Middletown transcript., 1869-01-23
Tn. v.s.ras. Of Advertising,


We have long contemplated indltihg a |
few thoughts on this subject, but Il Is 50 |
vast IN It's proportions that we feel unable
to do it justice In the space usually al
iottea TO newspaper article. The de-
vices resorted to by advertisers to attract
public attention are SO numerous, that like
the unnumbered mercies of Providence,
referred TO BY the Psalmist, "if we should
speak Of them, or declare them, they are
more than We are able to express" and
good natured publishers do their best to
gFathy these whims and capriccs, at the
expense Of the beauty and symmetry of
their respective papers, and often to the
dctriment of their subscribers, whose in
terests or claims upon the consideration of
publishers, are seldom taken into the ac-
count. One wants his advertisement to
be inserted next to the "reading matter"
and will have it no where else; another
wants his next to the markets, or the
deaths and marriages; third wants his
in the Especial notices )" and more fas-
tidious than all the rest, fourth wants
his interspersed here and there among the
items Of news; and others will be con-
tented with no place but the "local COL
umn." Some prefer an outside berth,
like passenger upon the boot of a stage
coach, and have their advertisement out
side Of the page and stretched across the
bottom or the top of it. One wants his
advertisement TO run up and down the
column, instead of across it while an
other prefers his upside down, as though
people would stand upon their heads to
read it. Another wants an inch or two
Of blank space, at top and bottom, while
some want huge letters along the side, or
extending from top to bottom, worked
into the centre of the column, making the
sheet look moro like handbill than an
ordinary newspaper. All crave large
cuts and large type, if possible to get
them, no matter how much they disfgure
the appearance of the sheet. Some want
adevice like the scrawl of pen at each
corner Of the advertisement, while some
prefer lines drawn across the advertise
ment like the letter x. Some want the
words to be extended from side to side,
xigzagging like worm fence, and others
repeat the same word many times set up
in the form of q cross, or letter T, or
other device, representing the initials or
names Of the advertiser, or some article
advertised. Some employ monograms,
trade marks, or oabalIstic letters, to sci
people to guessing what they mean, and
thus TO fix attention upon their wares
Very few are content with plain, sensi.
'bls wording Of their publications, and
underrate the common sense and appre
citation Of the public by resorting to sucl
tricks and expedients to attract the public
sys. They are on the increase too
Every imaginable contortion Of Wort
O. letter., every oatre shape or form
q which type are capable-diamonds
circles. squares. hearts, crosses, OBJ
longs, triangles, ellipses. and every i'm
agniable curve or plane known to geom
etry, all are brought into requisition t,
satisfy the advertiser.
We said. in the beginning, that tn
subject was too vast to be disposed of with
out devoting more space to it than we 6n
il convenient to spare. We have onl
touched upon its confines, but will have t
bring our article to a close. As the sub
ject concerns all newspaper publishers W
hope they will give it some attention i