The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-03
What is Advertising?

Excerpts from an address by Nal
com McAllister before the Advertis
ing club of Salt Lake,
Advertising is the art of creating
a desire, or increasing an already ex.
listing desire and fixing it upon some
certain article until that article is
purchased. Advertising is the silent
salesman, repeating the selling argu-
ment until it fastens itself in the
mind of the reader Advertising is
not a get-rich-quick scheme. 1t is a
hard, painstaking study of human
nature in all it's phases, and its sue
cessA is evidence of correct under
standing of the human mind. In
short, advertising is printed persua-
sion.
Advertising is like the railroad,
the trolley, the telephone, the school
"a creator or human activity. 1t is
a force for the wider and quicker
dissemination of information. 1t
brings within our ken things that
we never knew existed, or never
thought we wanted. 1t teaches us to
want things little beyond our grasp,
and to work little harder in order
to get them. 1t is like the rifle that
the modern Tom Sawyer sees in the
window. He has intended to loaf all
summer, but he wants that rifle. In
order to get it he has to have money
clean yards, run errands md nov
lawns. The knowledge that there is
a rifle that he can have if he works
for it., makes him a producer in
stead of dependent.
Advertising creates new desires.
These desires create new demands;
the demands create new markets. 1t
makes possible new products,
new ways of doing things,
better national life. We Ameri-
cans believe in constantly advanc-
ing civilization. We believe that
people ought to keep on trying to
live little better and to have little
more comfort, a little more conven-
fence, and little more ambition.
Because our philosophy includes
these tenets, we also believe that
whatever shows people the way and
rouses their ambition to possess
and to produce in order to possess
is public service.
It is upon that basis that advertis-
ing-truthful advertising-has come
to be not primarily a weapon of COM
petition, but primarily a means of
constructive public service.
Advertising is telling-nothing
more or less. If you have news
worth telling, you will find no diff
ficulty in getting an audience.
MISUNDERSTANDING, informative
acknowledgements no defense. 1t
pays it's own way. 1t tells the people
of better things for the same money
of new and easier ways of doing
their work-of greater satisfaction.
1t makes better merchants, better
stores, better homes, better people,
Just imagine for minute that
some power could stop all advertis-
ing. How would we all be affected? +
1t would cut us off from direct
commercial news about things we
need and use in everyday life. Some
body might be selling new, better,
more economical food; or a utensil
that would save time and money; or
an article that would add greatly to
our comfort and we'll being; or some
better material for making shoes or
clOthing-but we would never know
it.
Merchants and manufacturers
would be unable to tell us about new
and better things. They would thus
find it hard to put these things on
the market, and often would not try.
Merchants, unable to tell us what
they had to offer, could not take the
risk of buying goods for which they
might have no customers.
Advertising pays-not only the ad-
vertiser and the mediums used, but ,
it pays the public. It keeps the pub
lie informed about the things it needs '
in order to live profitable, happy
and useful life in this age of pro-
gress. ..
Was Robert ]. Burdette right on
"My son, there is nothing so mys-
ter1ously funny as an advertisement
THE prime, first, last and all the {
time object of an advertisement is to
draw custom. It is not, was not, and
never will be designed for any other
human purpose.
80 the merchant waits till the
busy season comes and his store is i
so full of customers he can't get his i
hat off, and then he rushes to his e
printer and goes in for advertising. a
when the dull season gets along i
and there is no trade. and he wants v