The billboard (July-Dec 1896)

t SJ: •nopoanno^ auondapj^ •31JOA AiaK *'*S H^82 1S3A\. Zoi ' •Aeitce "Xv^vL a^tt^ -^g„ jBdALS we sx3)sod ^^xq ^^CIl^l snOSB3Ll :3I{} JO SUO SI siqr '^3uorasiiiJO|3Diitt4 ant 3(SB o:; pcq 23A9 jsr^sod lljq oa iBqi nopoupsip J3t{)anj ^m puB i tpxBS sq^ nko ^(Uop )«T{) ssamsTiq aip TO msui iCpio aip Smaq jo noponpstp pnojd aqi mpsjo i • ' * "^jjoj^ Aia^ ' ^s xpgz Vsa^ 2oi si ssajpp^ ^ra ^Bq^ arjoxi as^axd osiy "itiaonoD xdv^o Xire qvAV p3:i33ano9 iC^M on in tub i iBqi puB '3iJBpi nrej *a3[OH si sniBa Kxa. ^Bip a^ou asBa^ • • • I WANT TO TALK BILL POSTING TO A rew MORE BIG ADVEPTISEPS. There are hundreds of advertisers who would post if they just knew how. And there are thousands who will never post again because they didn't know how at first. Bill Posting is just as much a science as any other form of ad- vertising, and the man who attempts either ki;id without expert assistance is almost certain to make many expensive mistakes. I have given bill posting and display advertising the most careful study for a number of years. During the same period I have also studied the other methods of advertising;—and that's why I preach posting so strongly to-day. It is possible, however, to do posting that won't pay. And that's why I offer my assistance to you. I can be of value to you because I have seen the mistakes that the others have made and can steer you clear of them. •psAvauax puB pa^oaqiojd 'paisii ^ssauisnq atttp-Suo^ no aoud jnoiC am xp^ pne 'iCpsdozd vuaox ono/C ^q ax iCxessaaan si jadBd qsnnt iioq am xpx '^V^ aanapnodsaxioa m ^pBaa "IB ^on uiB J ^Bm sxa:}sod jjiq ^b mojj aou ^qSu nopBnuojin ^j ^hbal j puB 'aajqij xo oav^ asoip jo ano mB j 'suamo^sna jpip J:o| Snpsod ^q aaB^^d o:^ ^oj^a ub apBin jaAa aABq aaiq;} jo oai) iC^no 'ssamsuq m s^uaSB SmspjaApB jo spnBsnoq) aqi jo *Bapi aq:} paSBiuoasip :)naSB SuispjaApB Jiaq) ^nq 'Snpsod |o ^qSnoq) aABq amos tajopq maip o\ pa^nasajd naaq jaAan SBq :)aafqns aq^ asnBaaq '^qSnoq; on ja^Bm aip naAiS aABq a^doad asaq:) jo Aweyi 'suopBudojddB Snisi^jaApB a3jB( Jiaip JO ndpjodB )SBa{^ )b joj Sm^sod xn^l PJBu:^ b maqi thojj ainaas ox ^ojp nB ni siaspjaApB ^saSjB^aq:} jo amos j6 sbaubo b Sui^bui mB j Y)iei3wy NI d3±soci nig AdaAa WOdJ diaH Ol INYA I . . . Please note that my name is Hoke, $am Hoke, $am W. Hoke, the Hoke with the Dollar- Mark, and that I am in no way connected with any other concern. Also please note that my address is 107 West 28th St., New York. ... I claim the proud distinction of being the onlj- man in the business that don't own the earth; and the further distinction that no bill poster ever had to write to me twice for his money. By the way, this is an- other reason why I can be of value to you advertisers. Write to me. 107 West 28th St., New York. Telephone Connection. BILLBOARD ADVERTISING. Vol. VII., No. 10. CINCINNATI, NOVEMBER 1, 1896. PRICE lo CENTS PER YEAR. Si.ao POSTER THOUGHTS. By Charles Austin Bates. The first impression on the human brain is a picture through the lens of the ej-e a picture of a new world. All the lessons of sea, sky and land— all of Nature's direct teachings - are pic- ture-lessons. The "eye ii the xvindow of the soul." It is the telephone to the mind, the mem- ory and the emotions. "Glances are the first billetdoux of love." Is it any wonder then, that illustrated advertising — picture advertising— is the best advertising? It is so much the best that I will cheer- fully, in almost every case, cut my adver- tising in half in order to put a picture that is .striking, attractive and apropos in the other half. It is the same with a booklet There are not three men in ten who can deliberately trample on and walk over a booklet lying on the pavement, after their eye has been caught by a good pic- ture on it-5 cover. They must pick it up. I do not, by any means, commit myself unreservedly in favor of the present poster-ad. I believe it has its field and has come as a fixture in advertising. It is valuable to advertisers of high-class, costly, artistic articles that appeal to people of artistic tastes. For instance, the poster ad is one good way to advertise a high class magazine. In the American poster of the future the artistic will be greatly subordinated to the practical features. The striking color contrasts and effects will be retain- ed, but the poster will also tell a story of tacts. Americans read and dissect adver- tisements. I should like to put the striking color effects of one of Cheret's posters, if such a thing were possible, into every ad that I wrote, but—I should still want the com- nionsense pleading of the letter-press to predominate. I do not see the use of button holing a man unless you have a story to tell hi«n. A striking picture will stop a man-an artistic picture will please him-but it takes talk, straight