Document LJnaVx993barwEzyJ3wx883ez

*% Cleveland History of Jap-A-Lac Deo. 24, 1924 iv. J. Bland San Francisco Dear Hr.Bland?- I am giving you here a bit of Jap-A-Lac history as requested in your wire. Some of the faots are a little faded by now and it is very difficult to get dates that we can be absolutely sure of. JAP-A-LAC HISTCRY / Jap-A-Lac was originated by the Glidden Varnish Company between 1895 and 1897. At that time the company saw the advantages of combining a stain and a varnish together and selling it to housewives as a house hold product for patching up old and discolored woodwork. The work of educating the public to the use of a product of this kind was started about the year 1898 and by 1900 distribution had become pretty general with dealers all over the United States. Very little advertising in national magazines was used up until 1900, in fact, there was practically none, yet the tense of Jap-A-Lao began to spread at that time through one housewife passing on word to the next. Sales grew, and grew beyond the expectations of the company, and it was about at this time that the management began to appreciate what a wonderful produot they had developed end what a marvelous opportunity they had to give the publio a new product that was really wanted. In 1901 and 1902 small cuarter page and eighth page ads appeared in the Delineator, Designer and Womens* Magazine. These were the three leading womens* publications in the field at that time. Immediately Jep-A-Lao sales began to jump by leaps and bounds, and in 1905 the Glidden Company decided to put on the biggest national advertising campaign that had ever been started Lor,any product in the world, and consequently, in the Hayissues of the Delineator, Designer and Womens* Magazine four color four page ads appeared on Jap-A-Lac. This ad was the most expensive single advertisement ever printed. It eostt for one insertion in these magazines Fifteen thousand dollars. During the year of 1905 the Glidden Company spent sixty thousand dollars in national advertising. There are still many men in the organization that, can remember the tremenduous impression that this big advertising made, not only upon the consuming publio but on the whole publishing and advertising fraternity. The Glidden Company were dammed up one side and down the other for spending fifteen thousand dollars An one advertisement and the publishers who accepted the ads were all but boyootted by com petitors and many other advertising men v&o recognized the tremenduous benefit that the Glidden Varnish Company had obtained with thie advertising. mi292 > -2 Even preachers took this advertisement as their sermon the Sundayafter the ad appeared and. preached against such terrible waste. Those who were interested in this tremenduous campaign can well remember the (Hidden Varnish Company*s answer to this,"which took the form of their using a similar four page advertisement in the following year. May 1906, in the same magazines, and for which they paid eighteen thousand dollars. That same year the (Hidden Varnish Company spent two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to advertise Jap --A--Lac. / // ;t This answer had a quieting effeot upon critics, especially upon the advertising managers of other publications and competitors of Jap-A-Lao It was during these years that Jap-A-Lac reached the height of its popularity, and it was not until then that competitors beaan to enter the field, consequently, Jap-A-Lao had the lead and dominated the field as a household specialty. It was also at this time that additional lines were added to Jap-A-Lac, such as Porch and Floor Paint, and many other useful products around the hone. Since that time there has been a continuous advertising program on Jap-A-Lao. Through the last two decades Jap-A-Lao has held its own as the best known household product. Today Jap-A-Lac means as much to the housewife as it did twenty years ago and even with' the tremenduous amount of competition that there is in the field, it is surprising to know that Jap-A-Lao sales have not been materially affected. The entire advertising fraternity as well as all publishers, owe a debt to Jap-A-Lao and the Glidden Varnish Company for the work that they did and the money that they spent to teaqh consumers, dealers and other manu facturers the advantages of national advertising. Yours, very truly. of THE GLIDDEN COMPANY GS3:J GLD 041793