The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-19

ception this form of advertising was
A ''hit;" proprietors of small stores OF
bles. restaurants, saloons and even un-
dertakers adopted 1t, and thence 1or-
ward it's success was unquesuoned-
! The electric sign is now the sole al,
vertisement of thousands OF ,l sInall ~
pIaces of business, is indispensable TO
| hundreds of large establishments, ana
has developed to a point where thou-
sands of dollars are spent on the con-
struction of a single spectacuIaT slsai
| of large size, using thousands of lamps
with perhaps a flashing mechanism OF
marvellous ingenuity, until electric
sign lighting has become one or the
| important branches OF electric service
| throughout the country; in fact In
Chicago 1 understand it amounts TO
almost eight per cent of the total
electric lighting service rendered.
| Having promptly proven its value
| this form of advertising has gained
| rapidly in popularity until today many
| merchants and others rent locations
| for signs when their own premises or
| business are not so located as TO orlng
| the public in frequent communfca-
ton. In fact there are at least two
prominent sign board advertising
agencies which make business OF
| securing options or rights for many
! of the best available roof spaces
! throughout the country, the use of
which is rented, together with well
executed electric signs Duflt to order
after special designs, the contract
price including the cost of illumina-
tion for a specified number of hours
burning per night or per month
That these opportunities are attrac-
tive to many advertisers of national
Importance is conclusively proven by
the successful existence of these
agencies. which in turn proves the
value of electricity as an advertising
medium.
Growth of Electric Signs.
"A conservative estimate of the
electric signs in the United States to-
day places the number at over 1oo,-
600. consuming an average of not
less than 4SO watts per hour, or
grand total of 10000 kilowatts per
hour or perhaps l should put this in
horsepower so that you may better
understand. Seventy-two thousand
kilowatts is equivalent to $4,000 horse
power At an average of s cents per
kilowatt the income from these
signs would be $5,760.00 per hour.
The average period of nightly illumi-
nation of electric signs is four hours,
which would make the total expendi-
ture per night for this form of adver-
tising a trifie over $4,000 or total
per annum of practically eight and
one-half millions of dollars 1 am not
attempting to defend electricity as an
advertising medium-it needs no de-
Tense. I am trying to prove its
worth and if this magnificent income
testimonial to the insanity of the
average American merchant.
There is a tremendous amount of
money spent each year for bill board
advertising. Electricity has prac-
ticaIIy doubled the value of this meth
Cd of advertising. By this method 1
mean bill boards or any form of per-
manent non-illuminated sign. The
advertising matter in these cases are
painted upon a solid base so as to
make an enduring and permanent
effect. These signs practically go out
of commission with the coming of
dark. They can, however be put in
the we never sleep class, by the
judiciously placed in refiectors just
above or about the sign or bill board |
The value of this class of advertising |
is thereupon Immediately doubled and |
again we prove the value of electricity |
as an advertising medium.
''It is not so many years ago that |
with the closing of shops and stores at |
the end of each days business, the |
window curtains were drawn and the |
merchant practically went out of busi- |
ness until daylight should again war |
rant his activity. Not so now. To- |
day when the wide awake merchant
closes his place of business he turns |
on the electric time switch and puts |
his best and most attractive goods on |
exhibition until whatever hour he may |
think necessary. when the time switch |
automatically shuts off the current |
and leaves the window dark or at the |
point to which science had progressed |
thirty years ago. Can it be said that |
such an agent as this has no value |
No! On the contrary it is impossible to |
fix the tremendous value it really has. |
1T is the natural tendency of hU- /
man nature to take notice, and conse- |
quently electric signs or electric Win |
dow illumination bring the town before |
q fra iS in
clined to stop off and try to do busi- |
ness in a town that has a wide awake |
appearance than the town where |
everything looks dark and asleep. This |
promotes progress because he incident |
ally leaves some money in the town /
and if he does any business he tells |
his friends and they tell their friends, |
that such and such a town is q good |
business town, and all these little |
developments make one great develop /
ment that spells growth and tends to /
make the big city. I am sure you |
have all heard of the Great White Way |
in New York. Now what is the Great /
White Way? 1t is simply Broadway |
with its multitude of beautiful illu- |
minated signs which are the talk of /
everyone who has ever been there. 1t !
is d silent bid for business and when |
daylight comes the visitor returns to |
Broadway, because his impression of |
it was magnetic. The electric sign, |
like much advertised remedy. works /
into the minds of all who see it, is |
refinement in the art of advertising
an evidence of progreSsiveness and /
prosperity, and l might add entirely /