Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-14
RISE OF THE ADVERTISEMENT.
in the Manner and Method
of Promoting Trade.
st. Louis Globe.Democrat


There was q time when the advertising
columns of the newspaper presented mo-
notcuous appearance from day to day. They
were written in formal style and condensed
to few outlines. All that is changed. a
look now through the advertising matter Of
a live newspaper is interesting and 10 many
even fascinating. But an eXamlcation of t
is far more than pastime. 1t is full OF valu-
able business points and opportunities aud
brings clearly to mind Cowper's thought of
"a map of busy life, it's fluctuations aud its
vast concerns" With an increase OF vital
ity in advertising has come the writing OF
advertisements as a profession. The aim is
not to be literary, though q good advertise
ment has claims in that direction. Flashing
an idea clearly into the mind is the purpose.
In the most lucid words and the mcst taking
form the expert writer Of advertisement
seeks to impress the reader with what is
offered and the best reasons why it should
be purchased. First catch the eye, then the
attention, then the judgment, and the object
is attained.
In this way glance over the Advertising
pages has come to be like walk through a
street of great bazaars, with show windows
full Of ticl1eted goods on every hand; or
like a great clearance house on the inteIli-
gence office plan. where the reader at his
ease may select what he wants or offer
what somebody else will want. There is no
HUlee, no CrCWulnS, no waste OF Time, no
| importantly that cannot be dismissed with
out word. Another excellent feature OF a
live advertisement is its verify 1t costs
money and means business. 1t Is not
printed for the fun of the thing. Then it is
presented in honest rivalry and must stand
the test in columns that are open to all
| the respectable elements of trade on equal
terms. In the course of time the public
becomes acquainted with the methods of
each advertiser and quickly acquires an apt
ness in selection. The name of the steady
advertiser at length becomes household
word.
| Sometimes it is said that large part of
! the feminine world on opening newspaper
| read the marriages and deaths and then
| turn to the fresh advertisements. 1t would
| bo nearer the fact to say that a woman
who is the head OF family reads the i'm
| portant news and then settles down to study
! the advertisements that touch her round of
duties. Such course is perfectly natural
and businesslike. Men look over advertise
ments for the same reason, though in the
| line of their own daily transactions. The
laws OF choice is at work in both cases. All
| mankind love a bargain and all desire to
| keep up with the spirit OF the times. So
the utilities and the attTactiveness of ad
Vertising grow from year to year. The
| specially trained writer and the artist COM
bine to render it more pleasing and effective
and all possible typographical ingenuities
| are employed to the same end. Advertise
ments are frightened also, by the value of
newspaper space. There may have been a
time when the eye of the reader avoided
the advertising columns, but that is past
l Ihis is an era of enterprise in news and
no less of successful progress in adver-
tiSng