Aug 23, 2026 · 1h 3m · founders
How to Make Ads That Sell: Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
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In this episode of Founders, host David Senra analyzes the foundational marketing and copywriting principles of Claude Hopkins from his classic books Scientific Advertising and My Life in Advertising. The breakdown highlights Hopkins' insights on extreme work ethic, scientific testing, consumer psychology, and treating advertising as multiplied personal salesmanship.
Statements from this episode (23)
Senra: David Ogilvy built his advertising agency on Claude Hopkins' work
“And David Overby said, essentially, like, he built the foundation for his giant advertising agency that he founded, just on the work alone of Claude Hopkins.”
Senra: Albert Lasker made the most money in advertising history
“Albert Lasker is the person that made the most money in advertising ever.”
Senra: Albert Lasker locked Hopkins' manuscript in a safe for 20 years
“Albert Lasker read the book, told Claude Hopkins, absolutely not. You are not publishing this book. This is giving away all of our secrets. You have to wait until I'm done making all this money. Albert Lasker put the book into a safe for 20 years.”
Senra: Claude Hopkins is arguably history's greatest copywriter
“He's arguably the greatest copywriter in history. And he spent more time doing that than anybody else.”
Hopkins: A good product sells best through sampling and demonstration
“A good product
Is its own best salesman.
It is uphill work to sell goods without samples.”
Hopkins: Advertisers must never rely on personal preference over public testing
“We must never judge humanity by ourselves.
The things we want, the things we like, may appeal to a small minority.
The losses occasioned in advertising by venturing on personal preference would easily pay the national debt.
There are divided opinions, and so i…”
Senra: The largest compensation goes to those who directly drive profit
“The big salaries are paid to the salesman, to the men who bought in orders are to the men in the factory who reduce costs. They could increase profits, and if you can show profits, then you can command a reasonable share of those profits.”
Senra: No sales argument compares to a dramatic demonstration
“No argument in the world. Can ever compare with one dramatic demonstration.”
Senra: San Francisco tech companies run terrible, self-absorbed billboard ads
“And you look at the billboards, they have the worst. It's like some of the most valuable companies in the world. And some of the worst billboards you've ever seen, because all the billboards talk about is me. Buy my product.”
Hopkins: Advertising must treat prospects as individuals, not a mass
“We are too apt to regard people in the mass. We must get down to individuals. We must treat people in advertising as we treat them in person.”
Schlitz jumped from fifth place to first after Claude Hopkins' campaign
“Schlitz jumped from fifth place to neck and neck with first place in a few months.”
Hopkins: Advertising standard industry practices gives a brand exclusive, lasting prestige
“Again and again, I have told simple facts common to all makers in that industry, too common to be told, but they have been given the product first allied with them an exclusive and lasting prestige.”
Warren Buffett made more on Ogilvy's agency than David Ogilvy did
“In fact, interesting enough, Buffett made more money on Ogilvy's company than Ogilvy did because Ogilvy got scared and sold his equity too early before it appreciated.”
Hopkins / Senra: Free product samples given without effort lose perceived value
“Products handed out without asking lose respect. It is different when you force people to make an effort.”
Hopkins: Consumers respond far more to immediate cures than preventative measures
“People will do anything to cure a trouble, but little to prevent it. Countless advertising ideas have been wrecked by not understanding that phase of human nature. Prevention offers slight appeal to humanity in general.”
Senra: Advertisers should stick to a working ad rather than changing it
“Once you have an ad that works, stick to it. Stop changing it. Stop jumping around. They say this over and over again. You see people, modern day people make this mistake over and over again.”
Hopkins turned a $13,000 investment in Pepsodent into $700,000
“That 13,000 for that, those shares, it paid him 200,000 dollars of dividends. And then he also sold that, that 13,000 many years later for 500 grand.”
Hopkins: Mediocre advertising affects an entire business while poor salespeople affect only parts
“A mediocre salesman may affect a small part of your business. Mediocre advertising affects it all.”
Hopkins: The most effective ads never explicitly ask customers to buy
“The best ads ask no one to buy. The ads are based entirely on service. They offer wanted information. They cite advantages to users.”
Hopkins: Changing an ad's headline commonly multiplies returns five to ten times
“The identical ad run with various headlines differs tremendously in its returns. It's not uncommon for a change in headlines to multiply returns from five to 10 times over.”
Hopkins: Group-exclusive offers are far more effective than general offers
“If an offer is limited to a certain class of people, it is far more effective than a general offer. For instance, an offer limited to veterans of the war or to members of a lodge or to executives, those who are entitled to any seemingly advantage advantage by …”
Hopkins: Specific facts and exact figures multiply an advertisement's persuasive power
“Platitudes and generalities roll off the human understanding like water from a duck. They have no impression whatsoever to say best in the world, lowest prices, et cetera, are all at best simply claiming the expected. A definitive statement is usually accepted…”