Advertising Blunders
By W. G. Stickland, M.M.C.

Although not a magical effect, this item is worthy of a place in a magician's programme, as it provides that variety which is so appreciated by an audience, and, since a magician's first object is to entertain, I do not consider any excuse necessary for its inclusion in "Volume Six." The cost is practically nil, nothing more than the following items and good showmanship being required.

Seven cards, six rectangular--three to be about twice the size of the other three--and one long one; the actual size depends on whether they are required for drawing room or stage purposes. Also a large "God Save the King" banner, which is attached by its two top corners to the long card, and then rolled up behind the card. The cards are either printed or painted as illustrated and explained later.

Presentation and Patter--
"Business men in my audience are well aware of the carelessness of some billposters, and quite appreciate the trouble such a billposter can cause. I will illustrate my point with this little original burlesque.

"In the first place, I would like you to imagine this (Fig. 1) to be an ordinary billposting hoarding, on which can be seen two common or garden posters. The top one reads, 'For Sale, a Good Dog, will eat anything, fond of Children'; also one advertising the visit to the Puddleton Palace, of the Revue, 'I Wonder.' This (Fig. 2) is a bill which our dairyman, Spots, gave to the billposter to post on the hoardings--'Spot's Eggs are always Fresh.' Imagine poor Spot's feelings when the billposter stuck his advertisement over the Palace bill, the effect being: 'Spot's Eggs are always Fresh--I Wonder.'

"This (Fig. 3) I want you to imagine to be the shop window of a grocer, Sand, in which you perceive a casual advertisement of a patent cleanser. Sand, finding the grocery business rather slack, decides to augment his income by setting up a sideline of a hot bath establishment. He writes out this bill (Fig. 4) and gives it, just before closing time to, the shop boy to stick on the window. The boy, having an appointment to keep, has no time to clean off the bill advertising the patent cleanser, so he sticks the new one partly over it, and this is what the customers read next morning-- 'Hot Baths One Shilling--removes grease, rust, mould and dirt of every description.

"We now return to the billposting hoarding (Fig. 5). The top advertisement reads: 'Snook, Furrier, makes muffs, capes, etc., for ladies out of their own skins'; and the bottom bill is one advertising a patent murderer which our chemist, Scubb, has for sale. We will now go along, in our imagination, to our local hairdresser, in whose window we read this advertisement (Fig. 6): 'Improve your hair By trying our dry shampoo.' This is quite an effective advertisement, but you will note the difference in meaning conveyed when the bill-poster sticks the bill over Scubb's, thus; the effect being: 'Improve your hair by trying our dry shampoo, which kills moths, fleas, bugs and beetles.'

"Finally we come to the shop of our butcher, Bones (Fig. 7), who proudly displays-'I am purveyor to H.M, the King,' Bones having at some time or other supplied the King's hounds with meat. However, during a royal visit to the town, Bones made himself a laughing stock amongst his friends, by loyally displaying in his window, this-- (Fig. 8). 'I am purveyor to H.M. the King--God Save the King!'" (Banner unfolds.)