CREATIVE-THE HEART OF ADVERTISING
ALBERT LASKER OF THE LORD & THOMAS ADVERTISING AGENCY IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS, THE FATHER OF MODERN ADVERTISING; ONE DAY A LETTER WAS DELIVERED TO HIS DESK, WHICH SAID IN EFFECT, ' I KNOW WHAT ADVERTISING IS. AND I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT ADVERTISING IS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, SEND FOR ME, I AM WAITING OUTSIDE '.
THE INTEREST OF THE GREAT MAN PIQUED AND HE SENT FOR JOHN KENNEDY, THE WRITER OF THE NOTE.
KENNEDY ASKED LASKER WHAT HE THOUGHT ADVERTISING WAS AND LASKER TRIED VARIOUS DEFINITIONS, SUCH AS " ADVERTISING IS NEWS ABOUT A PRODUCT. '
' NO, NONE OF THEM', SAID JOHN KENNEDY, ' ADVERTISING IS SALESMANSHIP ON PAPER . 'IN TIME, THIS DEFINITION BECAME, " ADVERTISING IS SALESMANSHIP IN PRINT '. NEEDLESS TO SAY, LASKER OFFERED KENNEDY A JOB, AND LATTER WENT ON TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS COPYWRITERS.
BUT, YOU SAY, WHAT ABOUT TELEVISION? WHAT ABOUT RADIO? WELL, HERE ADVERTISING IS SALESMANSHIP OVER THE AIRWAVES, BUT ADVERTISING REMAINS SALESMANSHIP. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.
ADVERTISING IS NOT MEANT TO BE GREAT LITERARY WORK OR GREAT ART. IN FACT, THESE CAN BE DISTINCT DISADVANTAGE TO THE CREATION OF GOOD SALES MESSAGES.
