ence, the company is convinced that it has solved the problem; and while as a rule public service corporations find it hard to check results on their advertising, since their business grows automatically with the growth of the community, and is restricted in the same way, in this instance it seems clearly apparent that definite results have been achieved which make the story of the campaign an interesting and significant one, not only to officials of other similar public service corporations, but to business men everywhere. The problem was solved, to put the whole thing in a nutshell, by changing the copy angle. That in itself was a revolutionary thing, it is said, in gas advertising. Throughout the country the commercial gas companies had apparently fallen in love with certain slogans which they used over and over as the adornment of multitudinous pieces of advertising copy: "Cook With Gas," "Light With Gas," "All-Gas Kitchen," etc. "The first 'overt act' in the campaign of the company was to tie a can to all these old-time phrases," said the man who handled the advertising, in explaining the problem to a representative of PRINTERS' INK. "We became convinced that we were cheating ourselves when we assumed that the average reader would pick out and stop to consider an advertisement conspicuously branded with a commonplace admonition about the use of an ancient product with which he thinks he is thoroughly familiar. THE COMPANY'S “Right-About FACE” "Instead of shouting to the people to 'Use Gas,' we played up the results in the way of economies for the store and factory, and greater comfort and delight in the home, which follow the introduction of the various gas appliances. Each of these types of appliances was made the basis of a special series of ads, so that there was no confusion in the mind of the reader, and in building these ads every last ounce of 'human interest' which the subject contains was seized upon and utilized. We wanted people to forget that they were reading ads about gas. Instead of telling them to use gas light in the home, we capitalized the amber color of the light from a certain kind of mantle. To sell the consumer a water heater, we advertised the fun and healthfulness of a daily 'dip' in the bathtub, deftly comparing it with a plunge in Lake Michigan, and even showing its superiority-in cool weather, for instance! When we wanted to sell gas ranges, we advertised that a man had no right to blame his wife for a badly-cooked dinner when he wouldn't give her adequate facilities to prepare the food-and thus we provided every housewife in Chicago whose kitchen was not already equipped with a big range, with a beautiful alibi when things went wrong-an alibi which was also a selling talk for the company." The advertising copy which was used to sell gas ranges, for instance, ignored technicalities of construction and went right to the heart of the matter from the housewife's point of view. "Let Friend Wife Declare War," was the headline of the advertisement already referred to, which went on to say: Let friend wife declare war when she is blamed for a punk dinner-that should be charged to a worthless, wornout range. No husband has a right to criticize his wife's cooking unless he is sure she has a "Composite" Gas Range in her kitchen. Used according to directions, a "Composite" will cook an entire meal with one fire burning. The principle of selling service, instead of selling gas stoves, is illustrated even more strikingly in some of the other copy used in this campaign. "Make Papa Cook the Dinner" is another headline which attracted much attention. This ad says: Give him an apron and a paper cap. He will fight with your old worn-outback-number range about four minutesthen he will rush to the 'phone and ask how quick we can send out a "Composite" range like the one in the picture, (Continued on page 69) SPOTTED POTTED prosperity throughout the country is a condition which sales managers face today. Weak districts demand immediate, effective selling reinforcement to make sales quotas. Stronger districts are likewise responding to intensified sales work. Closely planned, practically designed and properly executed direct advertising is necessary to meet these abnormal, localized conditions. Such sales literature is proving immeasurably resultful today for many concerns. We will be glad to discuss with interested sales and advertising executives how our specialized organization and production facilities may be used to advantage. ROBERT SMITH COMPANY Effective Direct Advertising Service LANSING, MICHIGAN 66 PRINTERS' INK OklahomaT I City OKLAHOMA'S LARGEST Tadmitted they were regular newspapers. HIS Mid-Southwestern City had several dailies. They all One, The Daily Oklahoman, stood head and shoulders above the rest. It not only led the local field in circulation and all advertising, but the whole state as well. Things went along this way for quite a while. Finally, the Oklahoma Publishing Company, publishers of this outstanding morning paper, could bear it no longer not having any sort of a rival in the field. So they got busy and made one. They bought the Oklahoma City TIMES-a struggling afternoon sheet-and injected red-blooded news and features into its anæmic columns. FRO 200% Gain in 18 Months! ROM January, 1916, when the new management took hold, up until the present writing, the Times circulation has increased 200%! To be exact, it soared from 10,000 to 29,651 subscribers (A. B. C. report for average circulation first half 1917). It is now OKLAHOMA'S LARGEST EVENING PAPER. No wonder! Seldom do you find Exclusive Associated Press Leased Wire Service, Mutt and Jeff, Briggs Cartoons, Luke McLuke, Walt Mason, all in one paper, as you do in the TIMES. On top of all this, the TIMES has many features winning a place for themselves in the hearts of local folk; Market Basket Page, by Leno Osborne (popular Domestic Science Expert); "Twenty MES REVENING PAPER Years Ago" column; live, complete sport section; daily oil-gasstock-crop reports; "Sidelights on War Moves" by one of the bestposted, virile editorial writers in America. Many advertisers are using these papers together profitably. The Flat rate, 6c per line. 80,963) T .15c per line Combination rate with Daily Oklahoman (total circulation, 73,837). 13c per line HE TIMES is carrying more classified, more local, more foreign business than any other evening paper in Oklahoma! So it too, surely belongs on your list. Duplication figures, territory reached and full facts gladly supplied you or your advertising agency. Address TIMES SERVICE DEPARTMENT, Oklahoma City. OKLAHOMA PUBLISHING CO. E. KATZ SPECIAL ADV. AGENCY, 15-19 East 26th Street, New York; Put the Times on Your Advertising Map Don't Miss It Once a year Kimball's Dairy Farmer puts out a special number. It comes after the stress of the summer is over, when the dairy farmer has time to take stock of the work done and to look forward for the future. It comes just before the big National Dairy Shows. This year it will carry a message of unusual power, for there has been no year in the history of the republic when dairying has been so important. Therefore, this will be an issue you will certainly want to use. We are telling you now while there is time for you to get your copy in. The issue will be 100 pages, it will carry a beautiful two-color cover. It will have an unusual amount of live-stock advertising because of the unusual value of the issue at this time. The theme of the entire number will be "Essentials of Dairy Development." The different topics will be handled by men of national reputation. Men of unquestioned authority. This issue will become an indicator of the grand work for dairying that Kimball's Dairy Farmer is going to do the coming year. It will be the greatest issue Kimball's Dairy Farmer has ever put into the mails, because not only does it carry the greatest message, but it is also assured the greatest advertising patronage. It becontes, therefore, a fit carrier for any important message to this most important class of farmer patrons. As they are customers of class, the kind of men you want to reach, so should they rightly have the opportunity of reading your message if you have goods of class to offer them. Start your fall campaign to these men by using the Dairy Show number of their favorite paper. The price is $1 a line, $728 a page, last form closes absolutely September 5th. Kimball's Dairy Farmer |