Updated Jan 2026. Read time: 6 minutes.
If you write ads, landing pages, or email, and you want swipe-worthy examples you can copy today, this is for you.
If you’re here for “copywriting theory,” skip it.
Below are classic and modern ad lines, plus the single lesson each one teaches.
From Marketers Remote, trusted by 1,800+ marketers.
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What you’ll get
10 ad copy examples (classic + modern)
1 lesson per example so you can steal the pattern fast
4 repeatable copy patterns you can use this week
Timeless Classics That Set the Standard
1. Volkswagen: “Think Small”
Volkswagen did the opposite of what the category was doing.
Everyone else sold “bigger, faster, more.” They sold honesty. They made the small size the point, not the problem.
Key takeaway: Flip the objection. If you name the weakness first, you control the frame.
If this example resonates, this breakdown of Ogilvy’s advertising principles explains why simplicity and framing still win.
2. Nike's "Just Do It"
This line is not clever. That’s why it works.
It’s short, direct, and it lets the reader project themselves into the message. It doesn’t explain. It commands.
Key takeaway: Don’t describe. Trigger identity.
A modern version of this approach is Jaguar’s “Copy Nothing” campaign, which used the same identity-driven logic in a very different era.
3. Apple's "Get a Mac" Campaign
Apple didn’t argue specs. They staged a social comparison.
They made the decision feel obvious, without sounding like a product sheet.
Key takeaway: Contrast beats explanation.
4. De Beers: “A Diamond Is Forever”
This wasn’t a product line. It was a belief.
They didn’t sell a diamond. They sold permanence. The line reframed the purchase into a life moment.
Key takeaway: Great copy often sells a meaning, not a feature.
5. Avis: “We Try Harder”
Avis turned second place into a reason to choose them.
The honesty signals effort. The effort signals care. The care signals trust.
Key takeaway: Credibility can be a confession.
Quick resources
If you want to go beyond examples and turn this into career leverage:
Paid expert calls: NewtonX matches marketers to 30-min consults ($150 to $500)
Modern Examples That Win Right
6. The Ordinary: “We are scientists, not celebrities.”
This line works because it draws a border.
It’s not trying to please everyone. It’s telling you what the brand refuses to be.
Key takeaway: A strong stance is a filter. Filters convert.
7. “In space, no one can hear you scream.” (Alien)
The line does one job: create tension.
It doesn’t summarize the movie. It makes you feel the risk.
Key takeaway: Don’t explain the story. Sell the emotion.
8. Coca-Cola: “Share a Coke”
This is not genius writing. It’s genius distribution.
They turned packaging into a social prompt. The copy doesn’t persuade. It invites.
Key takeaway: Sometimes the best copy is a behavior trigger.
9. Airbnb: “Belong Anywhere”
Airbnb didn’t compete on rooms. They competed on belonging.
That word carries safety, identity, and status in one hit.
Key takeaway: One good word can replace a paragraph.
10. Dove's "Real Beauty" Campaign
Dove picked a cultural tension and took a side.
It wasn’t “inclusive messaging.” It was a story people wanted to repeat.
Key takeaway: When you name a truth people feel, they spread it for you.
The 4 patterns behind most great ad copy
If you steal nothing else, steal these:
Flip the objection
Turn the “weakness” into the reason.Make it about identity
People buy who they get to be.Use contrast in 7 words
Mac vs PC. Scientists vs celebrities. Small vs big.Say the quiet part out loud
The line that feels slightly risky is usually the one people remember.
These patterns show up again and again inside strong marketing positioning frameworks, not just in ads.
Copywriting in the digital age (what actually changed)
Copywriting didn’t “die.” The environment changed.
Here’s what matters now:
1. Attention is rented, not owned
Your first two lines are your real headline. Not the title. Not the hero image.
If the first two lines don’t earn the scroll, you lose.
2. Micro-copy is revenue
Buttons, error states, tooltips, form labels.
Most brands spend weeks on ad copy and ship “Submit” on the most important button.
3. Personalization is expected
People don’t want “Hey {FirstName}.”
They want “This was written for my situation.”
4. AI makes average copy cheaper
So average copy stops working.
AI raises the baseline. It doesn’t create the edge.
The edge is still:
clarity
stance
taste
restraint
Measuring whether your copy works (no vanity metrics)
If you want to improve fast, track what’s hard to fake:
Scroll depth: Are people reaching the middle?
Time on page: Are they staying past 30 seconds?
Clicks to next step: Do they take a second action?
Saved or shared: Do they keep it, or forget it?
If your copy gets attention but no action, it’s entertainment.
Books worth studying (if you take this seriously)
Skip the endless threads. Learn the foundations.
Ogilvy On Advertising by David Ogilvy
Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz
Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly
Read one. Apply it for a week. Repeat.
Final Takeaway
If you only steal one thing from this list:
Your headline is not a description. It’s a decision.
Decide what you want the reader to believe, feel, or do.
Then write one line that makes that decision easy.
—Hakan | Founder, MarketersRemote.com