Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-03
meNpoARD ADVERTISING AFArLuRR
showing Made by the American
scenic Preservation society.
]

New York Tribune.
The tenth annual report Of the American
Scenic and Historic Preservation society
to the legislature OF which we have re-
eeived proof sheets, contains some inter
esting facts about the effectiveness Of the
outdoor advertising that does so much to
mar the beauty Of our cities and country
side. OF course, any newspaper comment
on this subject always invites the jibe that
It is inspired by petty desire to preserve
q monopoly OF the advertising business.
But the figures given in the report con-
corning the small proportion OF advertising
expenditures directed by large and sue
cessful advertisers to poster publicity.
which inficts injury so utterly out Of pro-
portion TO it's commercial usefulness, should
In this case serve to avert that reproach.
II Is evident that the newspapers and mag
azlnes have little TO fear from the sign
board. Even those who use posters for
certain lines OF advertising realize that
their effectiveness is strictly limited to a
few kinds OF articles. And at least the
scenic society, which is responsible for the
discussion, cannot be charged with COM
mercial motives, or with any purpose ex
cept to protect the community from a
plague of ugliness.
The scenic society sent letters TO four
teen of the largest advertisers in the
United States, who are credited with spend
ing from $4,000 to 81 10000 a year, asking
them about their expenditures, the proper
ton spent on outdoor or poster advertising
their Views as to its usefulness, and other
questions along that line. The answers are
highly encouraging to those who hope to
live to see the day when fields and rocks
and city facades will no longer be disfg-
ured with garish notices OF pills and pow
InNa - -. % "a nnA.
to $4,000 year on advertising, devotes
only about per cent Of this sum to out
door advertising, and does not regard It
as a favorable medium. Another firm has
spent from few hundred to several thou
sand dollars out OF an advertising budget
OF $4,000 on street car and other posters,
but has been disappointed in the results
and has discontinued that method. A com
pany whose annual advertising bills
amount to $4,000 reports: "Outdoor adj
vertisng is not profitable compared with
other forms unless we want to impress the
name of an article on the peoples minds"
For that purpose the company believes a
small percentage of it's expenditure is
useful. Officers Of a company advertising
to about the same extent report that they
have spent a great deal on outdoor adver-
Using and. think some OF It has paid"
year to advertising spends nothing out Of
doors In the United States or Canada, but
from one-third to one-half of its allotment
for Cuba in that fashion, on the theory
that the people there are largely illiterate
and can be reached in no other way. The
general manager of a large concern reports
that after experiment he has stopped out
door advertising, and adds perhaps in
some new country, or with new product.
1t might be profitable, but l would rather
doubt it."
All this would seem to indicate that the
poster inundation is likely to subsde As
a new and striking bid for publicity It nat
urally had great vogue, but, now that
solid business men are counting the results
and finding them unsatisfactory we may
hope to see the nuisance largely abated
If sound commercial reasons supported the
posters the fight to restrict their ugliness
would be. most arduous, but II commerce
and beauty work side by side there is good
reason 20 hope for a gradual clearing away
of these excrescences upon the landscape