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Ads that contradict conventional wisdom grab attention. Remember the phrase, "man bites dog?" It has staying power for a reason.

Titles on the cover of the Harvard Business Review (HBR) use this technique successfully month after month. HBR's newsstand revenue is better than most business publications (and I believe their great title editors play a role). If you're ever struggling for a headline for an ad, direct mail piece, or email subject line - take a look at a typical HBR cover for some ideas. Here are some of my favorites that illustrate good use of contradiction.

> Overworked and Proud of It
> The Wisdom of Deliberate Mistakes
> When Trying Harder is Part of the Problem
> Off-Sites That Work

Any of these might seem like attacks on conventional wisdom. The last one could even be considered an oxymoron. These titles create curiosity; you're tempted to read the first paragraph of these articles, or at least take a look at the call outs.

Another famous HBR technique is the "how to" title. In these examples, HBR helps you picture scenarios that you want to create for yourself - or avoid. Not all use the literal words "how to" - but they all allude to how to achieve something important.

> How to Keep A Players Productive
> How to Acquire a High-Functioning Team
> Strategies to Fool the Competition
> When Your Contract Manufacturer Becomes Your Competitor
> When the Boss Won't Budge

In these titles, the reader is placed in a scenario where he or she has just fooled the competition, inspired people to perform or has figured out how to neutralize a supplier-turned-competitor. It's not unlike the pharmaceutical ad that shows its customers in happy states of mind once they've popped a pill.

Notice the HBR titles are also confident. They don't talk about things that might work, should work, or will loosely work. They will work. They've been proven to work. And they are specific, not grandiose.

If you're stuck without a title or concept for a campaign, close your eyes and create your own little movie, or scenario. What are your actors doing? Are they happy, unsatisfied, hungry, in trouble, struggling to survive? Capture the essence of your mini movie in your title.

Learn more about this author, Richard Fouts.
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