INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING ASSOCIATION, THE, according to its printed constitution, is an organization The, according to its printed constitution, is an organization "for the purpose of furthering the best interest of advertising." It is strictly a business association and is maintained by business men and advertisers in the belief that any organization that will improve advertising will thereby reduce the cost of advertising. There were in 1928 approximately 25,00o members of this asso ciation located in nine different countries. The parent association is made up primarily of : (a) local advertising clubs; (b) depart mental organizations; (c) sustaining members; (d) members at large; (e) Better Business bureaux.
(a) Local advertising clubs are voluntary associations, whose purposes are usually: (I) to prevent false, deceptive and mis leading advertising in the district in which the club exists; (2) to conduct study circles and present educational courses in adver tising; (3) to hold local meetings which are addressed by leading business men on business and advertising topics of general interest. Upon the payment of the stipulated dues, the amount depending upon the number of members, the local club may become affiliated with the parent association. (b) Departmental organizations represent specific branches of advertising such as associations of newspaper publishers, trade-paper publishers, retail advertisers or advertising agents. (c) Sustaining members are either individ uals or concerns interested in the improvement of advertising who contribute directly to the support of the International Adver tising Association. (d) Members at large are individuals or con cerns which wish to affiliate themselves with the parent associa tion but which, because of their geographical location or for other reasons, are not able to join one of the auxiliary groups. (e) Better Business bureaux are organizations similar in nature to the local advertising clubs whose chief purpose is to protect adver tising from false, deceptive or misleading claims. The Better Business bureau aids the local prosecuting attorney or other offi cials in securing evidence to convict fraudulent advertisers.
The organization of the International Advertising Association is extremely complex. First it is divided into 18 district nib divisions. The first I2 of these are made up of various groups of States in America; the I 3th of the Philippine islands; the 14th of Great Britain and all countries in the British Empire except Canada, Australia and New Zealand; the I sth, of Canada, except British Columbia; the I 6th, of Australia and New Zealand; the 17th, of all Europe except Great Britain and Ireland; and the i8th, of the Orient.
Once a year the International Advertising Association holds a convention which is attended by delegates from all of the various districts. This convention opens with addresses by delegates in the various churches of the city where the convention is enter tained. The four following days are given over to discussions of the most prominent problems incident to the advertising, sale and distribution of goods and services. Many of the leading busi ness men of the world have accepted invitations to address these conventions. Some of the sessions are given over to the discus sion of technical questions by the various departmental organi zations. Previous to 1929, the annual conventions were held in the United States, Great Britain and Canada. (H. E. A.)