The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-06-17
A Talk on
Advertising

Some Observations on the Art of
Advertising and Its
Benefits.
Truman A. DeWeese in recent issue
of the Philistile gives US the following
excellent definition on this subject:
advertising is today the mightiest
factor in the business world. 1t is an
evolution of modern industrial COM
petition. 1t is business builder with
a potency that gees beyond human de-
sire. 1t is something more than the
drummer knocking at the door of the
coasumer-some.hing more than mere
salesmanship. on-paper. It is a positive
creative force in business. 1t makes
two blades of grass grow, in the busi-
ness world, where only one grew before.
1t multiplies human wants and inten-
SITES human desires. 1t furnishes ex-
cuse to the timorous and hesitating
ones for possessing things which under
former conditions they could easily get
along without. The human mind is SO
constructed that it is appreciably af-
fected by the repetition"
Eight million dollars were spent for
advertising in ten leading magazines
last year. This, although no small
item covers only part of one branch in
the advertising field. l believe it is
safe to conclude that the amount of
MOI ey spent annually in the daily
newspapers in the larger cities is dou.
ble, if not treble that amount. Al
though not prepared to state the exact
amount paid yearly for advertising in
newspapers, and periodicals and fol
, placards, posters, illuminations and SC
on, do not think $5O,OO0,OO0OO woulo
be very great exa ggeration.
Years ago it took quite some time tt
establish the stability of an article
Today with moCe n methods of ad
vertising, this is secured over night
!. Take for ap instance the recent epi
] demic of breakfast foods. The mos
! n IT table of these was advertised on ever,
Z post and pillar throughout the land
! ! Telling of the wonderful nutritiou
o properties of this food, and in catch,
8 verae how it changed the mythica
d "Jim Dumps" into "Sunny JIM" Nov
! the morning meal is not complete with
!. out some form of shredded hay.
il PIT. Barnum at one time widely ad
n vertise that he had horse whose tai
was where his head should be. Th
II thousands Of people whose curiosit
J, was arous e by this announcements sa,
h an ordinary horse backed into stal
= , Mr. Barnum lived up to the letter @
- his advertisement as much as the latter
is day "cure-alls," some of which claim t
g. cure everything from sprained ankI
: to leprosy. The way the truth
:. stretched at times in advertising recall
v story the writer recently read: !
q, gentleman was considering the pul
l. chase of some real estate in subur
= = of Chicago. As he stepped from tn
d train he inquired Of q small boy if b
it knew the location of certain lots. Th
r boy replied in the affirmative that the
e were about On hours walk from til
Nd depot. The gentleman said: "Yo
10 must be mistaken, because they are al
IN vertised to be ten minutes walk frol
TO the cars" "Well,s was the rejoinder
n. ~ the boy, ayou can believe me or not.
is am not trying to sell you any lots"
All firms or persons who advertise
ys any extent have publicity agent i
10 10 is usually an -to-the-minute ma
a keen, alive to the tastes of the publ
d. taking advantage of every opportuni
nd to keep his employers interests befo
, q the people. Nothing is sacred to the
in men. The sayings Of poets are apt
nd turned into an asiuring headline al
m no matter whore .you go you can n
~ get away from some Of their hant
,e work. The public is beginning to ii
I Of many forms Of oyeradvertising.
many cities socities have been form
by business men to try to curtail t