Page 27 - 1912 May - To Dragma

146 TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

The confidence you have paid thousands of dollars to win has been
destroyed by disappointment and can never be restored.

Banks, firms of experience and all heavily moneyed institutions
will not risk the large amounts necessary to launch any project of
great proportions unless they are first thoroughly convinced of the
worth of the article to be advertised. Of course, there are small
stores and some large ones, small advertisers and some large ones
who have not seen the light even yet. But my original proposition
holds,—that no writer of advertisements can be successful who is not
careful to the point of crankiness as to all statements made.

I t will not do to be led by your own enthusiasm for even a good
article to overstate its points of excellence.

An important requirement of the advertisement writer is business
sense. This is the rock upon which many are wrecked. Unless you
feel that you could make a sale across a counter do not attempt to
write advertisements. Because that is what an ad has to do,—make a
sale. I t makes little difference how clever you are, how many pretty
and original phrases you can turn, how attractive and whimsical
your fancy, i f you cannot sell goods. Many a business house has lost
thousands of dollars through having a clever advertisement writer
who made everybody say, "What an amusing advertisement!" without
following up their admiration with a desire to buy the goods adver-
tised.

Understand me, cleverness and originality are decidedly useful
in the advertising business, so useful that there can be no good adver-
tising without them. But here is my point. I f you are merely clever
and original and have no head for business, no knowledge of human
nature, no interest as to manufacturing processes and the real value
of products and markets, no selling sense, you had best go to work
on a newspaper or write for the magazines. Advertising requires a
firmer foundation.

Cleverness and originality are needed to attract. But you must
have something to hold the attracted.

The fund of invention must be unfailing. That is a chief intel-
lectual advantage of this business. I t keeps the mind forever exer-
cised to make new and compelling comparisons,—and this quality
has been defined by some as genius.

But it is necessary to be clever about the goods, not away from
them. Sunny Jim, for example, was not good advertising. I t suc-
ceeded only because it was insisted upon so broadly, for so long a
time and through so many media. I t really took too much effort for
the result,—because it was funny away from the goods. Force, for