The Western Union Telegraph advertisement il lustrates a positive, direct appeal to the emotions. Notice the telegram reads, "Am safe and sound. Was not hear subway disaster." The advertisement then goes on: "Think how much worry and anxiety a telegram will save." The suggestion is construc tive and positive and the reader feels kindly toward the telegram and kindly toward the company that can help to keep off thoughts of anxiety.
The Beau Brummel advertisement is a positive, constructive appeal to the universal emotion of pride and the desire to look well. The positive, direct sug gestion that freshness of face and ruddiness of skin are due to the tonic effect of a Gillette shave is made stronger by the indirect suggestion that immaculate grooming is the rule today rather than the exception.
4 _ 0. Appeal to instinct.—Instinct is a natural, spon taneous impulse to act in a certain way. die strong est human instinct of all, perhaps, is the mother impulse.. In the term, mother impulse or instinct, is included the intense inclination of every woman to pm tect the child. It is to this passion that the advertiser may appeal most effectively when dealing with women. The slightest suggestion will call forth not only strong emotion, but the desired act itself.
What woman is not interested in the following text whose strongest point is the appeal to instinct? Billy is just a rosy-checked, freckle-nosed boy. He's all boy, too, and don't you forget it.
Billy is blessed with a whopping big "boy" appe tite, coupled with an utter disregard of what he eats or drinks or when or why.
For a good many mornings now Billy has been starting off to school or play with a good warm cup of LOWNEY'S Cocoa under his little belt.
Perhaps you ask, "Why LOWNEY'S?" Quite a while ago Billy's mother found that a lot of cocoas had been selfishly "robbed" of the nutri ment her boy needed—a large percentage of the nutritive butter fats had been removed.
Then she found that LOWNEY'S Cocoa con tained just Wick. of these "child-helping" butter fats. She learned that this correct proportion gave her "Billy-Boy" all the good, wholesome nour ishment he could assimilate, yet taxed his young digestion not a bit. That is why so many mothers say, "For your children's sake—LOWNEY'S." The "Reznor" Gas _Heater advertisement features the mother instinct appeal to a considerable degree.
10. Feminine intuition.—There are a few other points to be kept in mind when preparing advertising for women. Because of the primitive instinct to pro tect and foster children, women have developed quick and accurate judgment as to what course to pursue when these children are in peril. This is expressed by what we call feminine intuition. A woman's cau tion leads her to conservatism, timidity, apprehensive ness and a natural disinclination toward innovations. When an innovation is introduced, it should be ex plained upon a basis of existing and, tried out things and fortified by a direct appeal to her instinctive love of the child. In their preparation of copy for women, advertisers have not paid sufficient attention to this fundamental and, passionate impulse.
11. Appeal to imagination.—The "picturing power - of the mind" is one faculty to Which the advertiser can invariably appeal.
Thru the magic of imagination, the man without a college training sees himself honored for his educa tion. The poor man senses the power that comes from wealth. The unknown feels the prestige that comes from fame—all because of the power of the imaginative faculty which can project itself into the future. That peculiar quality of description which arouses the imagination, recreating pleasurable recol lections, even adding to the pleasing pictures of the past—is a valuable asset, one of the most valuable to the advertiser who is appealing to any other than the most matter-of-fact trade. This is more fully dis cussed under "Word Values in Advertising." The American Bankers' Association advertisement illustrates an appeal to the imagination because it carries the reader out and beyond the immediate limits of his environment, setting his imagination to work picturing himself in the condition which the advertise ment suggests.
12. Romance of the way of arousing the imaginative faculty is by glorifying the commonplace. This is analogous to "thought in a glow." Put life into dry facts and you have a strong appeal to the imagination. One of the finest illus trations of this is found in the series of advertisements of the United States Rubber Company, headed "The Romance of Rubber," in which is told the whole story of the rubber industry. One illustration of the series is shown on page- 109. In it, the "romance of the commonplace" is well emphasized.
In the following advertisement of the Hampton Shops, sentiment is woven around matter-of-fact fur niture.
In those delightful old English Rooms, whose quiet dignity carries us back to the spacious days of Queen Elizabeth, the harmony between the turies-old Furniture and its surroundings is so mate as to be difficult of attainment in our own day.
13. Appeal to reason,.—Altho emotional appeals are likely to be more popular than appeals to reason, yet certain things because of their mechanism, price and general utility lend themselves easily to-therea w axgiiment7 _Appeals to reason are.,particularly_potent in -matters where saving of time, labor orenerify-are, _.affected. TrigrCompany's advertise ment, shown here is a good illustration of "reason why" copy. When the advertiser for business phonograph states that there is rio reason why letters should be written twice, first in shorthand and later in typewriting, lie is making a definite appeal to rea son into which sentiment need not enter. When the tailor, disregarding all other factors, shows that a tailor-made suit costs less than two or three ready made suits, he appeals to reason. By shutting out the entire emotional side of the argument and keeping the reader's mind on the plane of reason, it is occasionally possible to make a sale when the emotional appeal would be valueless.