The power of advertising
Sir: I have been a regular reader of the Spectator for some years, and have noticed over ths period that an advertisement titled `Durex Protectives' is regularly inserted by a Mr. H. Fiertag of Dept S., Wardour St.
For many years Mr Fiertag and his 'Protectives' have stood alone. Recently, however, he has been joined in this field by Safeguard of Newgate St. The competition thus provided has no doubt led to a war of savage price cutting, to the grateful delight of those of your readers who are accustomed to apply to Mr Fiertag for marital aid.
But now the floodgates are truly opened: a recent issue contains advertisements for 'Adult Tapes': 'Educational Video for the Children' (Adult Education, I wonder!): Lesbians and Bi-Sexual Women over 35'; a 'Mature Widower': 'Erotic Art' and 'Genuine Introductions'. It cannot be long before all those sad sounding 'Company Directors' slip away from Time Out and surface in the pages of your magazine.
To revert to the man who started the rotMr Fiertag why did he decide to advertise in the Spectator in the first place? Can it be that Ire thought (and thinks) your readers incapable of buying their own 'Durex Protectives over the counter? I would like to think not, but the regular appearance of Mr Fiertag's advertisement suggests that he may be right. Therefore to demonstrate that there is no service which; Mr Fiertag offers your readers that they cannot perform for themselves. I have bought a contraceptive device and sent it to you through the post. Had I done this at your request lwould have packaged it more professionally in a plain unmarked envelope. But this being the age of letter bombs (Irish letter bombs, I should say) I thought it best to advise the contents on the hack of the envelope.
H. E. Taylor 15 Spring Street, London W2
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