赞成广告论(The Case for Advertising)

moneyspentonadvertisingismoneywellspent.itassistsarapiddistributionofgoodsatreasonableprices.itdrawsattentiontonewideasandsohelpsenormouslytoraisestandardsofliving.

byhelpingtoincreasethedemandforgoods,itincreasesthenumberofworkersneededtosupplythegoodsand,therefore,providesemployment.ithelpstopayformanyservices.withoutadvertisements,yourdailynewspaperwouldcostadollarormore,thepriceofyourtelevisionlicensewouldneedtobedoubled,andtravelbybuswouldcostmore.

perhapsmostimportantofall,advertisinghelpstokeepupthequalityoftheproductsandservicesyoubuy.noregularadvertiserdareofferaproductthatfailstoliveuptothepromiseofhisadvertisements.hemightfoolsomepeopleforalittlewhilethroughmisleadingadvertising.

hewillnotdosoforong;forthepublichasthegoodsensenottobuythepoorualityarticlemorethanonce.ifiseeanarticleadvertised,itsthesurestproofiknowthatthearticledoeswhatisclaimedforit,andthatitisofgoodvalue.

thereisonemorepointifeelioughttotouchon.recently,iheardawell-knowntelevisionpersonalitydeclarethathewasagainstadvertisingbecauseitpersuadesratherthaninforms.thisishair-splitting.ofcourseadvertisingseekstopersuade.ifitonlygaveinformation,advertisingwouldbesoboringthatnoonewouldpayanyattention.butperhapsthatiswhatthewell-knowntelevisionpersonalitywants.

lampreparedtomakejustoneadmissiontotheopponentsofadvertising.noteveryadvertisementisagoodone.someadvertisementsaresilly.somearepointlessthoughnotverymany.pickupthenearestmagazineornewspaperandcounttheadvertisementsthatreallyoffendyou.andthencounttheadvertisementsthat,insomedegree,interestyou,orgiveyoupleasure.andbehonest!