Analysis of the Printed Advertisement.-The two points of display are the announcement of the "shortest line to St. Louis," and the title of the road. These are the two most important features and hence bear the largest display. Were but a casual glance to be given to the ad it would be enough to create the thought in the reader's mind, "The Southwestern Railroad is the shortest line to St. Louis." The three paragraphs following are of nearly equal importance and bring out the following points: (1) Leaving time of various trains; (2) a pleasant time while riding because of completeness and fineness of the train; (3) rate for trip, reasonable enough to make the reader wish to go. These three paragraphs might be transposed and not lose their effect, the final paragraph, however, introducing the "personal element" or "direct appeal" to the reader, "Why not go this way, TO-DAY," should stand at or near the last, so as to leave the question with the one reading the ad. The location of the city office, station, and the telephone number of the ticket office fall naturally after the name of the road. Stock Catch-Lines.-These have already been referred to in a preceding paragraph, and defined as a distinctive word or line always used to designate the firm name. It is safe to state that over 50 per cent of the larger firms doing business to-day make use of a distinctive device embodying the name of the firm, and sometimes the address. As a variant of this a pithy sentence or short motto is often used accompanying the name of the business. Railroads often use such a catch-line: "The Albert Lea Route;" "The Burlington Route;" "The Sunset Route," are examples. Often a part of a name is always displayed and made more important than the remainder. Thus the Consolidated Fire and Marine Insurance Company is one of a large number of fire and marine insurance companies doing business in the same field, hence the catch-line "CONSOLIDATED," is always displayed by them. Distinctive Borders and Composition.-Some firms go further and have all ads set having a distinctive border adapted by them or even cut to their order and SHORTEST LINE BEST TIME TO ST. LOUIS Our best train leaves Vestibuled trains, easy riding Round trip rates $6.00, good Why not go this way today? Southwestern R. R. City Office, 11 Grand Street Station, 1 Center Street Telephone Black 327 copyrighted. This border may bear no relation whatever to the goods or product sold by the firm, being designed simply to attract by its artistic effect, and by continuous use be associated by the public with that particular firm using it. A better device if circumstances permit its use, is one representing the particular article the advertisement is exploiting; thus a firm advertising watches could use a border of watches, an ink manufacturer a border of ink-bottles, etc. It is common for regular advertisers to use ads always having the same general appearance owing to arrangement and typographical display. Uniformity of composition, if not insisted on to the point of sameness, is always good for continuous advertisers, particularly if an established house is advertising their customary line. An example of a distinctive border is illustrated on page 146. The upper half represents the completed ad, the lower half the first rough sketch. The border is the outline of the distinctive design adopted by the advertising road and besides being of greater use in attracting immediate attention to the ad than a plain border, it is an extension of the use of the design adopted by the railroad for its catch-line, which consists of a black background the shape of this border and bearing in white letters the name of the system. Selling Points.-The main point of display in this ad is the price, $6 and $8, the lower half (sketch only shown) being devoted to the strong points of this line over its competitors. Pirating Distinctive Designs. One of the annoyances to which a live adwriter or firm is subjected to, is the imitation of successful designs and schemes bearing the stamp of originality and distinctiveness. While there is often no recourse against such an act on the part of another advertiser, yet the spirit of fair play often acts as an offset to whatever is gained, as a reader will often reason that a firm which has no more originality than to copy another's design can not treat its customers better. When such imitation of a design, device or trade-mark comes under the head of unfair competition it may be stopped by legal proceedings. |