Emphasizing the Negative (2)

Smith Bros. A Cough Is A Social Blunder (1919). Dramatize the problem: People who cough in public 'lack consideration of others', they are a 'public menace'. Give a solution to the problem: Smith Bros cough drops keep a cough from developing into a sore throat or a cold so it's good to always have a box with you. Coughs have no place in social settings. Let the brand own the solution: One cough drop at bedtime will clear the cough.

Emphasizing the Negative (1)

The Listerine Ad-Often A Bridesmaid But Never The Bride. Dramatize the Problem: The needing heart of a 1930's woman on her quest to marry. She was one who 'possessed grace, charm & loveliness' but had unpleasant breath (halitosis). Give a Solution to the Problem: Use Listerine to get rid of bad breath, stop spinsterhood & get married (!?). Let the Brand Own the Solution.

Emphasizing the Positive

Cadillac - The Penalty of Leadership (1915)
Advertising was referred to as the handmaiden of business.
We were to write as if we have respect & sincerity for our readers in a high minded & positive manner.

The ad was written in response to defects discovered in the new cadillac. The copy states that 'in every field, a man's work becomes a standard for the whole world, it also becomes a target of criticisms of the envious few'. If his/her work be mediocre, he will be left alone but if he creates a 'masterpiece' then others may seek to appreciate or depreciate. This is nothing new. The leader must remain a leader and live on continuing the 'stamp of genius'.

This ad was a huge success despite critics saying that it was mostly 'fluff'. Cadillac salespeople requested copies for themselves as well as their customers. According to Advertising Age (1998), this campaign is ranked 49th out of the top 100 ad campaigns of all times.

Bruce Barton (1886-1967)

Background
In 1919 with George Batten, Roy Durstine and Alex Osborn, he founded the Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn agency (BBDO) which soon became one of the leading advertising agencies in the world.

Bruce Barton was an outstanding copywriter, and many of his phrases and advertisements became classics. Barton were all of these: celebrity in the 1930s, confidant to presidents & congressmen, a philanthropist, master copywriter & bestselling author of The Man Nobody Knows (1920s); a book about Jesus Christ representing the son of God as a cheerful, inspiring and popular man.