The Headline Formula That Works on Every Type of Customer

Summary

Podcast Summary: Brain Driven Brands
Episode: The Headline Formula That Works on Every Type of Customer
Host: Sarah Levinger
Date: July 30, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Sarah Levinger and co-host Nate dive deep into a proven headline formula used by some of the most successful e-commerce brands. They discuss how this deceptively simple copywriting tactic appeals to every type of customer—confident or insecure, optimistic or pessimistic—and breaks down actionable neuromarketing insights you can apply to your brand, ad copy, and creative direction. Listeners will hear stories, tactical steps, and real-world examples from brands like True Classic, Spotify, and industry experiences, plus expert advice on choosing words that truly convert.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Universal Headline Formula (02:39–04:24)

• Formula Structure:
  -"Our [products] are [adjective] and [adjective], just like the [customers] who use them."
  • Examples:
    • “Our watches are rugged and dependable, just like the men who wear them.”
    • "Knives are sharpened to the point, like the chefs who trust them."
    • "This whiskey is bold and complex, like the guys who drink it."
    • "Our rings are insanely strong and uniquely beautiful, just like the moms who wear them."
  • Works for every brand type and product category; highly flexible.

Quote (Nate, 02:39):
“This format is… saying our products are adjective and adjective, just like the target customer who uses it. …This headline format is smart and efficient, just like the copywriters who use it.”

2. Why the Formula Works Psychologically (03:37–04:39)

• Dual State Appeal:
  • The formula resonates with both optimistic/confident and pessimistic/insecure customers.
  • Confident customers self-identify: “Yeah, that’s me.”
  • Insecure customers aspire: “I want to be seen that way.”
• Emotionally Precise:
  • Goes beyond pain points/preferences and touches the “soul” of the customer.

Quote (Nate, 03:39):
“When a confident guy reads that these watches are rugged and dependable, like the guys who wear it, he thinks, ‘Yeah, that’s me. I should get that watch because I’m rugged and dependable.’ … When a guy who’s insecure reads that, he thinks, ‘Oh, I want to level up… that’s how I want to be perceived. I’ll buy that to try to level up to that identity.’”

3. The Importance of Choosing Specific, Resonant Adjectives (05:29–07:09)

• Start with Customer Reviews:
  • Analyze reviews to extract real adjectives customers use.
  • Ask AI tools for a large list (at least 30), but avoid generic descriptors.
• Upgrade Language:
  • Use a thesaurus to refine and elevate basic customer words without losing core emotion.
  • Adjectives must flatter consumers—words like “insanely strong” or “uniquely beautiful” carry emotional weight and specificity.

Quote (Sarah, 06:19):
“Reading some of the ones that you chose—rugged, dependable, sharp, to the point, bold, complex, reliable, beautiful, insanely strong—it’s interesting because it’s not a very generic way to describe something. … As a customer, I want you to flatter me a little bit.”

4. Speed and Immediate Impact (07:09–08:06)

• Get the Point Across Fast:
  • Great headlines encapsulate emotional identity and product attribute instantly—often in under 11 words.
  • Effective for headlines, static ads, even informing broader creative strategy.

Quote (Nate, 07:09):
“I think it just gets the point across really quick… you’re not always going to get someone to read paragraphs. But a static ad headline that just says rugged and dependable, just like dad, gets the point across so quick.”

5. Building Creative and Brand Direction Around Winning Adjectives (09:37–10:25)

• Let Copywriting Guide Creative:
  • Use top-performing adjectives to conceptualize photo shoots, branding, and wider marketing assets.
  • Adjective insights should inform the entire funnel, not just copy.

Quote (Nate, 09:37):
“We’d write and test a headline like this, and then we’d figure out… rugged and dependable are the winning adjectives. That informed our next photo shoot. … When we got rugged with it, it performed way better.”

6. Practical Steps & Homework (10:38–11:51)

• Action Plan for Listeners:
  • Mine your reviews and feedback for emotion-rich adjectives.
  • Write several versions of the headline formula with these adjectives.
  • Test them in ads and landing pages.
  • Expand winners into branding, photo shoots, and content direction.
  • Avoid generic words like “good,” "great," or “favorite.”

