VALUE OF SLOGANS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1922, Page 15

VALUE OF SLOGANS

AIDS TO SELLING GOODS

MODERN MOTTOES FOR MARKET-

ING.

One of the interesting developments in the marketing of practically all lines of merchandise in recent years has been the increased use of slogans or mottoes in advertising them, states the "New York Times." Many of these are incorporated in the trade-marks of the goods referred to, and have stood for years. Others are independent of the actual brand'of trademark, but arc employed in conjunction with it. Used in the latter way, slogans have become very popular since the World War. In fact, it is to the really wonderful use made of them for recruiting and other purposes during the war that the modern crop of slogans can be more or less directly traced.

Many of the best slogans are used by trade associations for boosting the merchandise which the members of those organisations manufacture or sell. Some of them are exceedingly trite, while others, perhaps less clever, do pretty much what is expected of them. One of the most apropos of the newer slogans is "The Writo Gift," which is used by the Pine Stationery Manufacturers' Association. Another is the well-known "Say it with flowers,", the worth of which as a business builder has been attested to by the extent to which it has been paraphrased by other organisations and individual concerns. ."Gifts that last," the slogan that has done much to help the jewellery business, in a commercial sense is exactly opposed to the 3ay-it-with-flowers idea, yet the underlying idea is the same. Gifts of both flowers and jewellery have, through the ages, done much to make history. Related to the jewellery slogan, at least in the sense of time, is that of the cement manufacturers' "Concrete for permanence." The paint and varnish makers' collective assertion that the surface and you save, all" has doubtless, sold great quantities of paint and varnish that otherwise would not have been disposed of.

Among the commercial slogans of individual concerns, there are many that, through the years, have become just as well known to the average person in American as a Ford car. In this group are "His Master's Voice," "Eventually, Why Not Now?" "There's a Reason," "The Machine You Will. Eventually Buy," "Hammer the Hammer," etc. It would be interesting to learn, if such a thing was possible, just how few people, cannot identify, from, those slogans, the land of merchandise 'to which they refer. In tho soap and cosmetic • field there is another crop- of slogans that are easily • identified, and that have done their duty in boosting sales of the. things to which they apply. Mention "It floats," for instance, and see how many persons will know immediately the brand of soap to which it refers. Then there is the long-standing English slogan: "Good morning, have you used 's soap?" Other beauty products rely on "Beauty in every jar," "Don't envy beauty, use ," "Beauty brings success," and so

_ Every year a host of Americans identify a well-known pancake flour from the slogan, "I'se in town, honey." '"The ham what am" is another foodstuff allusion that has made money for the concern which uses it. Looking into, the cigarette field brings to light "They satisfy," "It's toasted," etc., not overlooking the one -which is regarded by many advertising men as the best cigarette slogan ever devised: "Ask dad, he knows;"

The automobile industry has also conr tributed its quota of effective Blogans. Almost everybody knows "The car of no regrets." "A ride tells all" and "Ask the man who owns one" are other slogans that have helped to increase sales. In the tires and automobile accessories field there are equally well-known attention catchers, among them the doube torn cat mark with the slogan, "The tires with nine lives." "Costs less per month of service" is the standby of an automobile storage battery concern. In the textile field there is a trademark that has stood for years, with an accompanying slogan that has puzzled many persons more or less. It is the figure of a stout old man in kneebreeches, with a high hat on his head, and a thick frieze *• coat reaching to his heels. The slogan is "Sell and repent." It is the reversal of a statement "I'll sell if I repent," which is said to have been made by the pictured gentleman, who was very much of a figure in Bradford, England, about the time of the American Revolution, when asked to sell some of liis holdings. The "Sell and: repent" slogan with which the figure is now connected is regarded by the house which uses it as its "turnover phrase," and it is said to set forth the willingness of the concern to sell even if it is necessary to repent afterward. Aa the concern in question 'is now in its eighty-fifth year of business and is gelling more merchandise each year than in the previous one, it is obvious that the slogan was well chosen.

In tie hosiery field there is the slogan of a well-known firm which asserts that "You just know she wears them.' 1 A prominent glove house advertises, "It's a ——/that's all you need to know about a glove."' A garment concern has chosen this one: "We ( are live wires. Get in touch with us," which brings up the telegraph' company, which refers, to itself as "The pulse of the world." A men's neckwear concern advertises it 3 product as* "The tie of a thousand knots."' A.manufacturer of bumpers for automobiles uses "Protection with distinction," and a maker of the so-called Davenport reXes on "An added room— subtracted rent."

Miscellaneous slogans are almost as numerous as the sands of the sea. Among them is the one used by a scouring soap concern in connection with a baby chick: "HasnH scratched yet." Then there is the hooded woman with a stick in her hand who "Gh&ses dirt," and at the same time brings in the profit* for the concern which makes the cleanser in question. A big rubber company is boosting its raincoat sales with the assertion that there is "A typo for ©very need," while a company manufacturing vacuum containers asserts that they are "BuQt for lifetime service."

"Easy to play" is the slogan of a player piano concern, which backs up its statement by showing a baby pushing ■ down one of the pedals. ' 'Built for better writing" is the assertion of a concern which makes fonntain pens ai-.d mechanical pencils. "See • pictures, they entertain," is the suggestion of a wefttaiown factor in the moving picture industry. A tool-making concern asserts that " tools make better mechanics." "Happiness in every box 3' is the slogan of a chain of candy stores.

One of the most unusual slogans of all is that of a bakery located on Amsterdam avenue, New York, not so \try far from tho College of the Orty of New York. Although, it is doubtful ifj ten /persons in tho neighbourhood in which this bakery is located ore familiar with Latin, its windows bear an ornamental device with these words: "In hoc signo spes mea est," which means, translated, "In this sign is ray tope."

At a Soandinavi3.il athletic meeting at Copenhagen, Charles Holf.a Norwegian, mado a world's record btf clearingl 13ft