1980s Line of credit ad
Love this style ad. Catchy headline then great copy explaining how expensive credit cards are.
It reads:
Unfortunately, not everything made of plastic is cheap.
With most credit card interest rates hovering around 20%, you can save a lot of money by using our Personal Reserve℠ line of credit instead. It works with a regular Continental checking account to give you up to $5,000 worth of loans at just a 14% Annual Percentage Rate. You only have to qualify once. And you can write yourself a loan for as little as $50. Use your Personal Reserve Account for anything you might otherwise have bought with a credit card. Holiday gifts, for example. Or new home appliances.
Call 1-800-621-3817 and we’ll tell you how to apply quickly and easily. Then, if your credit is good, we’ll help you make it even better.
Continental Illinois
We work hard. We have to.
Keywords & Trends
7
Total Keywords
2
Brands
0
People
Top Keywords
Text Statistics
10th-12th grade level
148
Total Words
14
Total Sentences
11.0
Words / sentence
51
Flesch Score
Content Analysis
Main Topics
Key Messages
- • Credit cards are expensive due to high interest rates—around 20%.
- • Personal Reserve line of credit offers a lower rate at 14% APR.
- • Easy application process with Continental Illinois.
- • Better financial management and savings on purchases.
Copywriting Frameworks
The copy follows the classic Attention-Interest-Desire-Action progression.
Introduces an explicit problem (high credit-card interest) and immediately presents the advertiser’s product as the remedy.
The structure aligns with Problem, Agitation, Solution—though agitation is mild.
Lists concrete product features and links them to user-focused benefits.
Loosely maps to Picture-Promise-Prove-Push, though not as rigidly structured as classic PPPP.
Element Detection
