I do a lot of research into advertising trade publications from the mid 20th century. I came across this quote in an issue of Advertising Age from 1938. Speaking to a group of his peers, General Mills executive Walter Barry was explaining how successfully radio advertising has helped to hawk one of his key products:
The pores of the radio audience are pretty well opened for a little sales talk after a few doses of romance or song. As a result Wheaties has spreadeagled the breakfast food field in eight years.
Scholars hate phrases like these because mixed metaphors are usually the result of sloppy thinking and they almost always confuse the reader. That said, they’re still fascinating. This one is especially so: by combining imagery of skin care, narcotics, violent sex and food, Barry communicates the psyche of the advertiser more succinctly than a dozen annual reports.
I imagine a room full of small sweaty little salesmen in tube socks, tweed and yesterday’s shirtcollars, watching Barry brag at a lectern while each conniving to spreadeagle their own cigarette smokers, bromoseltzer drinkers and regular consumers of ironized yeast.
1 Comment
January 28, 2009 at 9:57 pm
That is my grandfather who died in the late 1950s before I was born. My father, also Walter Barry, worked at General Mills from 1958-1986. We would both be very interested to receive a transcript/copy of this ‘Advertising Age’ story. I appreciate your follow up at my email address.
Thanks,
Walter