There are many reasons why you might want to write headlines. You might want to grab the attention of potential readers, gain social media shares, or sell a product. Sometimes, you might even want to do all of those things at once!
No matter what your goal is, you can most definitely use a little bit of headlines magic to help you out. And if you’re looking to become the best headline copywriter of all time? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s get to it.
The King of Headlines
There are so many ways to organize a list of the greatest headline writers of all time. We could go with the best short-form or long-form headlines. We could break it down by the 20th century or examine the work of different geographic regions. We could examine how many hits a headline got on a Google search or look at how many shares a headline got on social media. All of these are valid methods to determine the ‘greatest’ of anything.
But if we’re going to name a single individual as the ‘official’ king or queen of headlines, then we’ll have to go with Harry Brighouse. So let’s dive into his history.
Harry Brighouse
Harry Brighouse was the most prolific and popular of all time. Between 1896 and 1919, he wrote over 1,600 newspaper columns and his books have been published in numerous languages around the world. He was also a leading light in the British advertising industry and headed several large companies. All in all, he worked his way up through the ranks to become one of the most respected and decorated figures in the field of copywriting.
The son of a vicar, Harry grew up in a small village in Yorkshire, England. He began his copywriting career while at university, working for the Yorkshire Evening News. In later years, even as he entered his twilight years, he continued to work on various projects and even penned a book of poetry entitled “A Book of Sonnets”.
1896 – 1917: The Golden Years
During his career, Brighouse wrote for some of the most renowned publications of the day. He became famous for his work with the London Daily Mail where he promoted goods from Kellogg’s to Bovril to Colgate. During this time, he also wrote for the Yorkshire Evening News and served as their treasurer. It was at the Yorkshire Evening News where he began experimenting with short-form headlines.
In 1914, Brighouse took a position at the Daily Sketch, another famous publication run by the Daily Mail group. There he employed a number of tactics to expand the use of the short-form headline. He began experimenting with bold typeface and intricate design work. One of his first headlines was “Help! We’re Being Attacked by the Kaiser’s Men” and was later reprinted around the world. It’s widely considered one of the most iconic headlines of all time.
1918 – 1919: The Last Years
With the end of World War I, the use of headlines declined as people sought to move on from the trauma of the Great War. But Harry Brighouse wasn’t ready to give up his craft just yet. He turned to working for the British Red Cross, writing fundraising appeals and working with a team to make sure the appeals got into the hands of the intended recipients. During this time, he published his last book, “The Use of the Column in Persuasion” and worked on his final column for the Daily Mail. He also wrote a number of books on advertising after his retirement in 1934.
So, as you can see, Harry Brighouse was quite the man. He worked hard, wrote prolifically, and was responsible for much of the resurgence in headline writing that we see today. He is the perfect example of the saying “Age should not wither, it should only enhance your beauty.” And he definitely lived up to that adage. He will be missed by many but honored by the few who knew and loved him. Thank you for your service Mr. Brighouse.