FASHION AND ADVERTISING

Evening Star, Issue 19456, 14 January 1927, Page 3

FASHION AND ADVERTISING

——« A PSYCHOLOGIST’S VIEM’S. The mental traits which hind people to the authority of fashion are examined by Professor Tasman Lovell in an article entitled ‘The Ethics of Advertising,’ in tho ‘ Australasian Journal of Philosophy and Psychology.’ “One buys tho same sort of things as one’s fellows,” lie says, “ first to assert oneself, to be equal to the best; secondly, to_ abase oneself, to avoid being conspicuous, to escape, the inconvenient attention of tho herd, which is over ready to fall upon those who do not conform; and, thirdly, because of unconscious suggestion, loading to equally unconscious imitation. Assertiveness, submissivonoss to avoid inconvenience, and imitation arc (ho three great links in tho chain which holds man in bondage to fickle fashion. Ifc is duo to suggestion and imitation that the host advertisement of goods is often the use of them by some wcd-kmnvn public person with prestige, such as so-called leaders of fashion, favorite actresses, and others.” Professor Lovell lays down the four psychological essentials of successful advertising as concreteness, or realistic presentation, interest, intensity or massiveness and prestige. Dealing with the first, lie says that picture writing was the most primitive means of communication, and that man_ still carries with him ninny of his primitive characteristics. To most people visual images make tho strongest appeal. The interest of an advertisement may lie in its essential beauty or humor, or in its linking itself with some current topic which is occupying people’s minds, intensity or massiveness he defines as “ that more or loss overwhelming impression which is produced by repetition of the suggestion, or by extent of space in the full page advertisement, tho poster, and tho hoarding, or by the siv>3 and quality of tho colors of the letters used.” “By ‘prestige,’” he says, “ one moans the power in reputation and character that is behind tho advertisement of a man or firm whoso commercial honesty is everywhere known to be beyond reproach.” Professor Lovell maintains that the responsibility of the buyer to see that his interests are served does not absolve the advertiser from the obligation to “ push only goods.” He scouts the suggestion, sometimes made by foreigners, that the traditional honesty of British traders is merely due to the principle. “Honesty is the best policy. I’ve tried both.” Ho thinks that it is due to the Puritan iron in the British character.