Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-03-24
HOW THE BRITISH ADVERTISE
Something More Than Hard Facts in
Their Appeal to Public-HaVe De-
cided Literary Quality.

are certainly ahead of Americans in
personal appeal, the New York Sun
says. In Situations Wanted" and
Help Wanted" their advertisements
have a decided literary quality that is
lacking in those Of this country. There
is sameness about most Am erican adj
vertisements Take, for instance, the
familiar lines:
"Stenographer wants position; ten
years experience; highest refer
ences."
You haven't a glimmering Of the
sort of person who is advertising. You
know only that it Is male or re
male,'' according to the heading OF
the column.
1t Is the same with the woman who
wants Homework. Almost never Is
there any clue to the kind of person
who is behind the advertisement.
By way of contrast, read the adTer-
tisements in the English newspapers
and you will find the vivid pictures,
almost romances, of the advertisers.
Here is an lad" taken from racent
copy of the London Times:
"GentleWOman, refined, nice appear
ance, very reduced circumstances, de-
sires temporary or occasional employ
ment; only expert accomplishment
graphology and physiOgnOmy.
Imagine, if you can, such an adver-
tisement appearing in the columns OF
q newspaper in this prosaic town. Few
women in this city would advertise
their reduced circumstances" any
how, for it is generally believed here
that in order to get employment you
must appear not to need 1t. Another
London newspaper published this aa'
vertisement a few months ago;
Young man studying for the church
must have Immediately $50 or his
whole career is wrecked"
And yet they say the Anglo-Saxons
hide their emotions!
Still another:
will any lady or gentleman give
employment to young lady left with
widowed mother penniless"
1t would be interesting to know
what response the following advertise
ment brought:
Has anyone good position, home or
abroad, to offer man of good birth and
education, with no special abilities and
no particular merits save integrity ana
intelligence"
Even more urgent is this. recalling
the situation of poor Nora in lbsen's
DOLLS House,"
Young wife wants to know If there
is not some kind wealthy person who
will give her c 80 to take invalid hus-
band to the seashore. Unless he can
have the trip his life is despaired OF.
Something of the comedy element IN
this:
Young married couple without
means wish to be adopted by wealthy
grandparents"
Even the advertisements of socie-
ties take on a more intimate and per-
sonal tone than those in American
newspapers. The S. P. c. A. might
take leaf from the book OF the Eng
lish organization by copying this ad'
vertisement, which is appearing THIS
summer in London papers:
You are earnestly desired to make
nroyision for your cats or other pets
while your house is empty during the
holidays, and so save them from the
terrible suffering of starvation or
other cruelties when left in empty
houses or turned adrift in the streets"
Then you have the people who adj
vertise their rooms and board. They
are not satisfied to give simply street
and house number, as is done in this
country. They have something like
this:
"a barrister says, After two years
residence | can confidently say that l
g . D Gardens, Chelsea, is the
most comfortable, up-to-date, and has
the finest table of any residential ho-
tel"
So it runs in all their advertising.
The pages devoted to advertising pur'
noses. whether Of houses, lands, help
or work wanted, are full of character.
not to say charm, and you gain bet.
ter and clearer idea of the people from
them than from whole volumes on Tie
social life of England.