Music Trade Review
Issue: 1930 Vol. 89 N. 4 - Page 8
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
vertising d(aughs
Bring Sales Smiles
for
An Interview With
FLINT WILSON
of Philip Werlein, Ltd., New Orleans, La.
By JULIA WATTS
WERLEIN ROUND OP
QF61D RADIOS PIANO*.
PMQNOCRAPH6
mlMsmim*rs-
arrriw* Bi&OER E V E R Y D A \
. tjn ,..
T*AO€ IN VOU* OLD RADIO on INSTRUMENT Af(/W
«T * 616 EXTRA, ALLOWANCE -
/ p A R O - I NEVER
ANYTHING LIKe IT SINCE
"THE BIO YUKON HUSH
LOOKS LIKE
is WHAT THEY A U ,
B6EA* LOOKIM POP?
T
O the question, "Does humor in ad-
vertising pay?" Flint Wilson, adver-
tising manager of Philip Werlein, Ltd.,
a firm which, as its slogan affirms,
"has been selling New Orleans everything
musical since 1842," stands ready to answer,
"Yes, in a great big way!"—thereby adding
his voice to an affirmative chorus of hundreds
of advertising men who have obtained en-
thusiastic consumer-response by the cartoon
route.
A striking demonstration of the pulling
power of humor in advertising was staged by
Werlein's during January and a part of Feb-
ruary when the music house conducted its
"round-up" of old radios, pianos, phonographs
and instruments, advertising that an extra
allowance would be given on such articles
traded in for a new radio or instrument. Be-
ginning on January 4, and lasting six weeks,
the campaign began to show results soon
after insertion of the first advertisement.
From that time on fine results continued with
a steady increase in sales right up to the
closing day.
When results were tabulated, it was found
that January sales had come very close to
December sales, Werlein's probably being
one of the few stores in New Orleans to hang
up such a post-holiday record. Radios, es-
pecially, moved with astounding rapidity,
with pianos making a good second.
IVVhat was responsible for the phenomen-
al success of this trade-in sale? The
way it was advertised, of course.
As to those advertisements: "Their
success was based on humor," said Mr.
Wilson. "The round-up idea isn't origi-
nal. I've used it before myself on
several occasions. But so far as 1
know, the use of cartoons in this
connection is new. And results seem to prove
that once again a touch of humor has succeeded
in gaining and holding the attention of the
consumer."
I h e persistency and consistency of the cam-
paign also helped make it a success, in his
opinion, Mr. Wilson declared. No Sunday ad-
vertisements were used, but insertions were
made twice a week in two of the city's daily
papers. These insertions consisted of six-col-
umn and quarter-page ads and also of small two-
column ads scattered throughout the paper. The
humorous cowboy and policeman drawings are
Mr. Wilson's work.
To keep interest going, real cowboys were
imported during the latter days of the campaign
to entertain with roping stunts in the Canal
street show window of the firm. The pictur-
esque costumes of the performers against a des-
ert setting used in the window—were most ef-
fective and received commendation from many
customers, according to the salesmen.
The single cartoon which had the most "it"
or in other words, pulling power, judging from
the response it brought, was the stagecoach ad,
depicting a' typical western holdup melodrama
from the Werlein sale angle. Also, many cus-
tomers expressed their satisfaction with the
speechmaking cowboy who declared, "Folks,
I've got a few words to say—," and with the in-
terested-looking little eowpony which accompa-
nied him.
As several of the firm's correspondents poirt-
cd out in congratulatory letters to Philip Wer-
lein, head of the company, the advertisement-;
owed their effectiveness to the fact that several
elements in them are elements known to appeal
to large numbers of people. The popularity of
the Old West is something that is being dem-
onstrated every day by the Wild West maga-
(Plcase turn to page 19)
DEAD OR DYING
OLD AHO USED- FOROOTTEA/ on
DtSCARDED
FOLKS!
PIAK1OS -
RADIOS
P M O M O G R A P H S A H O INSTRUMENTS
iVe GOTA
A FEW WOR0
TO S A Y -
EXTRA ALLOWANCE
IF CAPTURED A#O TRADED
A/O
W
WERC6IN ROUNDUP
iNMYdayslbeenaridin'fool. A tegular tip-roarin', dust ealin' mustang
1 master, a punchin' mngy Hem from the Cheyenne Pass to the Platte Rivet
Divide.
HURRY!
HURRY! HURRY! HURRY! HURRY
C*t Rid or Your Old Radio or W r u m . n t Now Whih You Can Get the Mo.1 lor It
DON'T WAIT!
DONT
WAIT!
DON'T WAIT!
DON'T WAIT!
DON'T
WERLEIN ROUND-UP
WAIT
"I been a saddk livin' man willi a appetite for fast ropin". Acomin' and a
join' to every cow frolic and round-up that waa.any nze bigger than a doodls
hill, but I wun'l tecin' r x * W till I got m y * * in thk B I G W E R L E I N
ROUND-UP of OLD PIANOS. RADIOS, PHONOGRAPHS and
B A N D I N S T R U M E N T S and here I been atawin' my rope in the biggest
thing I seen since the Montana gunpede of 'AQ.
vertising d(aughs
Bring Sales Smiles
for
An Interview With
FLINT WILSON
of Philip Werlein, Ltd., New Orleans, La.