Quote (Nate, 11:38):
“Go figure out… good words. Don’t use words like good and great and best and favorite… Choose rich adjectives that your customers will resonate with and go write a few of these headlines, put them on static ads, test them… then depending on what adjectives win, go build funnels and photo shoots and content and work with creators based on what those adjectives are.”

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On copywriters’ evolving role (09:14):

  “Copywriting is the whole job these days because you’re script writing, you’re headline writing, your landing page life, all these things. … You can apply [these headline lessons] to anything.” —Sarah

• On copywriting foundations (10:25):

  “Copywriting in general… is the foundation of marketing and if you’re doing it right, it should inform everything else you’re doing.” —Nate

• On embracing iteration (08:22):

  “Just get reps in… adjectives rugged and dependable performed 40% better than rugged and unique. So just get reps in. Play around with the structure.” —Nate

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:48 — Nate introduces the “works on every brand” headline format.
• 01:15–03:37 — Backstory on spotting copy that ‘gets the soul’ of the customer.
• 03:39–04:39 — Why the formula appeals to both confident & insecure buyers.
• 05:29–07:09 — How to find and hone truly resonant adjectives.
• 07:09–08:06 — The benefit of concise, identity-driven headlines.
• 09:37–10:25 — Letting copywriting dictate brand visuals and creative.
• 10:38–11:51 — Step-by-step homework and final action plan.

---

Takeaways for Listeners

• The best headlines mirror a customer's identity or aspiration, appealing across mindsets.
• Mining emotional language from real customers—and then upgrading it—is crucial.
• Testing headlines should be the starting point for wider creative and brand decisions.
• This single formula is a proven, flexible tool to boost performance in any e-commerce context.

---

Connect with the hosts:

• Twitter: @SarahLevinger
• Twitter: @8Legos (Nate)

---

“Go write a few of these headlines, put them on static ads, test them… then build the rest of your marketing around the adjectives that win.” —Nate (11:38)

Transcript

[A]

Welcome back to Brain Driven Brands. It is Friday afternoon. I've had a tough couple weeks, if I'm being honest.

[B]

You have.

[A]

Sarah's been interrupting me for, like, 10 minutes. We've been trying to record this intro, and she won't shut up.

[B]

Hey, I interrupted twice.

[A]

How are you doing today?

[B]

Also great. Yeah. I feel like we got to after 4th of July, and all of a sudden the brands were like, oh, yeah, Fourth of July.

[A]

Yeah. Black Friday is coming up quick.

[B]

Exactly. I've got a lot of inbound, which is lovely. Please don't talk to me, guys. I just love hearing about your businesses, about what you're doing. But it's a. It's been crazy. I mean, everybody's prepping. I can already tell. Here comes Q4. Well, not even close.

[A]

Let's get a little tactical and practical, if you don't mind.

[B]

Let's do it. I'm ready.

[A]

Because we've had a bunch of episodes where we talk about what, like, how good I am at marketing. We all know that today. Today I want to bring up a headline format that's crushed with every brand I've seen. Try it. And I want to talk about why it works.

[B]

I think.

[A]

I love. I'd love to hear this intro from your perspective. Can you walk people through what this format is and give some of the examples that we've got?

[B]

I can tell a very good story around this, actually. The first time I met Nate, he was working for a brand that sold luxury watches. And the reason why I think I really appreciated your marketing style is because some of the headlines that I had read that you had wrote were very deep. Now, the interesting part was, is I grew up in the culture of the people that you were targeting. So, like, my dad was a cowboy, and, like, I didn't grow up pure farm life, but I had farm life kids. That was all I hung out with.4H. Like, I mean, that was like, my childhood. People are going to be weirded out by this because I don't embody that anymore.

[A]

But Sarah was a horse girl.

