Questions And Exercises: Chapter XXII. Advertisement English

$ 106. Summarize the section in about three hundred words.

§107. Examine various newspapers and magazines, and report various ways in which attention is arrested. Give your opinion as to whether the opening sentences are too strong or merely agreeably startling.

§ 108. Find and report some advertisement that amuses but does not inform. Judge by the text and not by the pictures.

§ 109. Discuss the following in the light of the section.

1. An advertisement of trunks contains this:

One Day hundreds and hundreds of Years ago, a Certain Immortal by the name of Jason left the Sunny Shore of Old Greece in search of the Golden Fleece. His Boat was of Beaten Gold, driven by Silken Sails and Diamond-Studded Oars, held in place by Chains of Pure Wrought Silver.

The Story of His Wondrous Trip and of His Successful Return has furnished the Topic for Many a Winter Fireside-Tale.

Brother Jason was a Philosopher - an Analyzer - He had a Definite Purpose and He returned Successful.

Today Silken Sails and Diamond-Studded Oars are out of Date - They are buried with the Centuries that Graced their Vogue - But People still have Purposes - and They still Succeed - because

They go Prepared.

When You Travel, you have a Purpose in View - either Business or Pleasure - and Your Traveling Necessities are just as important to You as were the Gorgeous Embellishments which Garnished Brother Jason's Elaborate Craft

The occasion of the Return of the Hunter was seized upon by a considerable number of advertisers and made to do duty as a text or a sermon, or both. The Knox folks used big spaces in further reproduction of the hand and hat. This is legitimate. The picture made a fine illustration for an advertisement; the fact that Mr. Roosevelt wears a Knox hat is good advertising material and worthy of wide exploitation.

Of other instances the same cannot be said. For example. Borden's Condensed Milk Company ran a big advertisement with this introduction:

Whatever may be said of his Guildhall address, this one fact about Theodore Roosevelt will ring the world over: "He wasn't afraid." He was not afraid to tell the truth, because he saw clearly that truth, from experience in general and from first-hand knowledge in particular, and because he knew that the best and quickest way to institute a lasting reform is to present the whole situation fairly, squarely and openly to the people.

There is an issue before the people of New York today second in importance to none other, because it concerns the happiness of every single home and individual

This is not legitimate.

There is no news or advertising value in the fact that Theodore Roosevelt isn't afraid of anything.

It is not claimed that he uses Borden's milk, or has ever recommended it as fit food for mollycoddles.

And there are no other two known objects or substances in all the world more, incongruous than T. R. and Milk. If the Borden Company made a choice line of vitriol or a nice family brand of dynamite it would be different, but milk doesn't belong. - Leroy Fairman, in Advertising & Selling.

§ 110. Select an advertisement that yon consider to be written in bad taste. Clip it. Send it in without comment.

§ 111. A. In his department of criticism in Advertising and Selling, Mr. Leroy Lyman severely castigates the following advertisement. Say whether yon agree with him, and if so, why.

B. Submit to the instructor for criticisms any advertisements that you have recently written. If you have written none, choose some article to advertise, study it thoroughly in the light of this chapter (and especially with regard to competing articles) and then write (a) a short advertisement of it.(b) a circular concerning it. Do not mention competing articles; do not cast slurs upon them; but advertise your goods.