Writing An Ad

1901

Did you ever stop to think, you who read the advertisement in the newspapers, just what it means to get up the "ad." every day for a big department store? The man in charge usually has a staff of assistants, who are assigned to certain departments of the store each day. They must familiarize themselves with the stock of these departments, while the manager of the advertising department himself is supposed to keep thoroughly in touch with the entire stock of the store. He writes the general introduction to the advertisement each day and edits the copy turned in to him by his assistants, just as an editor handles the copy of his reporters.

"Just as much care is taken with this matter as though it were so much imperishable literature," said the advertising manager of a big department store. "You sometimes hear of a famous author spending hours over one paragraph, writing it and rewriting it to get the best and strongest effect. You wouldn't think that would be necessary in writing an advertisement, but it is. My assistants sometimes spend an hour over one sentence. There is more science in writing an advertisement that will bring results than perhaps in any other form of composition." — Philadelphia Record.