Advertising Paper

 

Before the internet, before television, even before radio, the Ringling Brothers Circus (as with all circuses) faced the monumental task of advertising their imminent arrival in a town.  This job was made all the more difficult by the fact that, at the time, unless it was a large metropolitan area, the circus would only be in town for a day.

Selling a product that was only available for one day meant getting across a clear and enticing message informing potential customers of the most important facts:  What?  When? and Why?  The circus would generally spend more on its advertising than on any other single part of its operating costs.

Show posters, aka paper, were brightly colored, beautiful artwork, with amazing subjects which sparked an excitement that would build until the arrival of the show.  From their initial design to the way in which they were hung all over town, circus posters were intended to make certain no one could fail to know that the circus was coming.  Printing and lithographic services were provided by both the Courier Company and Strobridge Lithographing Company.

Press agents were assigned the newspaper advertising.  Usually ex-newspapermen whose familiarity with the business enables them to reach the readers of the principal papers with the announcements of the show's arrival.  The position of press agent is one requiring rare skill, judgment, discretion, and business capacity, as well as an able command of the powers of descriptive writing.