Dirtiest Hotels of 2009: A Lesson in Sparking Curiosity

I got a broadcast email one day from TripAdvisor. I was just about to delete it when I noticed the subject line: The Dirtiest Hotels of 2009. That gave me pause. I read some of the quotes from people who'd stayed in these hotels: One said: "I have 30 bites from bugs in Room 919." And I had to click through. I had no choice. I had to know what the hotels were--and had I stayed at any of them? Are any of them in my hometown? You got me, TripAdvisor.

This ad worked because it made me curious...