Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-28
YOUR KING AND
COUNTRY NEED YOU
First Appeal of Most Stupen-
dous Advertising Cam
paign in World

Lonoon, June neutrality-suspicious. |
OF The Associated Press the
British government at the beginning
OF the war covered the billboards of
the country with its now famous ap-
peal for recruits, Your King and
Country. Need You" it embarked on
an advertising campaign of such a ma
ture and extent as has never before |
been undertaken by any nation.
This first advertisement has grown
INTO scores, dealing with a wide field
OF subjects, from pleas for army vol
unteers and loans of money to con-
demnatlon OF extravaganza in the pur-
chase OF too many boots and stockings
by my lady. 1t is said that there is
scarcely home in the British Isles
that has not been reached by some of
the display advertisements which have |
oeen Kept running in fifteen hundred
newspapers and spread on myriads of |
oillooards. After nearly two years of
experiment officials emphatically de- |
clare that it avs for government to |
advertise. 1t is estimated by some that
niIhons OF dollars have been raised in
loans In this way and that nearly five |
million recruits have been drawn to |
the colors by the printed appeals.
Journalists Helped
TO one man is said to belong the |
credit OF originating and carrying out |
TINS novel and elaborate campaign. Hel
is Sir Hedley LeBas, head of a large |
publishing house in London, who re- !
eeived his title recently as a mark of |
honor for the services which he had /
rendered his country. During an in
terview with representative of The |
associated Press Hedley was asked |
now large staff was required to con-
duct such a great business for the gov
ednment. He smiled and replied:
In getting subject matter for the |
advertisements I have called on var
ious Journalists and others for assist
AnCe. a e@, Z, -,
the next room and assure you he is a |
very busy young man"
1t was Sir Hedley's way of confirm
ing what had already been said by 9TH
srs-that the bulk of the work had |
fallen on his own shoulders. His per-
sonaI business has to a large extent |
been turned over to other hands and |
ne has been devoting almost his whole
time to putting before the public the
telling advertisements which his train
Ing as publisher has enabled him to
produce.
Would Advertise
1t was some two years before the war
began that Sir Hedley conceived the
idea OF advertising extensively for re-
eruits. During a conversa alton with
Colonel (now GeneraD Seely, who was
then Secretary of State for War the
Colonel asked how Sir Hedley. as a
former soldier and a businessman.
would go about to raise 35, 900 recruits
needed for the army. Sir Hedley in
stantly replied that he should adver-
use The proposition was novel, but
IL interested the Colonel and Ultimate
~ the recruits were advertised for with
amazingly good results. The war Of
nee was so pleased with this campaign
that when the war broke out it was
decided to advertise again and Sir
Hedley was called upon to engineer
the work
At first the adver+iser,an+~ -,,o-o
very conservative in tone and before
Sir Hedley was able to broaden the
scope OF his work and get his new busi-
ness on paying basis he encount-
cred much opposition from many
sources, not excluding members of !
Parliament.
American punch"
II was hard to bring the conserva-
tive British mind to accept such a
radical departure" said Sir Hedley in
discussing this point. Many declared
that 1t was undignified for a govern
ment to advertise, and others who
were willing to see some advertising
done held that the displays should be
couched in the most dignifed and
stereotyped form. The idea of a gov
ernment telling a woman that she
was buying too many hats and expen-
sive clothes-something which we
nave been doing recently-shocked
them, but gradually we were given
more leeway and the results have ius-
titled the course followed NY idea is
to put out advertisements that have in
them what you Americans CALI
punch" Successful businessmen con-
duct their concerns that way. Why
shoulunt government do the same? |
Another ground of opposition was
that the expense of the work was too
great. This claim was made by those
who did not know the circumstances.
AS matter Of fact the cost has been
comparatively small. Many of the
newspaper proprietors have contrir
uted the space in their papers an
owners OF billboards have given US tn
use or them. The printing of the bills
Is done by the government printers
and the cost is the minimum"
Query Slackens
The advertising campaign for re-
sruits for the army was the first under
;aken. Your King and Country Need
You met with instant success and
sraduaily there followed long line of
more elaborate advertisements. Lists
of questions were propounded to men
who had not enlisted, such as:
What Will you say in years to come
when people ask you where did YOU
serve In the great war? What will Won
answer when your children grow nm
and say: Father, why weren't you a
soldier too?'"
A UNIQUE advertisement was display
ID in Manchester. map showing
comparative distances from London Of
Ostend, Belgium, and some English
towns was printed, and accompanying
his map was the following:
IF the German army were in Man
shester, every fit man in the country
would enlist without a moments de- !
Ay. Do you realize that the German
army Is now at Ostend only 125 miles