First Principles of Advertising

must have the selling sense. As you progress in advertising you will find yourself developing in two directions?one path leading into the events that have led up to the advertising, the other leading toward the desired effect of the advertising. Each advertisement is one incident in a chain of events. One day does not make a month; nor can one advertisement make a campaign. A campaign may consist of the same argument or the same appeal made over and over again?in fact, the successful campaign is reasonably sure to be based on one fundamental principle. This may be a certain way of emphasizing a particular or exclusive desirability of the product advertised. It may be accomplished by word or picture, but it must be done. There is a certain advantage in what is called "change of copy." That is, in telling the story ina different way each time. First of all, however, the student of advertising should approach his work with the thought that advertising is a combination of business and profession. The mere writing of an advertisement is, as we have said, an incident. Before an advertisement is written, the purpose and plan of the whole campaign must be understood. Ask yourself: "What happened before I was asked to write this advertisement? What has led up to this? And what is expected to follow it?" In other words, look upon the advertisement itself as one link in a chain. Study the chain. Fix it in your mind until you know it link by link, then you will b...