[B]

I was a horse girl for a very long time. So in reading all of your headlines, I was like, this guy gets it. Like, he just understands the soul of the customer. Not the preferences, not the pain points. You understood the soul of this person. All the headlines that I had read were like, these are good. I can tell he gets. Until we got to this headline. I know exactly which one you're talking about. This one in particular was like, damn. And it's interesting because I've Seen you use it in other places. And it works, which means in my psychological base mind that I'm constantly using. Nate understands souls of humans and has pretty much captured that in a format that you can reuse again and again and again. Did I get that right?

[A]

Yeah, I think you nailed it. So this format is play away around with the. The wording a bit, but the basic format is saying our products are adjective and adjective, just like the target customer that uses it. So, yes, our watches are rugged and dependable, just like the men who wear them. Knives are sharpened to the point, like the chefs who trust them. This whiskey is bold and complex, like the guys who drink it. Yes, our rings are insanely strong and uniquely beautiful, just like the moms who wear them. And then I end this tweet with this headline. Format is smart and efficient, just like the copywriters who use it. So this works everywhere. I've seen it work for every different category that I've worked with. I've seen other brands do their own versions that work really well, and I think I finally figured out why.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

I think this works because it's the only headline that I've ever seen work to both positively and negatively. Mind state customers. We talk a lot about, like, how do we approach someone who views their problem optimistically or pessimistically? We've talked about how do we sell to someone who's confident or insecure. I think this does it to everyone, because when a confident guy reads that these watches are rugged and dependable, like the guys who wear it, he thinks, yeah, that's me. I should get that watch because I'm rugged and dependable. When a guy who's insecure reads that rugged, independable guys wear this watch, he thinks, oh, I want to level up.

[B]

Yeah, I want to be.

[A]

That is how I want to be perceived. I don't currently feel that way, so I'll buy that to try to level up to that identity. I think nothing else I write works to both people, and I think this does.

[B]

Yep, yep. That's the reason why I put the word soul on this. Like, and there's, there's something deep about that when it gets. When it comes to marketing, because I think it's very difficult honestly, to write good copy these days. A lot of us are writing with AI we already did a whole rant session on that. But this particular format, I. I think it's just very well attuned to the core of who somebody is or who somebody wants to be, like you said, so You've got that good, like, split. But it also does something interesting because the adjectives you choose are usually very specific. And I. I mean, that's what I called out first. Like, I love your analysis on this. The secondary thing I see to that is you're very good at choosing very good adjectives to describe the people and the product, and it could apply to both. So I want to hear from you, like, how do you pick those adjectives?

[A]

Starts with customer reviews. I'll upload everything to Claude and say, okay, list me out the most 30 common adjectives. And you have to ask for that many, because the top 15 are all going to be like, good, great, Beth, don't use those in your copy. I. I had to explain that to a client the other day. He's like, hey, like, this headline's great. It's winning, but it doesn't really sound like it's written in the customer's tone of voice. And I was like, yeah, because your customers are bad writers. Okay? Like, we need to capture their emotions but leave out their word choice sometimes.

[B]

Well, I'm a big, like, vocabulary person, and I'm weird, and I have been using thesaurus for, like, my entire marketing career because I don't want it to say, like, it's, you know, nice.

[A]

It's great.

[B]

Stable, steady. Yeah. Like, I mean, just reading some of the ones that you chose. Rugged, dependable, sharp, to the point, bold, complex, like, reliable. Like, I'm just, like, beautiful, insanely strong. This is interesting because it's not a very generic way to describe something. This is the reason why I'm like, if you struggle with it, if AI is struggling with it, I use it, the source, all the time. Cause I. I don't. I want to be. As a customer, I want you to flatter me a little bit. Insanely strong, uniquely beautiful. Just like the moms who wear them. I'm like, thank you.

[A]

Yet don't you want.

[B]

I am insanely strong and uniquely beautiful. So this is lovely. Okay, so adjectives are part of this. The ability to target two people are part of this. Give me, like, one more part. Like, what else do you think this headline does for people?

