Arizona republican., 1914-07-06

are identical with the ragged rover
of pinned patches and shuffling
swing. Letters that are carrying
their conglomeration of enclosures as
does the tramp his rusty tomato cans
and pockets of worthless junk. Let
tiers that are as much an eyesore, as
much a contamination, as much a
problem and more than are the hoboes
of life. These last we may segregate
and perhaps cure-but-the letter no.
boes must be WIPED OUT, for they
weaken the value of all commercial
correspondence and stand in the way
of our advance in advertising and
merchandising
When live-wire enters your office
he steps with firmness born of
his ambition to achieve-his eyes
flash with an enthusiasm for his
Work-his clothes are in harmony
with his personality, and his teeth,
linen and shoes are as clean as his
desires to serve. Your letters are
your statesmen, just as much as your
self. Why not, then. make these
equal standard which you would
demand of your personal representa-
tives? The envelopes into which we
put our brain children must be clean
and neat and strong-so that they
will stand up better under their trip
than do the rags of the tramp. Our
prospect judges us as we'll by the
clothes on our thoughts as by the
clothes on our bodies. In our efforts
to secure good paper, let us not be
too slavish in our choice. The bond
paper men, while doing splendid
service in educating US to better pa
per standards, are liable to lead US
into wearing a universal uniform
This world would be a tiresome place
if all of us wore the same dress-the
same if all letters were of bond fin
ish. For my part, 1 have often Sc
cured superior results from the occa-
sional use of a good wove, parch-
ment, vellum, plate or linen finish
especially when a campaign is to be
spiced with seasonable variety
Advertising men owe a duty to their
profession: To endeavor to secure the
highest efficiency from every adver-
Using tool. The letterhead is the
most neglected tool in the advertis-
ing mans kit, when it should be one
of the most serviceable. Too often it
is a hodge podge of inharmonious ty-
biography, or smeary spread of
feature picture or futurist color de-
sign taking up more than half the
area of the sheet. The letters head
ing can be made one of the strong
est supports of the campaign. 1t can
be made simple and dignified, or WV
idly virile. strong in selling value, or
heartily human-it can even indulge
in a serio-comic smile at times AS
much daring and originality, as much
plain nobility, as much force and eff
fectiveness, as much character can
and should be in the letterhead as
in any other display copy. Pennies
spent in improving the stationery pay
dollars in profits. Personally, 1 refuse
to accept commissions for letter cam
paigns unless my clients give me alb
solute freedom to design the station
cry to be used. The sooner all adj
vertising men take a similar stand,
the sooner we advance our letter eff
Make the margins so wide that they
stand out as inconspicuously elegant
as does the clean linen of the gen.
tleman. Make the paragraphing as
smooth and even as a set of pearly
teeth The hobo does not know
your name when he begs of you-nor
does he care-perhaps this is the rea-
son tramp form letters are not filled
in. The form letter should be filled
in with name and address, but ONLY
when it can be done as we'll as to
pass muster on casual inspection.
Otherwise make your letters frankly
printed affairs. The artistic effects
obtainable as a piece of honest print
ed matter will render better results
than can any feeble masquerader of
the perfectly processed form letter.
High class processing and expert OPP
orators are procuIable-they cost a
little more than the Cheap John"
class, but they're worth every cent
you pay The tramp leaves his sig
nature as he goes along-a scrawl
on fence, shed or water tank-and it
is ineligible to none save his own
kind. Some letters have the same
kind of signature. The hobo carries
in his pockets all kinds of junk,
ranging from tin cans to diaper pins,
fons-all as battered as himself.
Hobo letters carry a similar collec-
ton of worthless enclOsures-cigar
stubs of ideas discarded by others.
folders that are rusty tin cans with
the meat long since gone. copy that
has been jimmied and stolen from
hodge -podge of slip
shod printed junk that disgusts the
recipients. Let us demand that en-
closures be as neat and appealing as
the card case. the order book, the
sample portfolio of the natty COM
mercial traveller.
Let us give all our direct advertis-
ng cleanup campaign. We need
L scrubbing more than a vigilance
for Uncle Sam is our
Chief Vigilante. After these
etters have gone through the bath.
ct them be analysed, and those that
10 not measure up to an advanced
standard are to be condemned or
rebuilt Let us under
stand that every letter is worthy of
our best effort. Let us model all our
work after the highest type of flesh
md blood advertisers and statesmen
Let US use our future letters as best
We may to make favorable impress
'ions, convey character. create con-