           Hair Jewelry Exhibit Howes Brothers Photographs Pro Brush Ad Strategy     
|
Instructions and Appeals to the Science of Dentistry
Initially, the advertising of the Pro-phy-lac-tic Tooth Brush was a tremendous challenge. Those in charge of writing the advertisements decided to include dental facts as part of their campaign, in an attempt to promote both the Pro-phy-lac-tic Tooth Brush and the science of dentistry itself. Dentistry was still relatively young, and was not universally trusted. Therefore, the Florence Manufacturing Company was faced with the daunting task of convincing consumers that not only was the tooth brush a worthwhile product, but the source of their supporting evidence was credible as well. On top of that, they also had to educate the public on the use of their product. It was not uncommon for early ads to have a mail-in certificate in the lower right-hand corner, and upon mailing in this certificate, the consumer would receive a free booklet that discussed proper dental care. They would also include explicit instructions inside the text of the ad, showing people the proper motions to be used in brushing the teeth. The purpose of Pro-Brush's early advertisements had three functions: 1.) to promote their tooth brush, 2.) to support and encourage the field of dentistry, and 3.) to instruct the public on proper dental hygiene, with specific attention given to the use of the Pro-phy-lac-tic Brush. One of the ways we can be sure they succeeded is by looking at the product name itself. In the beginning, the Pro-phy-lac-tic Tooth Brush was two separate words: tooth and brush. This was still a kind of brush. Slowly, as the toothbrush became accepted as a legitimate product, the two words merged into "toothbrush." No longer was it a brush with the modifier "tooth," but it was its own product. Indeed, at one point while the word was in transition, Pro-Brush used both constructions in their advertising.
Contents Historic Northampton.