Rock Island Argus., 1919-11-06

ADVERTISING VERSUS
UNREST.
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKN.
Especial Cofresponde1cs Of The Argus).
Washington, D. G.. Nov. 4.-AdveFsising
played tremendously important part in win
ming the war. Can it be relied upon now to
help M out Of our Industrial crisis?
The advertising men think It can. They
believe that. systematically and properly APP
| piled, advertising can bring about state OF
cordial cooperation between employers and
employee; that It can prevent strikes and In
crease production. At any rate. they are 90
ing to try it, and see what happens.
| You know what we did in the war. don't
you!" inquired an advertising genius here the
other day, in discussing the new mission Of
his profession.
"Why, whenever we needed German pris-
oners for Information about the enemy's loca-
tions, my dear fellow, we advertised for them
And We got them. in spite Of the fact that the
Germans had circulated the rumor that Ger
man prisoners were killed by Americans. Our
advertising men ~ the front mersly had the
American mess menu reprinted and shot across
the trenches. with display postscript. read
ing. These rations arc given to prisoners
We knew that this was responsible for the ar
rival>of SO many German deserters, because as
soon % they came into camp they would tn-
quire about the food advertised"
well, wish you would think up some
/ thing equally clever to get the men who are
| ON strike back in our plant" said . Massa-
group. |
I I'VE will" replied the advertising expert
confidently. I'VE will"
While the business men are bit dubious
as to the results, many of them are seriously
considering Advertising as a means OF main
ltaining industrial harmony within their shops.
NEARLY every large company now has Its so
called "house organ"-a magazine which plays
up the interesting details OF the business and
does all in its power to foster q spirit -
friendly cooperation between employe and en-
ployer This is an advertising feature based
upon the same idea as John Wanamakers per-
sonal ad in the daily newspapers
In nearly every factory now, moreover, the
walls are adorned with display notices and
merely with the duty Of the employees towards
the Arm: instead the most conspicuous ones
deal with the firms br0adened conception Of
Its duty towards them. At the end there 10
always a snappy statement about teamwork
for the benefit Of the public and the country.
This Il advertising pure and simple The en-
ployers are advertising themselves as zealousiy
or paints or talcum powders Y
But the latest thing in industrial adteftis-
ing is the moving picture. This usually con-
s sists Of several reels, showing every detail
which occurs in the manufacture OF product
from its design to its sale to the consumer
This Is one OF the most valuable advertising
mediums yet invented, for it shows each en-
lploye just how much he contributes. to the ser
Iyice not only Of his firm but Of his country
When q man works day in and day out fol
months at time on q single process, it i:
often difficult for him to see this. without thu
help Of q movie.
The story is told by one advertising man o.
an employe in q New England plant who die
nothing all day long but punch steel disc.
which were brought to him on moving plat
form. It was during the war. and the man!
son was in the trenches. He did not fnd Btee
discs the slightest bit interesting. but 1t wa.
a practical way of earning living. Then on,
} night the employees were invited to see a NOV
ing pictufs shown IN the plant. Watching thil
picture, this man saw his steel disc carried OF
to the next worker and then the next unit
Finally It was shown fitted in its place in
finished machine gun. whore it was taken tt
the port Of embarkation, sent across the AT
lantic and up to the front line trenches, wher'
a boy who might have been his son haudled 1t
This man returned to his Job with q new zes
for steel discs that greatly increased hi!
efficiency.
"The great advertising lob now." declares
the man who told this story, "is to make tn,
working man see his importance in bringing
down the high cost Of living. The great de
mand is for increased production, but some
! times 1t Ii difficult to make the worker see why
He is often too far removed as a consumes
to make his increased production evident t,
him and his family in reduced living costs
, And while 1t is true that wage which 10 no
learned is added to the cost of the finished prod
uct and eventually to all products. it Is har,
to make that point evident to the individual" !"
But 1t is strange that SO little has been dom
! heretofore to make him see it. During Jul,
: and August of this year an average Of 80
| strikes were going on daily in this country
No state has been immune from them. Nan,
have been victories for labor, many have beel
triumphs for capital. but all have been los
to the public. and none has contributed any
thing toward the general adjustment Of indus
trial conditions. There has been plenty O
talk on the part OF economists abo6t the NEE
for increased production and the danger Q
curtailing supplies but no one has come for
ward with a satisfactory solution of the diff
culties. 1t remained for the advertising pro
fession to contribute the first practical assist
ance.