5. it is possible to throw into sharp contrast the faulty or ordinary, and the perfect or new, one of the most successful principles of adver tising is observed. This is strikingly done by means of illustration as in the Duofold advertise ment.
Another good illustration which effectively shows contrast is the advertisement of the Warner-Lenz. In some cases it is possible to contrast products of the same manufacture which differ in some im portant particular. The G. & C. Merriam Company employs a suggestive contrast in picturing the differ ence in bulk and weight between the regular and India paper edition of Webster's New International Dic tionary. The difference between the 16 pounds . of the one, and the pounds of the other is brought out sharply by the representation of weighing a volume of the India paper edition, the heavier volume being shown in contrast to the lighter.
6. the term "illustrations" is meant anything from photographs to decorative lines or borders. People see a picture before they see a word. The picture language is universally under stood and is grasped more readily than the printed word. Accordingly, the attention value of the illus tration is a matter of great importance to the adver tiser. One of the chief reasons why people always peruse the advertising pages of a magazine is that they like to look at picthres.
In the Duofold advertisement on page 35, no words could make as effective an appeal thru contrast as does the illustration.
In the Whitman's Sampler advertisement on page 38, the first thing that attracts attention is the picture of the child, then the box of candy, then the words "Whitman's Sampler," because of their size and prominent location. Next we notice the words at the top, "A Sweet Surprise." The quaintness of the pic ture has an interest value, too, because the picture, the thing advertised and its name are in harmony.
7. use of color as an attention-getter has long been recognized. Like many other good things, however, it has been overdone by many adver tisers who do not clearly understand the principles of color attraction and the effect on the reader of the use of color in an advertisement.
The practical advertiser will use color with discre tion, making his choice of color to harmonize with the object advertised or with the effect he wishes it to produce.
In general, color is used for two purposes: (1) To reproduce the package or product as it is sold. This helps in identifying the product; as a rule, the nearer the colors in the advertisement can approach the ac tual colors of the package the greater the advertising value. (2) To attract attention and appeal to the emotions. Its value in the latter use is dependent on the effect of various colors on the human mind. Red, for example, is suggestive of warmth, excite ment and passion. Yellow suggests light; blue, cold, reserve and dignity; purple, mystery and darkness; orange suggests fame; green suggests coolness, re pose.
No intense color should be used for backgrounds. For this purpose it is best to use a neutral color, gray for example.
Again, dark type on a light background is usually more effective and always easier to read than light type on a dark background. Black type on a field of white is decidedly more effective than white type on a black field.
The greatest abuse of color lies in overdoing it and in employing two • or more colors that do not har monize. Care should be taken to avoid poor com binations of color. The effect is irritating, and the reader is likely to pass on without reading the adver tisement.
8. Position.—It takes but a few simple experi ments to demonstrate the fact that points in a line vary in attention value. Similarly—and of even greater importance to the advertiser—on any page or signboard, certain portions of the area are much more easily brought to the attention than others.
Objects at the beginning and end of a series are more quickly distinguished than' are other similar ob jects in the series. Of a line of soldiers of the same height and similarly equipped, those at the end are most easily distinguished. In a newspaper or maga zine page, the areas about the margin line compete in attention value with a small area at the center.