NEGATIVE ADVERTISING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 61, 15 March 1943, Page 2

NEGATIVE ADVERTISING

ONE WAY OF RENTING A HOUSE. An example of unusual advertising sense was published recently in the classified section of an Auckland daily. It read: “We don't want anywhere to live. We have a child, very destructive. I’m in the air force and detest gardening, and my wife doesn’t do any house work. We knock furniture about and don’t pay rent, and would simply hate any otters.” One reply advised the advertisers to ring a certain doctor at a given telephone number. Investigation revealed that the number was that of the Auckland Mental Hospital! The second one, however, was in similar vein to the advertisement, and read: “We didn’t notice your advertisement, but that doesn’t really matter, since the two rooms we have available are terrible! The built-in mirrored wardrobes are practically useless, while the kitchen and other amenities are crude in the extreme. The hot water service is hopeless—it boils! Our garage accomodates only two cars, so even that is not much good. Then there are the grounds—an acre or so of lawns, vegetable garden and orchard, and we never do anything about them! Worse, but not least, there’s X, our 21-year-old daughter. We don’t really think it’s worth much, but for all this and “power” too, we want 32s 6d per week. Our 'phone, if still connected, is .”