As one of the greatest copywriters of all time, Claude Hopkins developed phrases and methods that had a deep impact on the advertising world and brought a great success to his clients. He wrote one advertisement for Van Camp Evaporated Milk that brought in more than 1.46 million coupons. By learning the science behind brewing, Hopkins was able to organize and write a campaign that propelled Schlitz Beer from fifth place to a tie with Budweiser for first.
Hopkins’ success as a copywriter led him to the presidency of Lord & Thomas, where he helped to build the agency into an advertising powerhouse. By 1927 the agency stood behind only J. Walter Thompson in total billings. It was Hopkins’ talents and his partnership with Albert Lasker that made this success story a possibility.
Hopkins wrote two books, My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising, which quickly became classics in the advertising industry. Scientific Advertising outlined the basic tenets of his philosophy. David Ogilvy praised Hopkins’s book, proclaiming "Nobody should be allowed to have anything to do with advertising until he has read this book seven times. It changed the course of my life."
Hopkins greatest contribution to the advertising industry was clearly his insistence that advertising should be scientifically tested and proven as a sales tool. His strong advocacy of "reasons why" advertising led him to adopt many innovative methods for promoting a product. He was the first copywriter to put coupons in ads offering a free sample of the product and a pioneer in the field of test marketing. Hopkins also emphasized the importance of strategic preparation to cut waste.