James Webb Young - How to become an Advertising Man

A couple of very clear definitions and thoughts that seem much more elegant than much of the literature written afterwards:

“The “PROPOSITION” which any advertisement makes to its reader or viewer the quid pro quo – the benefit he will receive for what you ask him to do. It consists of the promise of that benefit plus the reason why you can fulfill it.” (Young, 1963, p.19).

“What you must say here (with the message) is something carefully clculated to touch an exposed nerve of your prospect’s self interest” (Young, 1963, p.30).

“You must make (…)clear the relationshop between what you have to offer and the prospect’s wants, needs, or existing desires” (Young, 1963, p.30).

“So you will work like a beaver to talk his language (…) to ring true with his life as it is or as he hopes it will be” (Young, 1963, p.31).

Moreover Young is not afraid of explaining why advertising is a good thing – not that you have to agree with him, but it is a very interesting thought:

“To use advertising to overcome inertia is to use it as an external force to overcome some state of rest in man (…) By overcoming inertia there is produced a greater release of the energies of men – the true source of wealth of nations” (Young, 1963, p.65).