New York Times Editorial
June 11, 1927
-Donald Gillies
New York Times Editorial
June10, 1927
Another Lindbergh Role: He is Hailed as the World’s Greatest
Advertising Man.
To the editor of the New York Times:
There is one profession above all others that owes
a tremendous gratitude to Lindbergh, and this is the one to which I have
the honor to belong - the advertising profession. It occurs to me
that Lindbergh has proved the apostle of International advertising- the
greatest advertising man as well as flying man the world has ever seen.
Our former allies have been prone to judge America by the tourists and
some get-rich-quick American visitors who have led them to believe that
money grows on trees in this country. These men misrepresented America
by their extravagances and behavior. Fortunately, they represent
about one-half of 1 percent of the real Americans, and it remained for
Lindbergh to show them what 99 1/2 percent of American really are men and
women of the same type as Charles Lindbergh and that is why our former
allies liked him so well.
We advertising men of the United States have done
all within our power by expenditure of energy and cash to bring the advertising
men of all countries into harmonious and cooperative relations. We
have changed the name of our Associated Advertising Clubs into the International
Advertising Association, for such it has truly become, thanks to the happy
relations we have been able to establish through our annual conventions
with the advertising men of Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Germany,
and other countries.
But all the advertising men have been able to accomplish
in all their years of organization pales into insignificance before the
great advertising feat accomplished by Charles Lindbergh. Surely
it is not too much to say that never in all our history has the United
States been placed before the world in so favorable and attractive a light
as it has been by this thirty-three and a half hours’ flight so bravely
accomplished by a youth hitherto unknown.
Peace conferences may meet at The Hague or at Geneva,
disarmament proposals may emanate from Washington or Paris, societies for
the promotion of the world peace may fulminate from now until doomsday,
and they will not accomplish so much in real advertising of the fact that
America is the foremost nation of all the world as did young Lindbergh
when his native courage and American pluck made him a worthy guest and
associate of Kings, Princes and Presidents.
WM. H. RANKIN
New York, June 10, 1927.