is a short-fall in earnings. Sears devotes most of its gigantic advertising budget to price-off merchandise, but in 1961 I persuaded them to add a campaign which would burnish their corporate image by promulgating their policies. Some of their executives thought it was a pansy waste of money because it did not directly sell merchandise, but Chairman Kelstadt took a longer view. When Joe Cushman succeeded Kelstadt, he told me, ‘my father was ashamed when I went to work for Sears. Today, nobody is ashamed to work for Sears. Thank you.’ The copy in most corporate advertisements is distinguished by a self- serving, flatulent pomposity which defies reading, and agencies waste endless hours concocting slogans of incredible fatuity. Consider these beauties: Diamond Shamrock: The resourceful company. Honeywell: The automation company. Boise Cascade: A company worth looking at. Georgia Pacific: The growth company. Dravo: A company of uncommon enterprise. Textron: THE company. (sic) General Motors: People building transportation to serve PEOPLE.