MODERN ADVERTISING.
TIIST as Mr. Squeem declared that his establishment was, "the right shop for morale," so we are all aware by this time that the United States is the right shop for advertising. We are learning humbly (so far as we can judge by what we see round us) from the great American masters of advertise- ment. When it is not enough to draw our inspiration from
over the border so easily from the United States that we, to London.
to ourselves a certain interest under heading number two; and spring blooms sunnily in them. Fresh as newly plucked rases; with complete confidence we claim our rightful position under doubly beautiful ; intensely becoming. Daintily trimmed with number three. Mr. Logan reminds us that we have already flowers, ribbons, wings and malines. In no other store in New been introduced to the "New Chemistry," the "New Theology,', York is there a better, more delightful showing." and the '1 New Knowledge." What, by the way, is the "New Mr. Logan thinks that this displays none of the nice feelings. Knowledge" ? Perhaps this spacious phrase has some par- The new style yields this example :— ticular application, but we can think of nothing but Browning's "Tits COST OF a board walk the largest item of expense
words in "Thu Lost Leader "— is the lumber. In a plait( wall the stone is the chief cost ; in a
and we do not fancy that Mr. Logan was referring to worth of material into each liquid gallon, but we.do put in the those lines. "It will, however, surprise many to learn," he scientific knowledge and the expert skill and the long-continued care which no ordinary varnish contains. If you wish to get rich adds, "that there is such a thing as the ' New Advertising.' "
music or a treasure of the sculptor's art or a job of varnishing We cannot at the moment call to mind anything that surprises that will be satisfactory, you must pay for something more than us less. No country that had made such toilful progress as the raw-material." • we have towards this modern ideal could be unconscious of its "Nothing," adds Mr. Logan, "could be more genuinely moral, efforts. But perhaps we jump too soon to a conclusion. The non-competitive and social than this advertisement." Speak- " New Advertising " mentioned here is not the " New. ing quite humbly, of course, we cannot ourselves see why this Advertising" which the phrase would have signified to us ten is less competitive than any other kind of advertisement. minutes ago—before we read Mr. Logan's entry, in fact—but Apart from the question whether buyers would want varnish the mild, insinuating, instructive kind which comes within the containing "expert skill" and "long-continued care" instead sphere of the " Social Theory of Advertising." This new kind of the ordinary materials; it seems to us that the object of the persuades, but does not hector ; it lays ambushes, but does not advertisement is, after all, simply to sell the varnish. If it make frontal attacks; above all, it professes to tell the truth. exalts the work of the varnish-maker to the high arts, it is not This is all explained in the pamphlet in more elegant words the less competitive in intention; it means that if he is a than these, and is foreshadowed in the sentence "And in Beethoven or a Wagner or a Pheidias or a MiChelangelo of the view of their experience and prejudices, it will surprise them varnish world, his varnish is better worth buying than that of all the more to learn that the New Advertising is conceived his artistic inferiors. As to the structure of the advertise. and applied as a positive efficient cause in social evolution." It meat, it is, if we may make so bold as to say ao, a refined would be impolite not to express a little wonder after reading form of the "sell." We have long had a form of advertise- this invitation to it; but we will be handsome and say that went in England which begins about a shipwreck or a fire and we are astounded. ends about a pill. On the rare occasions on which we have
not sure of the soundness of this as economics, by the way), excellence," but (we are becoming frankly rebellious) it is a and "established a. standard of excellence." The mann- mere delusion to suppose that competition will be eliminated lecturer thenceforward, we read, must enlarge his output and by ninrabling such a formula. tf-TElij,inirvival of the fittest.7 "maintain the standard of quality." Ah, there's the rub! we' ,re told," means even in thfcffeatnercial plane the-alibi:16'. This is a great assumption. How many firms have not traded triumph of worth." Yes—worth in advertisement. Let us so far, we even bring a master over here and ask him to invent successfully for a long time on an old, but no longer justified, advertisements for us, which he does with great gusto and reputation P However, we must remain humbly, in at
success. Thus we are getting on. We are not so ignorant as pupillari. Mr. Logan says :—" A trade-mark has we were. But just when the country is beginning to con- wrought significant commercial, economic, hygienic and gratulate itself—we believe we do not exaggerate—that it has ethical results in society." Modern advertising has become learned the knack, it appears that American advertisement "a spiritual force slowly but surely transforming the ideals
