đŠ Dangerous headlines that get you into good trouble
This happens EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Millions of web pages are unread, ignored and abandoned.
The reason? Boring headlines.
Between 2015 and 2019 Mr. Robot gave us 43 of the most intense, thought-provoking, emotional episodes in television history. Ever.
Mr. Robot tells the story of a genius hacker and an underground hacker group (Fsociety) trying to take down powerful corporations... AND save the World.
In the second season of Mr. Robot thereâs this scene when Angela is kidnapped and locked in a dark room. 4 hours later she meets Whiterose.
Whiterose is the leader of the Dark Army, a Chinese hacker group.
Angela is a childhood friend of Elliot Alderson (a cybersecurity engineer, hacker...and the main protagonist of Mr. Robot).
So Whiterose says, âYouâve been here close to four hours, and you never thought to walk out the door.â
Angela, puzzled, looks back to the door. Then she says, âThe door was locked.â
âWhiterose replies, âIâve always found doors fascinating inventions. They hold the entry to unlimited imagination.â
Then she adds, âBefore you open any door, a World filled with possibilities sits right behind it. And it isnât until you open it they are realized. Such potential they bring to our minds. And yet a lock stopped you from all of that. How...lazy. â
Every trade has it tricks. You see, in copywriting, getting peopleâs attention is the job of the headline.
In other words, the #1 job of your headline is to get people to read your second sentence.
OR as as ad legend David Ogilvy once said, âItâs the ticket on the meatâ.
But the reader will never read past the headline unless what you have to say is clear AND tells a relatable truth about your product or brand.
Thatâs why headlines are like doors. They serve as the connecting link to new possibilities on the other side.
Remember, a headline is a story.
You either make it intriguing and relatable, or you make it forgettable.
Most of us now are using AI tools to write our copy including website and advertising headlines.
Which is perfectly fine...unless you want your brand to get ignored.
You see, in 2026, good copy isnât about what you say â itâs about what happens (a reaction) in the readerâs head.
In short, a reaction implies: emotion, friction, memory, consequence. Paradoxically thatâs precisely where AI is weakest.
Thatâs because AI by design writes headlines that aim for approval.
But good human copywriters (*I canât believe Iâm writing this) know that a copywriterâs job is to âcross the lineâ and get your brand into good trouble.
Because good trouble means your brand stands out. And standing out creates impact.
And impact triggers a reaction. Which means your message is so memorable people notice, talk and do something about it.
The #1 problem with using AI tools for writing copy (in particular headlines), is that AI tools aim for clarity and approval.
AI is great for writing clearly about product facts.
The truth is, facts are facts, but facts alone arenât enough to persuade people.
Good copywriters know that anyone (even AI) can state facts about a product. But making those facts come alive in an interesting and dramatic way is harder.
Thatâs why good copywriters are obsessed with details. Like all the silly little facts and information behind a product.
For example: how itâs made, how it works, what motivates people to buy it, what makes people notice and what reaction do we want to cause.
Because facts donât persuade, but storytelling based on facts can be veeeeeeeeeery persuasive.
Which is why this is not another boring list of headline formulas. This is your playbook for writing headlines that:
Stick in the consumerâs mind like a cheesy song you didnât expect to love, but now canât stop humming.
Make your readers pause, think, smile, cringe, or gasp (sometimes all at once).
Give you permission to flirt with friction, defiance, or delight.
Inside, youâll get:
41 headline formulas ripped from my copywriting experiments with Fallen Grape, Visit Reykjavik, Funky Monkey Wines, and more.
A reaction selector that lets you choose the emotional risk youâre willing to take. Want bold defiance? Subtle discomfort? Pattern break? Pick what reaction you want your headline to cause.
My thought process behind every headline formula â why it works, why itâs dangerous, and how to bend it for your brand.
7 contrarian ideas that teach you to write headlines that make people stop scrolling, talk about your brand, and actually buy.
Itâs very simple, really. Whether youâre a solo copywriter, indie brand, or marketing rebel, these formulas:
Make your brand stand out.
Help you go Punk in a world where everyone else goes Pop.
Give you shortcuts to anti-boring, playful, visceral headlines. The kind AI canât write.
And even if the first headline you write with these formulas isnât perfect, the creative process will get your brain firing in ways AI tools wonât.
A free peek behind the curtain:
In a World saturated by AI slop if your headline doesnât cause a reaction, it causes amnesia. Now choose the reaction youâre willing to risk.
Pay what you want for my new eBook â normally $59.99, but for Creative Samba readers itâs just $19.99 (or more if youâre feeling generous) for the next 48h.
PS. $19.99? Thatâs way less than what youâd spend on caramel lattes alone during a week of feeding 1001 prompts to ChatGPT and still ending up with headlines nobody reads.
Your pal,
đ Founder Teardwn | Fractional Copy Chief for DTC and eCommerce startups
đ Newsletter: Creative Samba
đ Side projects: đ¶ Goob Hotels + âđŒ Nobody Reads Ads + đ Snackable Copy Tips