By JULIA WATTS
WERLEIN ROUND OP
QF61D RADIOS PIANO*.
PMQNOCRAPH6
mlMsmim*rs-
arrriw* Bi&OER E V E R Y D A \
. tjn ,..
T*AO€ IN VOU* OLD RADIO on INSTRUMENT Af(/W
«T * 616 EXTRA, ALLOWANCE -
/ p A R O - I NEVER
ANYTHING LIKe IT SINCE
"THE BIO YUKON HUSH
LOOKS LIKE
is WHAT THEY A U ,
B6EA* LOOKIM POP?
T
O the question, "Does humor in ad-
vertising pay?" Flint Wilson, adver-
tising manager of Philip Werlein, Ltd.,
a firm which, as its slogan affirms,
"has been selling New Orleans everything
musical since 1842," stands ready to answer,
"Yes, in a great big way!"—thereby adding
his voice to an affirmative chorus of hundreds
of advertising men who have obtained en-
thusiastic consumer-response by the cartoon
route.
A striking demonstration of the pulling
power of humor in advertising was staged by
Werlein's during January and a part of Feb-
ruary when the music house conducted its
"round-up" of old radios, pianos, phonographs
and instruments, advertising that an extra
allowance would be given on such articles
traded in for a new radio or instrument. Be-
ginning on January 4, and lasting six weeks,
the campaign began to show results soon
after insertion of the first advertisement.
From that time on fine results continued with
a steady increase in sales right up to the
closing day.
When results were tabulated, it was found
that January sales had come very close to
December sales, Werlein's probably being
one of the few stores in New Orleans to hang
up such a post-holiday record. Radios, es-
pecially, moved with astounding rapidity,
with pianos making a good second.
IVVhat was responsible for the phenomen-
al success of this trade-in sale? The
way it was advertised, of course.
As to those advertisements: "Their
success was based on humor," said Mr.
Wilson. "The round-up idea isn't origi-
nal. I've used it before myself on
several occasions. But so far as 1
know, the use of cartoons in this
connection is new. And results seem to prove
that once again a touch of humor has succeeded
in gaining and holding the attention of the
consumer."
I h e persistency and consistency of the cam-
paign also helped make it a success, in his
opinion, Mr. Wilson declared. No Sunday ad-
vertisements were used, but insertions were
made twice a week in two of the city's daily
papers. These insertions consisted of six-col-
umn and quarter-page ads and also of small two-
column ads scattered throughout the paper. The
humorous cowboy and policeman drawings are
Mr. Wilson's work.
To keep interest going, real cowboys were
imported during the latter days of the campaign
to entertain with roping stunts in the Canal
street show window of the firm. The pictur-
esque costumes of the performers against a des-
ert setting used in the window—were most ef-
fective and received commendation from many
customers, according to the salesmen.
The single cartoon which had the most "it"
or in other words, pulling power, judging from
the response it brought, was the stagecoach ad,
depicting a' typical western holdup melodrama
from the Werlein sale angle. Also, many cus-
tomers expressed their satisfaction with the
speechmaking cowboy who declared, "Folks,
I've got a few words to say—," and with the in-
terested-looking little eowpony which accompa-
nied him.
As several of the firm's correspondents poirt-
cd out in congratulatory letters to Philip Wer-
lein, head of the company, the advertisement-;
owed their effectiveness to the fact that several
elements in them are elements known to appeal
to large numbers of people. The popularity of
the Old West is something that is being dem-
onstrated every day by the Wild West maga-
(Plcase turn to page 19)
DEAD OR DYING
OLD AHO USED- FOROOTTEA/ on
DtSCARDED
FOLKS!
PIAK1OS -
RADIOS
P M O M O G R A P H S A H O INSTRUMENTS
iVe GOTA
A FEW WOR0
TO S A Y -
EXTRA ALLOWANCE
IF CAPTURED A#O TRADED
A/O
W
WERC6IN ROUNDUP
iNMYdayslbeenaridin'fool. A tegular tip-roarin', dust ealin' mustang
1 master, a punchin' mngy Hem from the Cheyenne Pass to the Platte Rivet
Divide.
HURRY!
HURRY! HURRY! HURRY! HURRY
C*t Rid or Your Old Radio or W r u m . n t Now Whih You Can Get the Mo.1 lor It
DON'T WAIT!
DONT
WAIT!
DON'T WAIT!
DON'T WAIT!
DON'T
WERLEIN ROUND-UP
WAIT
"I been a saddk livin' man willi a appetite for fast ropin". Acomin' and a
join' to every cow frolic and round-up that waa.any nze bigger than a doodls
hill, but I wun'l tecin' r x * W till I got m y * * in thk B I G W E R L E I N
ROUND-UP of OLD PIANOS. RADIOS, PHONOGRAPHS and
B A N D I N S T R U M E N T S and here I been atawin' my rope in the biggest
thing I seen since the Montana gunpede of 'AQ.
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