[A]

I think it just gets the point across really quick. And like, I, I, yeah, yeah. Like, I. I think it says so much more than the whatever, 11 words that it is. And, you know, we've built out concepts based on this that are much longer. You know, we. We built out the long brand copy at OG to talk about exactly who it's for, the kind of Activities that those guys do, you know, it's for late night conversations over a bottle of whiskey. It's for building yourself a life worth remembering. All that's great, but you're not always going to get someone to read paragraphs. But a static ad headline that just says rugged and dependable, just like dad gets the point across so quick. Says everything you need to say without wasting a word. So that's why I think it's just worked time and time again. And, like, it's like one of my first tests for every new client I get right now. Just because it's such an easy win.

[B]

Yeah. How do I get better at this? I. I would consider myself an intermediate copywriter because I started as a graphic designer. Like, I. I didn't start in copy. I had to learn it as I went along. And I can. I have taste, so I can tell when a headline's good, but it takes me a while.

[A]

Just get reps in. Like, I think I included it in this tweet that, like, the adjectives rugged and dependable performed 40% better than rugged and unique. So, like, just get reps in. Play around with the structure a bit.

[B]

Don't you have something coming up, though? You have like, a copywriting, like, boot camp coming up?

[A]

I do have a copywriting camp coming up. Starts beginning of August. You guys should get in on that.

[B]

Do I have to pay? Do I have to pay it?

[A]

I might give you a little bit of a discount, but there's only three tickets left. Two tickets left.

[B]

Oh, my. Not really. Dang. Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You even sell this is great. It small. I would 100% take it. Best investment the entire year.

[A]

Yeah, I think so. It's a couple grand, but, I mean, I would take that before I spent my next 500. 100 grand on ads to make sure they work a little bit better.

[B]

I. Copyrighting is the whole job these days because you're script writing, your headline writing, you're, you know, landing page life, all these things. This, though, it really interesting because I. I like the fact that this is headline static focused. But the core pieces of it, like the takeaways of it, you can apply to anything.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Like a better adjective use. Right. Well, being like, target two people at once. Yeah. All these different things.

[A]

So something I think we did so great at OG is like, we'd write and test a headline like this, and then we'd figure out, like, okay, rugged and dependable are the winning adjectives. Time and time again, that informed our next photo shoot. Like, we changed the studio and the scenes that we were setting up with that word rugged in mind. Up until then, our photo shoots, I would have called them polished and clean and at times a little too sterile. But when we got rugged with it, it performed way better. So that's what I love about, I mean, copywriting in general. I think it's like the foundation of marketing and if you're doing it right, it should inform everything else you're doing and you should take, you know, from what you learn in different copy tests and expand that to your entire funnel.

[B]

Yep, yep. I would agree with this a hundred percent. You've had some that have hit so well so many times that now you've probably got like a bank.

[A]

I'm like, yeah, I've got a doc that I probably should just put in a PDF and sling at this point.

[B]

You.

[A]

But I'm resisting the urge to be a course guy. I know I'm running a copywriting camp coming out, but that's done with you. I'm doing work with all of you individually, but yeah, no, at this point I've got a Rolodex of like probably like 12 or like 14 concepts that I can go to for basically any brand I work with. That's like, cool. This is going to give us a good foundation to test on. I'll see what works. I'm starting to see some trends of like, certain things work better for different categories. But yeah, it's been fun. I love this part of the job. A super easy homework for brain driven brands. This week. Go figure out the most common, not the most common, but you know, some common adjectives that your customers use that are good words. Don't use words like good and great and best in favorite. Those are not good words. Choose rich adjectives that your customers will resonate with and go write a few of these headlines, put them on static ads, test them on your landing pages, and then depending on what adjectives win, go build funnels and photo shoots and content and work with creators based on what those adjectives are.

[B]

Boom. That's a winner. I have nothing to add. That was so good.

[A]

Thank you. Brain driven brands. Follow Sarah Levenger on Twitter. You can follow me at 8Legos and we'll, we'll see you guys next time.

[B]

Thank you so much for joining us on the show today. Appreciate you guys listening. If you want to follow me, I'm at Sarah Lovinger. Anywhere you consume content, he is Nate Legos. If you like this show and if you like this episode, go ahead and like subscribe share with a friend. Drop us a review when you have a minute. We would appreciate it. Otherwise, have a great week. We'll see you next time.