A few years ago, D. R. Hiatt, a successful commercial sign painter and producer of "silk screen Process" billboard posters, accepted this message in Florida. He threw himself without reserve into getting the advent message more effectively before Potential Adventist audiences by striking billboard posters and window cards, abandoning a lucrative income for a work of love that has been a struggle. He transferred to Washington to better pursue his Purpose, and his designs are now fairly widely used. Many more, however, need to use these impressive Posters and window cards. As sufficient orders come in, it will enable him to make more designs to present to the field. This service is a distinct asset to the worker body of this cause.—Editor.
M.r. Emerson's aphorism about the world's beating a path to the door of the man who makes a better mousetrap, is out of date today. The world might toil up his pathway in a steady stream, but if he confined his efforts to production exclusively, his door would surely be overlooked, and his competitor's neon sign would get the business.
Staggering sums of money are being spent daily in the commercial world to secure attention. Senses reel under a continuous heavy bombardment of advertising propaganda from every direction. Clever men outdo one another in their schemes to "buttonhole" a public which is becoming more sophisticated every day. It is safe to say that no service or commodity is successful sold, exchanged, or even given away without advertising in some form.
Since time does not suffice for each of us to personally investigate the claims of every advertiser, we are forced to employ some process of selection other than direct personal examination. We have, therefore, unconsciously but surely developed the practice of judging the unknown product or service by the quality of the advertising material used in its promotion. Thus, shoddy advertising defeats its own purpose. These are facts which cannot profitably be ignored, whether we are connected with the mousetrap industry, or engaged in the business of carrying the gospel message to all the world in this generation.
Multiplied millions of people in the Western World have not heard of the third angel's message. Can we be said to have discharged our obligation to these millions if we have failed to make use of the mediums which are best calculated to arrest their attention and excite their interest? If we are to reach them at all, we must speak their language—the language of advertising. And it must be well-conceived, appropriate, high-quality advertising, for nothing else will influence them.
The gospel worker has heretofore been pitifully handicapped in this respect. It is no wonder that his advertising material, produced singly on individual initiative and paid for out of meager budgets, has shown painful contrast to contemporary commercial advertising. The wonder is that he has done as well as he has.
Obviously, the progressive minister is vitally interested in the rising tide of evangelism that is now sweeping this denomination. Not content with reaching people by the handful, he is seeking an acceptable way to multiply his efficiency and hasten the work of the harvest. It is not as easy to get attention as it used to be. People are so active and restless that we have to catch them on the run, if at all. The commercial world has met this situation by the use of illustration and color in its advertising. Vast enterprises have been built up almost entirely on the strength of advertising.
In this speedy world, the preacher who would evangelize must advertise; else a very large portion of his energy will go to waste. Whether we like to admit it or not, aggressive advertising gets the business. Of all the mediums, poster advertising has proved the most effective and economical. More display for your money may be had in this way than in any other. And it "stays put," instead of expiring, like a newspaper ad, or landing in the trash, as do handbills. Doubtless you have felt the need of poster advertising. Now you can secure it at reasonable cost.
The materials described on page 39 have been developed because of a very urgent need. They are designed to enable you to compete for the attention of a discriminating public. You need no longer labor under disadvantage. These materials will assure you satisfactory attendance throughout your series.
Every Design A Split-Second Sermon.—The designs have been developed in close cooperation with the General Conference, and are in strict accord with established denominational principles. Striking, but not clamorous, colorful, but not lurid, every design is a "split-second" sermon that is calculated to implant a spark of interest in the most casual mind. The cumulative effect of one design after another can scarcely be overestimated.
The use of these powerful posters in the various sizes constitutes a complete, well-balanced visual publicity campaign of obvious dignity. It automatically establishes the evangelist, aside from age and experience, as the representative of an enterprising, thoroughgoing, and successful organization. The spiritual value of these excellent materials is, of course, quite beyond computation, but on a money basis alone they pay for themselves over and over again.
Comparing favorably with the very best publicity materials to be seen anywhere, these posters attract and interest substantial and discriminating people, as well as the poor and illiterate. The seasoned worker will readily perceive in advance the advantage of this fact by way of increased attendance, improved atmosphere and attention, and permanency of results, not to mention the increased freewill offerings in support of his effort.
Place these posters in the windows of empty stores. Tack them up on protected walls. Paste them on suitable metal panels outside your entrances. Public establishments of certain types will permit you to tack them up indoors. Local announcement data—time, place, etc.—are lettered upon auxiliary strips of poster paper, to be affixed beneath the main sheet.
At less than the cost of one insertion of a modest display ad in most local newspapers, you can place a dozen of these posters in advantageous locations about the community, to remain there throughout your meetings. They will be repeatedly observed by thousands, many of whom you could reach in no other manner. How can we afford to neglect this medium of advertising in propagating the third angel's message? The Lord believes in signs—He has Himself employed some rather spectacular outdoor displays in heralding the coming climax.
The miracle of quantity reproduction has been harnessed to bring attractive, colorful, dignified posters and other publicity materials within the reach of every Seventh-day Adventist minister. All should make haste to put them to use, for the day is nearer than we think wherein this effective medium of wholesale publicity will be forever closed to our message.
