Evening star., 1931-04-15
METHODS IN SALES
CANT PA|GNS CHANGE
American Firms Employ New
Policies in Advertising
Their Products.
BY J. C. RoYLE.

Two great human desires have gone
far to change the advertising and SELL
ing policies of many American indus
tries in the last year. The Federal
Trade Commission has come to the
conclusion after investigating thousands
OF complaints dealing with false or
misleading advertisements that the two
great desires on which sales campaigns
can be hung are the yearning to be
good looking and the urge to be well
and healthy It might truthfully be
said that one is concommitant Of the
other for no one can be thoroughly good
looking who Is not well and healthy,
according to physicians and beauty
specialists.
These two desires have built up a
score Of great industries. Shipments
Of perfumes, cosmetics and other toilet
and beauty preparations last year
had factory valuation of $207, ,461 ,839,
according to the Department of Com
merce. This showed an increase OF 10
per cent as compared with the previous
survey made in 1928. The largest
single item was toilet creams, valued at
$35 ,131,8 1862, after which came perfumes,
dentrifices, face powder, hair tonics and
a score of other preparations.
Dressing Up on Job
The demand was not confined to the
feminine SEX Men bought shampooS,
talcum powders, hair tonics and dyes
and toilet waters almost as freely as
women. The appeal of vanity is strongly
shown In the length of hours and scale
of pay of workers in beauty shops. In
New York City some work so to "
hours a week and many exceed q 54-
hour week The pay is said to average
S25 weekly without tips and to range
as high as $115 week.
The call of vanity Is being equally
stressed in clothing distribution among
both men and women. Most retailers
assert that the looks appeal Is more
potent than that of comfort or prac-
ticability.
Keen rivalry has been built up in the
working clothes industry through the
determination of American workmen to
dress up to his job" Work garments
are now being made which are attrac-
tive and neat looking as well as service
able. Manufacturers say faded over
alls and baggy work trousers are dis
appearing.
Striking color combination in cot
ton fabrics made into working clothes
are not unusual and the garments are
being tailored with much of the care
given business suits. English cotton
mills now are working to produce a
stiff cotton collar at a price sufficiently
low so it can be thrown away after one
wearing
The question of weight has undoubt-
edly had a tremendous effect both on
sales Of medicines and equipment to
regulate weight but has changed the
entire eating habits of the nation, sub
stituting fruits for cereals and veg
etables, fats and oils for some meats.
SO great has been this influence that
1t has developed q type which physi-
clans call the diet "faddiSt." About
such they say 1t Is better that they
take no thought of diet rather than to
be always fussing about it.
Athletic Goods Industry.
The Federal Trade Commission in
laying down trade practice rules for the
athletic goods industry, has made rul
ings which, If established as a precedent
may change the trend Of advertising
In many other lines. These rules forbid
any athletic goods producer from pay
ing or making gifts to any athletic
organization or athlete to get them
to use the products made by the cor
poration or to advertise that such Or
ganizations or athletes use or have
adopted as official the products of the
concern without disclosing that they
had received such gifts or payments.
The rules also prohibit use Of the
names Of prominent athletes on athletic
products unless the athletes actually
use, indorse or personally designed such
equipment II 1t Is unfair practice to
use Endorsements from athletes without
announcing the fact when they have
received compensation for such ap-
proval, 1t would seem equally unfair to
advertise Endorsements of other products
such as cosmetics by prominent stage
or motion picture stars or members Of
society or to follow similar practices in
other lines where the name Of the
indorser serves as a sales inducer.
Copyright, 1sS1l