The Glenwood post., 1911-07-01
Advertising
alks
MODERN ADVERTISING


golden anniversary-since John Wana-
maker started his commercial venture
in Philadelphia. But the time named
has passed and cannot now be short
ened.
The event of this merchants begin
ming was, 1t seems. somewhat brave
although 1t began quite small. with a
dream of great development later
The story. however, is worth telling
in part. and is told with much appro-
pirate detail in little book Just is
sued by the Wanamaker stores
have not seen the little monograph
itself, but 1t is recorded in 1t that it
was Just ninety four hours before the
first shot was fired on Fort Sumter
that Wanamaker and his partner
, Nathan Brown, opened. in Philadel-
phia. In April. 1861, Oak Hall as a
mems and boys clothing store" 1t
occupied thirty by eighty feet in a six
story buildings building then and
there considered extravagant in size
And Wanamaker's venture. too. was
thought no less of folly
you are making a great mistake"
said George H. Stuart to the boy mer-
chant of twenty-five, "in starting bust
ness at such time as this The coun-
try is entering upon great war and
there will be no business. Before long
grass will be growing In the streets of
Philadelphia" The first days receipts
Of the little store were S2467 Wana-
maker kept the sixty-seven cents to
make change with and spent the s24
the next day in advertising.
The Springfield Republican says.
He has kept on advertising ever since
and there has been enough left over
for change the next day" He is not
inaptly called the apostle of honest
and original advertising" What he
has done to stimulate advertising can
not be briefly told. for to him we owe
the freshest and best forms of our
modern appeals to business publicity
1t was through his advertisements
that he taught the public how to buy
He attracted people to his stores, and
then, by show windows and attractive
counter displays. educated his custo-
mers to sense Of comparative values
and showed them how their money
could be wisely spent" 1t was one Of
his sayings that "a bargain is not
bargain unless both parties to it are
benefited by the transaction"
l remember well when I first read
is small plea, loaded, talks, put in
natural staccato phrases in the lead
ing newspapers and periodicals No
one, indeed could fail to notice them
for they fairly took you by the button
hole and almost drew you to one side
by their gentle frankness and urgency
1t was something entirely new. 1t was
advertising that talked. as the German
said of John B. Cough and his coat
tails. why. he talks NIT his coat
tails"
All previous advertising was. in com
parison with IT, as sepulchral and 81
lent as tomb of ancient Egypt with
its still hieroglyphics. The messages
1t bore and brought went at once home
to their coveted mark. The store con-
sequenty grew, aggregating to itself
vastly more than mere masculine
clothing. and becoming a mercantile
wonder
1t was really the new note in pub
licity that was to set the pace for 9TH
ers, who in various ways talked up for
themselves the store" and "the
goods" of the day AS Tennyson said
of his poetic flowers. he put them out
new, but all possess the blossoms now,
for "all have got the seed" 1t only
needs some Columbus to set the egg
on end. and then all can do It.
1t was all, advertising artif1ce of
high order and got instant apprecia-
tion. No matter whose original idea
1t was, 1t became Wanamaker's prac
tically, for he saw its value and posi-
Hility and embraced them at once.
For this thing alone he made the pub
lie his debtor as well as for his help
full ways In trade. Taking both to-
gether, he has made shopping" par
ticularly on its feminine side. almost
a fine art. For no mechanism runs
more smoothly than his stores and his