The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-29

border detracts from the beauty of the
ad, while the smaller border adds that
touch that appeals to the eye. In our
office we do not S anything larger
than a s point border, and from that
one down to a 1 point rule.
With these materials we build onr
d Now as to the arrangement. Do
not be above drawing a plan for your
ad. The builder does not begin to
build his house from the top and trust
to luck about the bottom coming out
all right. He draws a plan, so that he
may know how the house will look
when completed, You should have the
same opportunity. Draw your plans,
and in so doing arrange your cuts,
provide for the balance the signature
at the bottom, but do not neglect the
sides of the ad. The sides must bal
ance, with the same number Of sub
headings on either side, not one on one
side and three on the other, If you do
not want your ad "slop- sided". Use
your eyes, hold the plan off at arms
length and contemplate it as an artist
would, for If you would do effective
display work you must use an artists
instinct. If it does not appeal to the
eye, try some other plan, and do not
give up until you have something to
suit YOU. Then take 1t to your adj
v~ertiser and show him how the ad viii
look when set up. Not one advertiser
] n a hundred will make you change the
plan-if o known your business. The
general run of country merchants
know as much about advertising as an
InIant does about Shakespeare, and in
nine cases out of ten they will admit
II. Always work for symmetry in your
display and you cannot go far wrong.
For the smaller ads and cards use as
much as possible one series of type in
the different sizes, but in honor to-
your craft do not use four or five diff
terent faces of type in one ad, no mat
ter now large or small it is. If a sent
lment will not fit in a certain size type
you have in mind, change the senti-
ment but never the face of the type.
No printer, no matter how proficient,
a make effective display of the oft
repeated lie, 1--WE have the largest
STOCK OF general merchandise in the
state OF North Dakota" yet dozens Of
them try it every week in this great
state, noted for its progressive and
go-ahead people. AS long as mer-
chants will bring in this lie to set up,
n as long as the printers will try
to set it up effectively, just so long
Will your paper look like the sample |
pages of a specimen book, only it will
not appeal to the eye as much.
Study advertising. Take the print
ting trade papers. Read the trade
journals Of your merchants. Clip the
good ads out of the larger papers and
file them aw ay for reference. Go back
in the ad-alley yourself and work
with the ad-man. Inject your &C.
quired ideas into the preparation and
display Of the ads. Remember that
soap cleanses soiled hands, and that
soap is easy to buy. Do not leave the
ad Of your leading merchant to the
devil" Use common sense. Place
yourself in the advertisers position
and try to make the advertising pay
them, as well as you. Get out adver-
Using matter for yourself and by max
ing that effective you can tell how the
other fellows matter should be dis
played.
You will know when your advertise
ing display is effective-the advertiser
will tell you, and if he won't do this,
drop around to his store and see
whether the ad is working, and if It
isn't try and find out where your fault
lies. 1t is your fault if the advertising
does not draw like a porous plaster,
and the sooner you realize this the
better for o and your bank account.
Learn our business. Your business Is
advertising just as much as it is writ
ing obituaries and spreading salve. If
you can prove that your advertising
Is effective then you may raise the
rates for advertising, but you have no
right to do so before. If one of your
merchants asks you to enter an adj
vertising contract with him hail the
opportunity with joy, and set about to
help him win 1t. You may not be sue
cessful but even so you have made a
friend that will stick TO you when you
need him to most. If you win, you have
only fulfilled your mission, and can
feel that you have at least done some
thing to merit the distinction Of hav-
ing proper conception of effective adj
vertising display.
Walt Mason says:
"The editor is the town confessor,
the town boomer and the town goat.
doormat, rock Of refuge, errand boy