke out, one of the cooks grabbed the nearest thing from a pile of laundry to put out the fire — his aunt’s billowing, powder-blue, size XL underwear.
Thank goodness it wasn’t a thong, or else perhaps the story would have had a much different ending.
This brings to mind the value of a fun headline to grab attention. Word play can be a fun and engaging way to tell a story. Tying together the ideas of “undies” and “brief” work is a kick in the pants from my perspective. It certainly compelled me to read to learn more.
The lesson here is to have some fun when writing subject lines for your emails and headlines for your press releases. Steer clear of “blah, blah, blah” and boring headlines that put readers to sleep before they can get to the good stuff. Start with the good stuff, and find a way to make it sing, sting, or set your own story ablaze. Your story might end up on page two of the main news section of your local newspaper, just like this one did.
