The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-10-26

I'LL HVOHO WV W
Recently before the Rochester, IN.
W Advertising Club, julius Schnei
der, for some time the advertising
manager of 1.-THE Fair" of Chicago
and one of the best known advertising
men in the country, gave lecture OF
1.-THE Next Evolution in Advertising. .
He stated that, in his opinion this wa!
the awakening of local advertisers t.
the absolute necessity of high grade
advertising service such as has made
fortunes for the large stores in thu
big cities. He advised the merchant.
in each locality to join forces and en-.
gage the best advertising talent on q
cooperative basis, and pointed out that
this really must happen in very
short period as q natural advance OF
the times.
Mr.. Schneider and others evidently
do not know that this evolution towards
high grade special service has been
taking place for some time. 1t be-
gan with what are called "Cut Serv-
ices" That is an engraving house
in one of the bigger cities would get
out number of more or less comic
advertising cuts, wretchedly drawn by
tenth-rate artist, which it sold to re-
taller, sometimes with a little adver-
Using matter, in a series of &c or SO,
one cut for each week in the year.
While this was all educative, and
as such deserves some credit, it has
probably done more harm amongst re-
tailers. to the value of real publicity
than any thing else.
There are q great many of my read
ers who now have boxes of such cuts
lying around their stores with no clear
idea of what to do with them and even
yet those small cut "services" are
being sold to deluded merchants by
glib travelling statesmen.
Another herald of the. new special
retail advertising was the local writer.
He is also evoluting. He has been
getting better every year till now in
some ways, he is quite accomplished.
In a majority of cases, however, the
local ad writer has been somewhat
like "Our Johnnie" who has won
prize in drawing b'gosh and who forth
with blossoms out into q famous art
ist-locally. This class of publicity
has likewise done its share in giving
the merchant cold feet. The local ad-
vertsement writer has been mostly a
shining example of the trite saying"
little knowledge is a dangerous thing. "
The next phase in the evolution was
one that bid fair to solve all Difficult
ties. About . year or two ago fam
Gus artist, who had made reputation
for a comic series of newspaper pic
lures, was induced to draw his comics
into advertisements. These were syn
dicated in electrotype form all through
the United States and Canada to all
classes of retailers, the large quantity
sold of each electrotype made it possible
to quote extremely low prices to the
local merchants. That was the next
rise in grade from the old comic cuts
of the local engravers, because these
drawings were we'll done by first
class artist of acknowledged standing.
We have now advanced one step fur
Their. The idea that it is necessary to
have comic drawing to attract atten-
ton is exploded. As a matter of
fac. a comic cut does more harm to
the advertisement than good, for it
makes the whole advertisement laugh
able and when people laugh at thing
they seldom buy it. 1t is unfortunate
that many merchants do not realize
this even now. A good joke in picture
form still SENS to many of them to
be the acme of successful publicity.
But they are learning. |
There are now one or two concerns
who, with strong financial backing,
supply retail merchants with adver-
:isments, illustrated by the best art
SITS and written by advertising experts
who have specially dedicated them
,elves to the work and who are paid
nigh salaries for their sevires. The
supplied by those firms
ire of the same grade as those used
" the large department stores and
RATIONAL advertisers; they are scien-
ifcally correct and are guaranteed
o bring the retaier the maximum Of
eturns. They are supplied to the'