has passed into a new phase, and that we are all behind once and the structure of society changing humanity more and must start off again in pursuit. We learn about from competitive into non-competitive society." This is what "the new spirit, trend, ideals, and method of Modern Adver- is meant by its being "a positive efficient cause." It could tising " from un essay by Mr. J. D. Logan, A.M., Ph.D. hardly have meant less, we should think. "On first view,,' (Harvard), which was published recently in the Canadian says Mr. Logan, "such a thesis is hardly creditable." Our Magazine, and Las since been reprinted by special request. impulse was to hasten to assure him that there was nothing Mr. Logan says in his preface that he has had experience discreditable in it, but on reading a few lines 'more we feel with "metropolitan advertisers" in the United States, and sure he meant "credible,"—so we hold back. The author then with "the most original and aggressive Advertising develops at length his argument that whereas the old New Agency in Canada,"—with a firm "which not only employs Advertising—we call it so for clearness—told lies, the new the moat modern business methods, but also has raised New Advertising is a moral force, and has become " part of Advertising itself to the dignity of a profession within the the general conscience." We are glad that it is not our department of letters." We fear that Canada has a great conscience which tells us (who live in the old new age) ourselves. If the essay does not misinform us, it is time that "AN IMPRESsivE INFORMAL Sirownvo or BEAUTIFUL SPRING we ceased our already obsolete attempts to live on familiar MittaNsay.—Unquestionably one of the most interesting informal displays. poitaz reo extrisitelthiasts. splendid York. h weixiipodsciatiigoinit is a terms with the terrific style of Mr. Jefferson Brick and Colonel and Diver, and hastened on to master the "Social Theory of enthuse, for it affords you a great opportunity to buy a new Advertising," which is really quite a mild, but prodigiously spring bat at much less than you would have to pay at some informing method,—almost the kind of thing we might have exclusive shop. It is a display that will compare brilliantly with
the choicest popular lines in New York. There are hats of every thought of doing ourselves before we began to learn. imaginable size, shape and effect. Combinations both as to This essay, we are told in the preface, is of considerable colour and material that are simply irresistible. Hats that are importance (1) to large advertisers, (2) to men of letters, (3) to gems. Hats that owe their inspiration to the Empire Period. Hats of striking originality. Paris bats daringly Americanised. students of sociology. We cannot pretend to any concern in
ofipyllasestthyat are 1..iiileutifisul ;,that dareerfuriadvait radically different fromfrirart,thaoi;s3 the matter under heading number one; we diffidently propose to ourselves a certain interest under heading number two; and spring blooms sunnily in them. Fresh as newly plucked rases; with complete confidence we claim our rightful position under doubly beautiful ; intensely becoming. Daintily trimmed with number three. Mr. Logan reminds us that we have already flowers, ribbons, wings and malines. In no other store in New been introduced to the "New Chemistry," the "New Theology,', York is there a better, more delightful showing." and the '1 New Knowledge." What, by the way, is the "New Mr. Logan thinks that this displays none of the nice feelings. Knowledge" ? Perhaps this spacious phrase has some par- The new style yields this example :— ticular application, but we can think of nothing but Browning's "Tits COST OF a board walk the largest item of expense
words in "Thu Lost Leader "— is the lumber. In a plait( wall the stone is the chief cost ; in a piece of classic statuary the cost of the stone is hardly reckoned. "Then let him receive the new knowledge and wait us This principle, is a certain degree, applies to the making of fine
Pardoned in Heaven, the first by the Throne"— varnish. We do not pretend that we put from two to five dollars' and we do not fancy that Mr. Logan was referring to worth of material into each liquid gallon, but we.do put in the those lines. "It will, however, surprise many to learn," he scientific knowledge and the expert skill and the long-continued care which no ordinary varnish contains. If you wish to get rich adds, "that there is such a thing as the ' New Advertising.' "
„ not expel our present masters just yet. "Promise, large promise, is the soul of an advertisement," said Dr. Johnson. And, after all, there is something great in the old style of advertisement as shown in the example of the hats just quoted,—something which, as Sir Philip Sidney said of "the old ballad" of Chevy Chace, "stirs the [female] heart like a trumpet." Frankly, we would rather have coined that phrase, "spring blooms sunnily in them," than have taken the big money which, no doubt, the "impressive informal sale" produced.
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