from-the-shoulder-' talk, to make him put his hand in his IJocket and spend money. When the poster-people recognize these facts when they realize that the artistic feature of the poster only stops people and pleasas the eye-but that it takes special pleading to actually sell goods-the field of poster advertising may be greatly ex- tended. II may tlien take its place as a thorough- ly business-like, practical form of illus- trated advertising, and cease to be "a craze." As "a craze" its run is necessarily limit- ed. Those who are interested in it must get down to business principles if they want it to maintain its place in American advertising. All the striking and artistic features may be retained, but— artistic features <7/o«^ won't sell goods. To a large extent, the poster must come off of its exclusive- ly-artistic-perch, and talk business in type 'BILL-POSTER." This periodical has completed the tenth year of its existence, and is still as usefiil and serviceable as ever. Its circulation is mainly confined to members of the Association and advertising firms and experts. We have a goodly number of subscribers in America, where the craft is keenly alive to every movement in the advertising world. It is interesting to note that a periodi- cal with the same title is being issued in M. F. SPRENGER. equally as catchy, and language equallj' emphatic, as its color scheme. I do not think it necessary that it should be spotted all over with lettering. The facts—the story of the article must be told-but with any article that can be successfully advertised by poster—that stoiy can be told by an expert in brief, catchy sentences. The poster has come to stay — Inw largely deptnds upon its prompt vaccina- tion with the virus of advertising common- sense. America by the .\ssociation there. There is likewise a Canadian Bill-Poster, circu- lated under the auspices of a new Cana- dian Association recently formed. The title is ours, and our friends on the other side have simply copied it, being unable, we assutue, to find a better; but Biu,- BOARD Advertising, the pioneer of bill posters publications in America, strongly advised the Canadians to select another title.— Sei'enih annual report of the Unit- ed Bill Pasters Association of Great Britain. A LEADING QUESTION. St. Louis. Mo., Oct. 28th, 1S96. BII.I.BOASD Advkrxisiso, - Gentlemen: —lam thinkinjr seriously of putting a veiy considerable portion of our appropriation for 1897. into posters, and in order to frame my schedules intellieently. I would be under many obligations to you, if you will advise me how I can find out what quantity is necessary to bill the variou.4 cities of the country.' By this 1 mean the rule generally observed'in apportion- ing the quantity of sheets, to the population of the town. Very respectfully, W. F. H. Divide the population of the town by one hundred, and the quotient will be the number of sheets required for what is generally known as ordinary billing. This rule however, does not always hold good. In certain cities where the boards have been intelligently handled and a fi-st-class service maintained for years past, adver- tisers are very partial to them, and conse- quently the boards are not only well cov- ered but there are vast numbers of boards to cover. In order to get a prominent showing, considerably more paper is re- quired than will answer for towns in which like conditions do not prevail. Then too, there are different grades of billing. They range all the way frot ordinary to extraordinary. Light billing may suffice in one section of the Country, whereas the very heaviest may be neces- sary in another. In the smaller town.-", especially those of five thousand and un- der, it is very difficult to keep within the limit by reason of established pre- cedent. The paper for instance consists of a twenty-four sheet stand, a three sheet, a one sheet and a half sheet snipe. In the ordinary course of billing, one three sh«t, three whole .sheets and eight half sheet snipes ought to be enough for a village of one thousand inhabitants. But wherever the circus has penetrated, over billing has been the rule, and the precedent once established mtist be maintained. As a consequence the village not only gets the ten sheets of small paper, but a stand as well, and mayhap additional small stuff. Better entrust your initial appropriation -to some one of the numerous agents who make a business of this sort of thing. It is impossible to answer your query fully. It embraces the alpha and omega of the science of bill posting and no one has yet completely mastered that science. Plato, of Frisco. Arthur M. Plato, Solicitor General of the Pacific Coast Bill Posting Association, has removed to New York. His. address in the Metropolis is care of the Bankers' and Merchants' Advertising Company, 6i Broadway.