THE STORY OF THE SCOTTIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21542, 14 January 1932, Page 2

THE STORY OF THE SCOTTIES

TEXAS COMPANY HAS FAITH : IN PUBLICITY . . .. “If anyone tells me advertising ia going to the dogs 1 agree with him,” says Mr B. L. Kama, managing director in New Zealand for the Texas Company (Australasia), Ltd. “Nearly every motorist in the Dominion must know by now ‘the Scotties’ used in our campaign launched last month for Texaco Crackproof Oil. These Scotties certainly have drawn the business, and your readers may be interested to know how they came to be employed. When the Texas Company was ready to market its new Crack-proof 'Motor Oil it knew that it had discovered a wonderfully efficient lubricant. _ It could safely promise motorists quieter and more contented motors, and a longer lasting oil, if they used ‘Crack-proof.’ This led, logically, to the slogan ‘ Drain, fill, then listen.’ How to illustrate this was the next question. In a survey to symbolise the listening attitude various devices were tried and various animals. We all know that dogs of the terrier typo are bright, smart, and, by the very shape of their heads, symbolise attention. The ScOttie seemed to be pre-eminently the one to select. Mr Morgan Dennis, considered' to be one of the best delineators of dogs and dog types, was approached, and graciously consented to the use of hia famous etching of the Scotties. _ •? “ Besides forcibly bringing out the idea of the quieter motor, which is the natural result of draining and-, filling with the right grade of Texaco, these dogs have added a definite charm : to the . advertising. Nothing has been done in recent years which has received such spontanea’ ous-tribute and has become so widely,; popular. From all quarters of New Zea-. : land people are writing in and comment-’ ing happily upon ‘Those Texaco Listen Dogs.’ "■ “ Most advertising men will tell you that it takes more than a year for an idea to become firmly established with the New Zealand public. Not so with the ‘ Listen dogs.’ The immediate result has been a widespread and ever-increas-ing demand for the new Texaco Crackproof Oil. • “The Texas Company’s experience all goes to prove that, given the right pro-, duct and the right idea in conveying the right impression to the public, advertising can be made to pay just as surely to-dav as ever in the past. Every step should be planned carefully, every contingency covered, and all tendencies to rush into print with a ‘half-baked’ campaign should be ruthlessly dealt with. Success in advertising is no different from success in any other line of endeavour. Advertising cannot create _ advantages or qualities which are not inherent in a product, and at best advertising for an inferior product merely serves to discover its shortcomings more quickly to the nnblic. The success in the case of the Texas Company is, I think, one of the cohesion of product, with marketing and advertising activities. Naturally, we take a great deal of pride in the ready response and interest of the public in the cause of our Crack-proof campaign.”— 14132.