Advertising is in its infancy in all parts of Latin America. It has been given neither thought, study or attention, by the native, and where some particular article has made a “hit” or developed into a profitable seller through publicity, the chances are that the campaign was conducted by some foreigner more or less familiar with modern methods. Thousands of dollars are yearly wasted by inexperienced persons in trying to market goods along erroneous lines.

The great thing which militates against successful work in this field is the enormous percentage of illiteracy—some authorities placing it as high as 85 per cent. Chile admits that 49 per cent. of her citizens cannot read or write; Argentine 54 per cent.; Cuba 56 per cent.; Mexico 75 per cent.; Brazil 85 per cent. and Guatemala 92 per cent. This condition is easily conceivable when we stop to consider the scarcity of either public or private schools, and the large percentage of aborigines, Indians, negroes and mixed breed population, especially in the northern countries of South America, as well as in Central America, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking West Indies.

How to reach this class, each member of which is a potential possibility from a purchasing point of view, is a problem requiring much consideration. Bright colors attract them and posters and cards illustrating your article, and showing its application and practicability have their value. Such souvenirs are never thrown away but are preserved for years. If any member of the village can read he is asked to transcribe the printing on the medium, and this will in all probability form the subject for much discussion so that ultimately everybody becomes acquainted with whatever may be thereon related or depicted, thereby fulfilling the mission for which it was intended.

To advertise a luxury to the uneducated classes is a waste of money, for they have neither the means nor the desire to indulge in such extravagances. Very naturally the great demand among these people, as it is among persons of this class elsewhere, is for the necessities of life—cotton goods, textiles, patent medicines, shoes, farming implements, hardware, machinery, tools and the like. These are the things required by the farmer and the laborer who make up the greater proportion of the world’s population, and perhaps the very best way to reach them is through the influence of the middle man, the jobber and the local storekeeper. Of these three, the village merchant is by far the most important with the masses. He is always a man of standing in his community. He is invariably respected and looked up to. His word among many amounts to law—his judgment final. He is the moneyed man of the neighborhood. He carries the peons on his books—helps them along in hard times, and when crops are short—extends credit when he thinks it wise to do so and curtails it when proper. He is therefore in a position to force on this great class of the people whatever he wishes. I recall one of these typical country merchants telling me that practically every man in the neighborhood owed him money and that therefore he had them all in his power, so that he could tell them just what he wished them to do or buy or be closed out. The control held by such a man in these remote communities is far-reaching and conclusive. It is quite obvious that the proletariat may be reached through direct appeal to him. He usually takes the local papers, and those published in his immediate vicinity, and is certain to subscribe to one or more of the leading metropolitan dailies, so as to keep in touch with the markets and shipping conditions. He knows almost to a ton what this year’s crop will amount to; what the output of the neighboring mines will be; how much rubber will come from up country; if wool will bring a high price, or if cattle will be lower than last year, and is generally an all around encyclopaedia of useful information on every local subject. The course to pursue is obvious—advertise in the papers he takes, and at the same time cultivate his friendship. Get to know him personally and intimately, and seek to do him favors when the opportunity offers.

The educated and better class of people demand all the luxuries and the nicer things that the markets of the world afford. In addition to their native language, they have been taught to speak French and most of them use this idiom as frequently as they do their mother tongue and have perhaps at various times in their careers lived in the capitals of Europe. Their tastes are most modern. They demand the best and have the money to pay for it. Obviously it is a comparatively simple problem to reach this class. In each Latin American country are to be found numerous weeklies and monthlies, most of which are well got up typographically and profusely illustrated, which are an excellent medium for placing one in direct touch with this desirable portion of the purchasing public. They also take the leading metropolitan dailies and these papers are very effective in bringing to their attention articles which they may desire.

Sign boards are beginning to be well thought of and are making their appearance throughout the larger cities. Posters, well executed, but in glaring colors, and if possible displaying a portion of a nude female always attract universal attention and for many lines are excellent mediums. Some of the countries charge an internal revenue tax on all sign boards, posters, placards and street announcements proportionate to their size. Before undertaking a campaign requiring the use of this class of material, it is therefore well to ascertain what this fee will amount to and arrange for its payment. In some cities the hoardings are sold for a period of years, to the highest bidder, who in turn rents them to the user for a specified time. These spaces are often the property of the municipality which contracts directly with the user for them. In Buenos Aires these stands are so highly thought of that they are often leased years in advance.

Moving picture theatres abound in the larger cities as they do with us. Between films it is the custom to run advertisements which are thrown on the screen for a few minutes. This is a rather cheap and practical means of announcing one’s wares, inasmuch as it reaches a good class of people.

Street cars are used as extensively as in the United States, and are worthy of serious consideration in conducting an elaborate advertising campaign. Not only are the inside spaces in the car for sale, but in many cities the spaces outside both above and below the windows and the front and rear dashboards are effectively used.

