Brushing Up

I haven't created a spec ad in quite some time, so when I came across this print ad in a magazine-- I thought this was a great opportunity to brush up on my copywriting skills.

Exhibit A

By looking at that ad above, do you know what it's about? The headline is too long and wonky... not to mention the fact that it doesn't match the visual at all.

The bottom copy reads:
"Start today by finding out if you have Chronic Migraine. Knowing that what you've been living with has a name, means knowing you can find treatments that are right for you. After all, saying 'yes, I'll be there' ...and really being there... shouldn't be a luxury."

Then, it says "Don't live a Maybe life" because, you know, this ad is supposed to make me feel compelled to do something right this second.

Exhibit B

The above ad is my "after" version which includes a clean headline that speaks to the reader and ties in to the visual.

The bottom copy reads:
"If you experience 15 or more headaches a month, you may suffer from Chronic Migraine, a headache disorder that affects 3.2 million Americans, mostly women. Identifying the cause of your pain is the first step towards finding helpful treatments that are right for you."

I chose to include more information about how many people are affected by Chronic Migraine because it jumped out at me on their website. 3.2 million Americans is a lot of people, after all! Mainly women? Great, more info I would want as a reader. If I did suffer from migraines, these facts would make me want to visit the website to learn more.

I also took the bit about the "maybe life" out because maybe it didn't belong. (No, seriously, it didn't). It was cheesy and unnecessary.

So, what do my dear readers think? Thoughts? Observations? Criticisms about my basic Photoshop skills? :-) Don't hold back!