ROLLS REVERSAL
WHEN it comes to appealing to man's most primitive instincts, even the prop- rietors of the 'popular' press have always had something to learn from those who write advertising copy for motor car manu- facturers. Even so it is sad to see Rolls- Royce Motor Cars — of all people plumbing new depths, becoming in effect the Sunday Sport of the motor industry.. The principle of car salesmanship is to convince the punter that a given make of car reflects uniquely his own character, or rather the character he would like to be. In its new campaign Rolls-Royce lists sacri- fices that its would-be customers should make, in order to buy a Rolls-Royce: 'the school sports days you never saw . . . the friendships you had to leave behind . . . backing your hunch with your home . . . risking your health for the health of the business . . . missing your children's first steps into the world . . . dropping out of university to do your own thing'. In other words the model Rolls-Royce customer is a wilfully uneducated man who cuts off his friends, ignores his children, gives himself an ulcer, and his wife a nervous break- down. This is a great insult to civilised people of substantial means who have acquired their Rolls without becoming an appalling husband and father. They should realise what undesirable company they are keeping and sell their devalued status symbol fortwith. Then the rest of us can, with a clear conscience, cut up or otherwise obstruct any Rolls-Royce we encounter on the road. A fine example could be set by the royal family, which should sell off the Rolls-Royces in its fleet, and replace them with cars with a less vulgar image — red Porsches for example.
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