December 7, 1916 
Critical Survey 
ADVERTISING is to-day the godmother to progress. It 
represents one of the essential factors to commercial 
success, yet it is still in its infancy. 
The artistic and littcary development of advertising 
during the last decade has been considerable, and even the 
ruthless retarder War, altering values, changing perspectives, 
and reducing to insignificance all thmgs not appertaining to 
it, hag not succeeded in nullifying its force. 
From the undistinguisliod mediocrity of the Victorian 
era, with its obvious and elementary methods, advertising 
has evolved to its present form, in which it now incorporates 
the arts. Old-fashioned prejudice, fostered by unscrupulous 
publicity-mongers, has been broken down by modern clean- 
ness, and the nineteenth century shibboleth that the very 
best firms should never advertise, exists no longer. 
To achieve really successful results, advertising, in its 
higlicst form, must possess dignity, psychology, argument, 
atmosphere, and sincerity. Exaggerations and specious 
etatements are useless in addressing a public of intelligence 
and discrimination, and advertisements based on an artificial 
foundation quickly evaporate to the oblivion from which they 
spring. 
Criticised 
A Criticism from an inter- 
national stan- 
dard, British advertising is 
superior in tone and more 
any other country. America is 
convincing in efiect than that of 
the only serious competitor, but 
whilst considerably more dollars 
are spent by American adver- 
tisers, they are in general inclined 
to be blatant in argument and 
crude in literary style. The 
eSorta of Germany are clumsy 
and unimaginative, conveying 
only an impression of grossness 
in keeping with their maimers and 
their appetites. French advertis- 
ing is indifferent at present, only 
because it is undeveloped. When 
the subject is seriously studied by 
them, they will probably evolve 
the best in the world. 
In giving British advertising 
pride of place I do so on average. 
Much of the commercial advertis- 
ing is good and more is moderate. 
Particularly uneven was the 
Government recruiting and economy advertising.. In parts 
one could trace the practised hand and the logical mind, 
but on the whole there was little cohesion, with the result 
that there were many glaring examples which were very 
bad. The statement made in certain newspupere that the 
recruiting advertising was responsible for raising a huge 
voluntary army, must be entirely refuted. The British 
voluntary army was created solely by the patriotic spirit 
of the nation, and this wonderful spirit was in no way 
influenced by a form of advertising which in some instances 
consisted merely of cheap gibes. Tiic economy adverlisins 
was simply wasted time, effort, and money ,\ not wasted 
■ brains, for none were exhibited. In the ]iist<ivy of I'ress 
and publicity advertising, never has so much money been 
spent (our money, unfortunately) with such little result. 
The ai'guments advanced were not only illogical but fatuoun. 
They were received by all intelligent people with the derision 
they invited, and even our Cabinet Ministors' wives neg- 
lected to follow (heir doctrines. Of necessity the masses 
cannot be extravagant, and who dare tenn the classes so, 
xvlieii tliiy ■^"■•' i>Mviiis,' tlio State 5s. and upwmds o\it of 
every £1 of their income? Having done this, cxtra;vaganco 
i'i.».>j..: .s no longer a vice, but an art. 
Governmental .T<l\crtisiiig is, how- 
Governmental ever, hardly a fair criterion, as it is only 
AdverlisiniF human nature to be prodigal in spending' 
other people's money, .^s an illustration 
of the relation of judicious advertising to commercial success, 
' S!!^e' 2ues/ion on j!^rmi 
By 
Dennis Bradley 
let me instance the progress of Pope and Bradley. This I 
do, in no spirit of egoism, but in a cold statement of facts. 
In thirtesn years from foundation, the House of Pope an-l 
Bradley has achieved its present position. The turnover 
of the House is now in a week what iti was then in a year, 
and the clientele is far larger than any other firm of its 
kind in the West End. Even since 1913, when the rapid 
progress was supposed by many to have reached its zenith, 
the tui-nover has been' considerably more than doubled. 
These results, which may be claimed without exaggeration 
to be phenomenal, could" never have been obtained without 
the aid of advertising, but none the less could they have 
been obtained without a perfect system of business 
organisation and a perfect system of production. 
The best advertising in the world would produce 
only ephemeral results, unless the articles offered 
were of an equivalent standard to the character of the 
advertisement. 
In artistic businesses it is possible to judge to a degree the 
style of each business by the style of its advertisements. 
I believe that the refined 
atmosphere of a House can be 
clearly indicated by the atmo- 
'sphere of its advertising, just 
as the blatant advertisement indi- 
cates the vulgar production. 
It is, perhaps, because I write 
so many advertisements, that the 
art side interests me the more. 
To see one's ideas expressed by 
such artists as Barribal, Caffyn, 
Will Houghton (killed now, poor 
fellow), and "Bilette," is a very 
gi-eat joy. I have deliberately 
during the last year used with my 
somewhat severe writing, illustra- 
tions of light and delicate char- 
acter. This I have done by way 
of strong contrast, and the effecv 
may be estimated by the fact Uial 
I have received several thousand 
letters of appreciation from 
officers at the front. 
It h ji s 
Taxing 
Progress 
From tht jia'mling by " Hilette " to the commif-fion of 
U, Dennis Bradley. 
advisabilitv 
been mooted 
more than 
once that tlu- 
f taxiii" advei- 
Governmcnl is considering the 
tisements. Sucli a tax would 1)0 prejudicial to iiationa.l 
interests, and would deliberately place progress and enterprii^i' 
at a discount. It would be equally logical to tax. morality anr' 
religion. Industry requires no further handicaps, it dpiiuinds 
encouragement. British commerce is contributing hugely 
towards financing the war. It represents the " silver 
bullets " which IMr. Lloyd George so glibly said would win 
the war. Let commerce therefore receive the consideration 
and respect which is its due. 
Industry to-day is being conducted under colossal difTi- 
culties. Its work is of vital importance to (lie I'jripire, and 
it has survived marvellously, yet there is at (he moment an 
anomalous tendency exhibited by a certain section of tlio 
Press to adulate German methods. 
.\nd now a word on war profiteering. The business 
which I control, with illimitable op])orturfities of which it 
could have taken advantage, has traded tliroughoufc 
the, war on a eonsidoralily lower percentage of profit, 
than that obtained in peace time. Only by adapt- 
ability to existing conditions has it continued to 
progress , and had peace continued this progress would 
have been infinitely greater. 
Altruism is not entirely responsible for (he princij)les of 
my House, since^ it possesses n wliolesoiiu" ivgai'd lor future 
prestige, and after ))eace is declared I anticipate a wonderful 
era of international commercial prosperity, in which Britain 
will maintain and increase the supremacy she has always held. 
