There'll Always Be an Ad-man...

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 781, 9 July 1954, Page 19

There'll Always Be an Ad-man...

FoR most of the year advertising men bend their efforts to selling other people’s goods. Next week they'll be selling their own. It is national advertising week, and the product to be advertised is Advertising. Radio’s part in this family campaign will consist of numbers of "spot" ads from commercial stations, and a_ halfhour dramatic programme entitled The Aladdin's Lamp. The said lamp enters the picture after a long and irritable declamation by a character named Joe

Dobbs. Joe says: "All this advertising’s a lot of poppycock. It costs thousands and thousands of pounds-millions -and we've got to pay for it... Advertising’s made it a world of coloured lamps, blaring radios, screaming newspapers, billboards, catch phrases, slo-gans-a man doesn’t get a moment's peace these days, except in bed. That’s one place they can’t —

get at you, and that’s where I’m going." Joe goes. But there’s no peace for him even in bed this night. He knocks over a lamp and a genie appears to ask his wish. Joe’s in no doubt about that: "Give me just one day-24 hoursrid the world of advertising, classified and display, billboard, poster and electric sign; syrup-voiced announcers who bleat and whine; what four out of five of us are supposed to have-what you'll do if you're wise, Socko Soap, pink toothbrush, and Yum Yum pies. And

all the money were Spending to avoid the hazards of ending; the groans of night-starvation and all the fruits of ad creation. Wipe them out!" Next morning, Joe’s day without. advertising begins. It is surely ‘a sad. and bedraggled day. It opens with a thin newspaper and no ZB breakfast session, continues without any of the brands of = razora

blades, cigarettes, shirts, electric globes and tea which Joe knows and likes, and ends with a round of the theatres to find out what’s on--the newspapers having no film advertisements. By the time a movie about advertising’s contribution to modern technology appears on the screen, Joe is all set to believe that: "Advertised products are good products, for advertising is the medium which introduces them to the mass of the people, who quickly discover the truth. Advertising stimulates competition, forces constant pursuit of perfection in the production field, Advertising educates the public to quicker and more intelligent selection of goods on the public market." The Aladdin’s Lamp will be broadcast by the main commercial stations on Friday, July 16, at the following times: 1, 2 and 4ZB, 9.0 .m.; 3ZB, 8.15 p.m.; 2ZA, 7.15 p.m. It will heard from the various X stations during the week July 12-17 at times to be announced. The show was written and produced by Allan Sleeman at the Christchurch studios the NZBS.