The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-04-05
PNR||C|TY MEN CELEBRATE
AYER'5F|FT|ETH ANNIVERSARY


century of advertising history WIS
! bruurht to an uuapicInuH Cln"c here to-
| uirht hy ono OF the largest n'HcInDIlc5
! of advertisers, advertising men. publish
! ora and captains Of intiutry ever En'h-
I cred together. Nearly th"u'ulh VI
, these LEADERS, OF thu ADVERTISING p"H-
: ness ccirlrntrd TN" lfii"th nnhif"rShr!
Of the founding Of y. w. Aver d '"'h''
tho oldest md In rEcst advcrti"lnE agency
Ia the country. by II banquet III Inc
i:cIl"vuc- 81 rntrurd hotel.
The event was notable. not only Dr.
Gauss, Of the cuincnCc OF tho guests prev
rni. but because it marked u Inllrs'"h"
in the proErcSa OF one or tho most r"-
Hpcctcd and powerful OF construc'iV"
furrcs in American business. Ii brings
Ia tho minds Of thoS" who hltre oec'i
a&sociatcd with the advertising business
since rs cnrly beginning the part played
by n. w. Aver IL Son in building IL u''
| The speakers at the banquet were
cx-l'rnsidcnt William Howard Taft. We
tor Lawson, publisher or the IhlC"E"
Daily News: Earl D. Bahst president IT
/ the American Sugar Refining company
n. c. KnEShury vice president or inc
American Telephone and Telegraph cum
pany; Edward w. BOX. editor of tho La
dies Home journal; Edward s. Jordan
! president Of the Jordan Motor Car COM
pany and members Of the firm. Albert
: G. Bradford. Jarvis A Wood. Wlnred w.
Fry and William NJ. -ArmiStrad. j. way
! land Aver. who. with his father. Nathhn-
lei w. Aver. was the original founder
Of the firm Of y. W. Aver g. Son. and is
now the active head Of the business,
presided as postmaster.
Ono of the features of the jubilee was
the presentation of n portrait painting
OF +. Maryland Aver to the organization.
The presentation was made by Albert q.
bradford q member of tho firm. DR..
Aver was then presented with tcstimo-
! NAL Of appreciation signed by oil tho
guests present and employees or the firm.
Tho testimonial. in the form Of IN clnb-
oratcly bound and illustrated autograph
book bore tho inscription:
ITO T.. Wayland Aver. who made
motto and hos lived IT, who evolved
principle and has practiccd it. who set
an IDEAL and has attained it,"
|. Tribute was paid to the memory of
Henry N. Mckinney. member OF tn"
firm, who died April IS. 1918. Mr.. Nc
Kinney was associated with the Urn
for 42 years and was recognized by i'd
vcrtlsers and publishers alike as tho
foremost developer and seller of adVcr-
Using in the country. Perhaps the best
known Of his advertising creations Is
Uneeda biscuit. but that IS only one
example of his genius which was ap-
piled to scores Of articles and service in
many Tines to which advertising had
never been applied
A bronze tablet on which was in
sc1ibcd: Ills constructive genius and
tireless energy made incstimahle contrl-
button to adequate recognition OF tho
power Of advertising" was presented to
the organization in memory OF Mr.. Nc
kinney.
Numbered among tho guests at the
banquet were representatives OF each Of
the clients Of N. ". Aver & Son and the
400 employees Of the firm. Page boys
and page girls ranged behind the chairs
Of tho speakers as living place cards"
Ensconced behind tho chair OF Mr.. Taft
was n living picture of G. o. P.
Behind Mr.. Box Of the Ladies' Homo
Journal was Color Page" in blackfaco
makeup. Paging Mr. Jordan Of the Jor-
dan Motor Cur company was Miss
Play BOY" in Characteristic Jordan Ar
row" clstume. Behind Mr.. Kin9sbury
of the American Telephone and Tclc-
graph company stood a "lfncman.- AR
Bahst Of American sugar fame, was on
nounccd by package or Domino
sugar"
The history of n W. Aver & Son. as
told by Mr.. Aver. recalled 10 publishers
and advertisers present, many Of whom
had been in tho business for over 20
ynars the carly struggles or ndvcr,is-
ing for II respected place In business. AT
the time the agency WAS founded. In
1869. advert iainR WINS confined tn n worry
few lines. such MS patent mrdiclnc., to-
bocroa. srr4la and nErlcultrnl lmplr
InrntH. Their" wrr" only very few
rrcnt daily newspapers md tn" monthly
mnKnz mos were unknown.
N. W. Aver & Son started without en-
plnyrs. In Scvnn ycnrs there. wcrc 90.
In 1903 they numbered zoo, and today
they number nearly 400.
Tho firm carly adopted tho motto j.:
Keeping EvcrlaStinElS Mt il RrinEH Sue
cess" md with n beginning Of $50
the first ycar. today it points to nm an
nual business Of many millions. Within
10 years it had taken the lead nmon;
advertising agencies. and in tho amount
Of business placed and has kept il ever
since. Since it's founding tho agency has
paid the publishers moro than $780,
600. 200.
The agency was'thc first to adopt the
open contract plan. with fixed cimnis-
sion. since adopted by practically al
other agencies. which quickly revolu-
tionizcd American advertising and placed
it on n high plane. Tho plan originated
by y. W. Aver & Son comedies tho right
OF an agent to n reasonable profit and
places the agent and tho advertiser on
the same side Of the counter as sellers.
The modern advertising agency Is rs
different from the old as n department
store is from pack pcddler.
Tho Aver agency made tho first sue
! cessful venture into advertising n staple
rs n branded. trade-markcd product
That was with Gnccda biscult. Since
then they have developed such lannon's
products as Domino sugar" prince AL
Il bert tobacco" Canned CiEarctS." "knrn
| corn syrup" Hires root brrr" and
\ "1SiT l;ogcrS Bros" Among n" we'll
known products advertised by Aver nr,,
"rnitrd States tires" National cash
registers" ''Stnuway pianos" "l.ifr-
Saver minis" Seth Thomas Clocks -
"Rluc buckle ovrrniI~" "Dixun pencils
and "Conklin fountain pens"
Having won it's place ~ IN" foremost
advertising agency in the country. X.
T. W. Aver 4 Son has set It's aim upon