Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-12-04
ADVERTISING COPY
NEEDS DISTINCTION
Most Successful Ads Are Those
That Attract Greatest
Attention.
BY GEORGE w. MERCER.

unusual, your copy of every printed q
announcement or otherwise, must tell u
a story in words or picture or ootn- q
II must serve a definite. distinctive n
purpose, indicated by some trade ne
cessity, season phase. public need or I
transient circumstance, either sinSlS I
or jointly and universally. The al {
vertisement that Is not distinctive
and has not a style of It's own is the 5
advertisement which falls to bring
advantageous results. either directly
or indirectly. although not Instantly
no matter how cleverly written, Illus
trated created or circulated.
There never was. or never VIII be-
an acceptable substitute for sound
metal legitimate goods. or honest
men, The conscious satisfaction OF
possessing the genuine. to say moth
ing OF the recognized and negotiable
worth of the real thing, outweigns
every consideration for the tawdry and
the false. however artfully disguised
Your advertising copy will be distinc-
tive and will ring. or show solid gold
II It possesses that ingredient OF "a
carat. II must be genuine to possess |
style OF it's own.
Using features OF any retail business
is the merchants show window IL
is In his show window that the mer-
chant can create a style OF his own
Originally. the window performed Its
complete function when 1t introduced
into the establishment as much light
as its varying degrees OF opaqueness
and the universal presence OF dust
laden cobwebs permitted. That was
in the good old days" before the
store window was promoted into the
sales division and forced itself into
it's present place at the head OF the
procession as a money producer
: Light can be produced In various otn-
err ways. but business drawn into the
J. store by reason OF goods displayed In
!, the show window cannot be obtained
in any other way Hence, the mod
ern show window.
:, A Silent Partner.
n The display In the window has be-
come a partner in the business. A
o silent partner to be sure. but one
q whose silence is particularly golden.
II The power of the display window is
r measured by the cash in the register
at the end of the week.
The real value OF the distinctive
window display IS measured by these
i two standards of business units: New
+, customers made and increased sales
a to old customers Now, II anything
IL more can be asked from bit o.
Al space confined within the limits OF I
81 pane of plate glass. two walls ana
l. BACKGROUND. would like to hav'
someone name It. The development
that has come in recent years j
ne based on such a principle that ]
ur seems almost incredible that 1t wa
TN so long in reaching the present stage
er' Perhaps that Is due to the fact tina
only within recent years was 1t Oil
MI covered that window glass may b
cleaned by the use of certain con
~. pounds of water soap and elbo'
,at grease and It is surprisingly true ths
ms we have some merchants on our mai
n streets today that have not discovere
8 e the peculiar properties OF the aboV
9ue compound.
reh The principle is this: Every OF
i zen wants to buy what he can" The CO
,nd verse of this principle is about 20 p
h cent. true, that is. mo one wants
buv what he cannot see." Your a
vertising copy, to be distinctive al
me have a style of It's own. must be ~
as opaque as the merchants windo
so that "he who runs can read,
mt | we are ali running today.
aid. Example Of Distinction.
One of the best known and distiI
tain tive advertisements that had a stl
of It's own of the pictorial class n
has ever been published was the ia
ton Gus Bovril illustration OF the OK
eaK- the teacup. In addition to it's eff
LOT tiveness for its primary objects q
purposes it was also, in striking
gree, typical OF the business tender
.... of the .ime-the condensation q
80 crystallization of whatever lends
H., self to the process.
III. Advertising is not an exact scien
II It were everything could be d.
bv rule. Advertising is an exp
ftom mental science. Each case must
eetic treated on its own merits and In
used cordance with its special conditie
II is needless for me to say
one OF the most engrossing matt
of concern in the conduct of mod
~, business IL advertising. 1t is no IL
'"I =. er a theory but condition that I
l. fronts the merchant, and Its conn
ing force is felt in every departn
of trade without advertising an
I'D dertaking has little or no chance
sS oses the long run Publicity Is wav
'HIIB Information which rolls along