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before explaining the details
    of the product. He then describes the product, typically with a
    demo, and repeats the headline immediately upon ending the
    explanation.

    For example, here is how Jobs introduced GarageBand for the
    first time: “Today we’re announcing something so cool: a fifth
    app that will be part of the iLife family. Its name is GarageBand.
    What is GarageBand? GarageBand is a major new pro music
    tool. But it’s for everyone. ”9 J obs’s slide mirrored the headline.
    When he announced the headline for GarageBand, the slide on
    the screen read: “GarageBand. A major new pro music tool.” Jobs
    followed the headline with a longer, one-sentence description of
    the product. “What it does is turn your Mac into a pro-quality
    musical instrument and complete recording studio,” Jobs told
    the audience. This is typical Jobs method for introducing a
    product. He reveals the headline, expands on it, and hammers it
    home again and again.
    The Excitement of the Internet,
    the Simplicity of Macintosh
    The original iMac (the “i” stood for Internet) made getting on the
    Web easier than ever. The customer had to go through only two
    steps to connect to the Internet. (“There’s no step three,” actor
    Jeff Goldblum declared in one popular ad.) The introduction

    CREATE TWIT TERLIKE HEADLINES 43
    captured the imagination of the computer industry in 1998 and
    was one of the most influential computer announcements of the
    decade. According to Macworld.com, the iMac redeemed Steve
    Jobs, who had returned to Apple in 1997, and it saved Apple
    itself at a time when the media had pronounced the company
    all but dead. Jobs had to create excitement about a product that
    threw some common assumptions out the window—the iMac
    shipped with no floppy drive, a bold move at the time and a
    decision met with considerable skepticism.

    “iMac combines the excitement of the Internet with the sim-
    plicity of Macintosh,” Jobs said as he introduced the computer.
    The slide on the screen behind Jobs read simply: “iMac. The
    excitement of the Internet. The simplicity of Macintosh.” Jobs
    then explained whom the computer was created to attract: con-
    sumers and students who wanted to get on the Internet “simply
    and fast. ”10
    The headlines Steve Jobs creates work effectively because
    they are written from the perspective of the user. They answer
    the question, Why should I care? (See Scene 2.) Why should you
    care about the iMac? Because it lets you experience “the excite-
    ment of the Internet with the simplicity of Macintosh.”
    One Thousand Songs in Your Pocket
    Apple is responsible for one of the greatest product headlines
    of all time. According to author Leander Kahney, Jobs himself
    settled on the description for the original iPod. On October 23,
    2001, Jobs could have said, “Today we’re introducing a new,
    ultraportable MP3 player with a 6.5-ounce design and a 5 GB
    hard drive, complete with Apple’s legendary ease of use.” Of
    course, Jobs did not say it quite that way. He simply said, “iPod.
    One thousand songs in your pocket. ”11 No one could describe it better in more concise language. One thousand songs that could
    fit in your pocket. What else is there to say? One sentence tells
    the story and also answers the question, Why should I care?
    Many reporters covering the event used the description in
    the headline to their articles. Matthew Fordahl’s headline in the
    Associated Press on the day of the announcement read, “Apple’s

    44 CREATE THE STORY
    New iPod Player Puts ‘1,000 Songs in Your Pocket.’ ”12 App le’s headline was memorable because it meets three criteria: it is concise (twenty-seven characters), it is specific (one thousand songs), and it offers a personal benefit ( you can carry the songs in your pocket).

    Following are some other examples of Apple headlines that
    meet all three criteria. Although some of these are slightly lon-
    ger than ten words, they