Electric signs are as yet comparatively unknown. Some of the larger cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires have a few but they are the exception to the general rule. The streets are usually so narrow that good locations for display purposes are difficult to find. This condition will be overcome in time, in many of the metropolitan towns, with the advent of municipal improvements, the broadening of streets and the laying out of modern avenues. Another element which militates against the universal use of the “flash” sign is the fact that they are apt to get out of order and mechanics experienced enough to repair and keep them in operative condition are not numerous in these localities. It therefore follows that for some years to come, the fixed electric sign would be the more ideal for this section of the world.

I doubt if any business house in any part of Latin America is really familiar with the value of the follow-up letter system such as we use so satisfactorily in the United States. I am certain that its introduction and regular use will be found profitable in developing any line of trade, especially when intended for those who in the course of a year receive comparatively little correspondence.

With regard to advertising rates the Latin American publisher is becoming more consistent of late. Time was when he asked $600.00 a year and took $60.00. To-day he keeps closer to an established price, although diplomacy and politeness can accomplish much toward a generous reduction on his first quotation. Local dealers always are given a far better rate than foreigners and before doing business with a paper it is highly advisable to find out by some means the price paid by the larger business houses of the place. This will serve you as a guide in determining what to pay for your space. It is always customary to run little “readers” in the columns especially if you have contracted for much advertising, and as these cost nothing, it is well to provide appropriate manuscript for them and insist upon its being used.

Local copy in many sections of Latin America is far from our idea of what it should be and may appear a bit startling to our notions of propriety. In Peru, there is a mineral water known as “Jesus Water,” the labels on the bottle, the colored posters and other advertising showing Christ at the spring.

A cognac company uses cuts, posters and large signs depicting the Saviour in the act of pouring out a glass of brandy and saying to Lazarus, lying in a coffin at his feet, “Lazarus, arise and take a glass of Cognac Bisquit.” I have seen this announcement in colors on the back page of the leading illustrated weekly.

“You Furnish the Corpse and Do the Mourning—We Do the Rest,” is the ingenious slogan announcing the advertisement of an undertaking firm. Let me add that such advertisements are not considered sacrilegious or brutal, but simply show how primitive conditions are in these fields.

Doctors advertise patients and patients advertise doctors in these favored lands of the sun. This is considered perfectly ethical and adds to rather than detracts from the reputation of both parties. I recall a picture in halftones in the leading weekly of South America showing the photographs of a physician and his patient, a well known lady of the city. Grouped between the two were reproductions of forty-eight stones alleged to have been removed from the sufferer. Pictures of amputations are shown in detail, with lifelike illustrations of the surgeon. Executions are also minutely depicted. I mention these facts in order that a more complete insight may be gained as to the advertising disposition and temperament of the public.

Position in the greater number of papers is an unknown quantity and its value little understood or appreciated. Those connected with the journal positively do not realize its importance. Even if a definite location is contracted for in your agreement you need not be surprised if the advertisement appears anywhere on any page. This is not done to antagonize you, but is due to the fact above mentioned. Attempts to deduct for wrong position in making payments generally start all kinds of trouble and result in caustic editorial comments. Here as in all things in Latin America, friendship counts, and if you have taken the precaution to get on the right side of the editor and the make-up man, you can have your choice of positions. I know of a representative who was advertising a well known American mineral water in South America three years ago. One of the dailies in which he was doing much display work had just added a new two-color press to its equipment and as he was very intimate with the editor the advertisement appeared in red ink for a long time in the center of the front page along with the foreign telegraphic news, columns being broken for the purpose. No extra charge was made for the service and the owner of the sheet felt that he had done nothing more than exhibit his high regard for the gentleman from the North.

Before preparing your copy for Latin America it is well to study all these conditions and see wherein you can take advantage of them for there is no denying that peculiar opportunities exist which if profited by may mean for you and your firm success in this territory.

Once you have decided upon your copy and the size of the space you intend using, it is advisable to have electro cuts made. This saves time and insures for your advertisement a uniformity of text and type which cannot be guaranteed if the same is to be set up in the office of the paper for each issue. When these electros are to be used in rotation they should be numbered and printed instructions for the foreman should accompany them.

Plagiarism is rampant. They recognize Americans as the best advertisers in the world and not being familiar with English appropriate and use our illustrations irrespective of the fact that they may have absolutely no bearing on what they are advocating.

Typical of this purloining I recall a well known picture from an American cereal advertisement showing two men seated in a dining car, eating breakfast food. Outside snow is all over the ground and trees; “Smoke El Toro Cigar” is the announcement beneath the sketch and in no place does a cigar appear or is any reference made to one. Whoever selected this picture did not even have the good judgment to modify the same to the extent of cutting out the snow storm, in a land where snow is unknown or eliminating the raised spoons piled high with the cereal and held in the hands of the travelers.

The full page advertisements of Pillsbury’s Flour were bodily appropriated and used by a local cement manufacturing concern. The fact that they also put up cement in bags seemed enough to warrant them in using this copy, although the picture of the cook surrounded by the paraphernalia of his office was not altered in the least.