Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-05

Z uUHtuGHoW, iUcss osfoFe tHe
the Chicago Federated AdOsr.
tising Club;
A S FAR as its war record is
"a concerned, l can't see where
advertising has a single thing to
apologize for.
Particularly since. along with
all these contributions, adver-
Using. so far, has been able TO
KEEP THE NATIONS
BRANDS ALIVE, while the
makers OF those brands have
been too busy turning out the
tools of victory to give any SER
ious thought 10 their own pri-
waite, industrial welfares.
THE BRAND-BUSTERS ARE
WRONG.
I think this is good time
for all of us 10 realize just what
brands really mean to this coun-
try.
We must remember that. es-
sentially, ours is a brand-built
economy. You might just as we'll
pull the ocean out from under
our navy as pull brands out
from under this country.
THE idea OF branding is as
Il old As cattle raising. Does
any one in this country want
maverick merchandise
Heaven deliver us from an
anonymous America! Do we
want streets without names?
Telephones without numbers
Checks without signatures Cy-
anide and quinine sitting. UNI
labeled, on drugstore shelves .? -,
II there were no names "a
marriage certificates, or on hoti
registers. would the rabidest
brand buster care 10 take per-
sonal responsibility for any un-
pleasant social confusions that
might arise?
Would any brand-buster, as
Stunning II had passed a lab
oratory test. care 10 take just
any -nameless baby that the
nurses, out al the maternity
hospital, cared to hand him?
Not long ago, one Of the best
known Of the brand-busters was
airing his views in the lobby Of
a Washington hotel. Did YOU
ever notice how eager these
enemies Of advertising are 10
advertise themselves? And how
they will stoop 10 do il?
NELL~-anyway--this brand
w buster was sounding off; and
an agency man, whose name you
would know instantly II / men
toned II. decided il was about
time 10 dial the crackpot out.
So, he said TO the brand-buster:
Listen, friend. DO you realize
that the flag itself II a brand?
II. as you say, nothing matters
but mere utility. then why waste
money on dyes: Cut out the red
and blue. A white flag would
wear just as long.
"The fact that q white flag
means sure wouldn't
bother your kind - but how do
you think II would set with the
American people? Particularly
with their boys In the Solomons
and Tunisia, to whom white
flag would mean an internmcnt
camp, barbed wire, black bread
and body lice"
7 DON'T need to remind YOU
Il what would happen II we wep<,
10 do away with brands. Yo0
know that there would be no
magazines, no newspapers, no
radio. as we now know these
things-and. therefore, no free
speech. We all know that these
priceless services depend almost
100 per cent on advertised brands
for their existence.
lou kIlOW lIlhl oil tiltSt ldN-
tories Of ours, great and small.
out of which are pouring the
ships. tanks, guns and planes
which have already turned the
tide of battle in our favor. would
not be in existence - because
brands built all these factories!
So far as the consumer is con-
cerned. the adjustment of brands
would be tragic. His living costs
would go up like balloon with
the rope cut! He would bewholly
at the mercy of scalpers-com-
PEELED 10 pay whatever the seller
chose 10 charge him.
Under our present system. a
man might just as we'll sign his
name 10 a rubber check as 10 an
inferior piece Of merchandise,
Kill our brands and you kill
America!