The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-02-06
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or ineonxidsrats

current review tells us of person who feels
(as who does not?) that TV advertising is overloaded
with praiseful superlatiyes. He asked one hundred
people their opinion The question specifically
concerned with advertisements for cigarettes:
Would you prefer cigarette ads with fewer adiec-
tyes?" II is said that thrty-nne of the hundred
persons TO whom the query was put answered, What
adjectives?"
A very simple answer might be made to that
challenging counter question. What are adiec-
tives?" you ask. We reply with reference TO Gig.
arettes. adjectiyes are mild. mder. nlildest" Any
TViewer, no matter how limited his acquaintance
with the old school grammar would instantly
understand that.
II is amazing, when one stops to think Of it what
power is exercised in the language of advertisers
by the humble adjective. Indeed in this language,
the adjective might reasonably resent the de
scrlption humble. For all advertising has come TO
he claShing OF adectives Perhaps 1t must be so IN
a world of free competition An advertiser has two
things to do: to make people aware Of the fact that
he has something to sell and, secondly 10 convince
prospective customers that his product is more de
Sirable than products OF the same type offered by
other producers.
II seems unfair rs il certainly is undignified 10
cry down others YOU cry no your own wares But
the open or veiIed comparison is nearly always
present in advertising, especially in that offered
through the media of radio and TV, There a
time not long ago, when an automobile could be
advertised effectively by so simple declaration as
Just a Real Good Car" We see and hear no such
advertising today Currently, there must be a knock
for competitors with every. boost for your own
offering
Maybe it would be a Shrewd piece Of business
for an alert advertiser tc back to the Older fash
ion of announcing his product and letting II stand
te nnpr
be relief to the buying public, which is
badPered by ceaseess and confusing barrage of
claims and counter-csims A simple and non-com-
paratve advertisement would be such novelty
that IT could hardly fail TO win notice and approval
"Try our product" cries one advertiser
legitimate request But instantly another advertiser
shouts, Try ours for seven days" Then up pops
third with the intoerable brazenneSs to suggest
that use his product exclusively for thirty days
That is, Listen TO and pay attention TO these
other fellows try nllne, but don't try theirs De
vote whole month Of your time and money
To the cultivation of taste for my product" Such
advertising is an affront To purchasers not legit
mate request for their patronage. But the game
goes on.
Every producer seems determined TO make peo.
pie understand that his product is moi only good
product. but the best product of its kind And the
advertiser is not content with saying so; he must
say a dozen times in dozen different ways, and
with exhaustive descriptions of endless wonderful
features" which attach TO the product advertised.
Hence the advertiser has need OF many words he
cutvates lelicites of phrase he is longer mere
announcer, but coiner of catchwordS and iyrclst
in purple prose.
There is competition in expression too and adj
vertlsing men strive to Guido one another in fetch
ING twists of language. Again, it is largely matter
of adlpptNpS-nparlV
or the SuperlatiNe degree To be sure there is some
lack Of imagination IN the business. Cigarettes
always milder; beers always smoother; shaving
creams insure more comfortable shaves hair crimpS
are lasting; soaps and securing powders arc
spcedior, everything is economical.
Sometimes the advertiser loses all judgment
IN his mad determination to win attention Then he
is almost sure to reach for the adjective famous
Drink our SpendiferouS Soda Pop IN the bottle
with the famous green and blue label" And this,
mark you III The very first public notice of the
Sp Soda Pop-a product nobody has heard Of
before, and label one has thought of!
Yet the very label OF this new guzZle is already
famous What is fame? And how does label of blue
and green go about the work Of achieving il?
There is an ancient saying that adverbs are the
most important of words even in comparison with
verbs which arc the very skeleton not alone the
backbone. of any language. Adrerbtd non Uerbd
coronantr is the saying: "Adverbs. not verbs, are
crowned Thus, in the statement "ie worked faith
fully al bis task" the word faithfully is no.
table noble and significant than the word Uorked.
But in tho world of advertising verbs are but
secondary in Importance and adverbS are nowhere.
The adjective has taken over Ii is the shouting
word OF a language and advertising is matter of
shouting out claims and shouting down competition.
Verbs arc used largely to express commands lone
cannot call them requests they are SO loud and
insistenb that we keep the adiectives IN mind
Remember !" Don't forget !" Tell mother
to huy = Get a bottle today" Smoke Our Hay
makers exclusively ah. H. ere IS adverbD for forty
years
Radio and TV advertising is queer business II
irritates people no end And yet il must produce re
suits pleasing To the advertisers, for they keep a
IT nterminably and pay heavy fees for the privilege
of naggln9 US.