The advertisement poem, as applied art
The posters, small prints, or the advertising verses that have survived in oral tradition are essentially colorful time impressions of peaceful Hungary.
Advertising verses do not have an independent genre classification. These easily memorable, melodic little rhymes belong to the realm of applied arts just like poster or advertising graphic works. The purpose of advertising verses is to facilitate the sale of various products or services using poetic and stylistic tools (verse rhythm, rhyme).
„Keep up with the times, bake with Váncza baking powder!”
These light, playful creations often appeared on posters, leaflets, and tally sheets during the interwar period, making the brand name, slogan, or message easily memorable and recallable.
The „literary quality” of advertising verses is quite variable. On smaller advertising media, we mostly find simple two- or four-line verses, rhymes, but there are also longer works discussing product advantages. The goal-oriented nature characteristic of most advertising verses pushes literary aspects into the background.
Advertising verses have often appeared on collectible cards. During the interwar period, series were also created from works concealing the brand name.
Advertising verses – with literary quality
Alongside the very simple, straightforward willow rhymes, fortunately, many works written with literary quality have survived. We do not know exactly when the literary quality advertising verse was born, but we already know of commercial products immortalized in rhymes from the 19th century. One such example is János Arany's poem about Flora soap.
„Mrs. Agnes! Are you crazy?"
For you have Flora at home!
They would never have figured it out!”
This type of advertising verse is exactly the opposite of the previous one: the literary quality pushes the goal-oriented nature to the background. Our famous poets and writers (including Kosztolányi, József Attila, György Sárközi, or Frigyes Karinthy) mostly regarded advertising versification as a finger exercise.
„What does a lady wear and what does a courtesan carry
on her head, if not Nor-coc.”
József Attila: Nor-Coc, 1934 (excerpt)
For clients, it clearly had serious prestige if they managed to win a famous, already established writer or poet for their advertising verses. György Sárközi received an eternit coffee table for the following verse:
„You can spill a bucketful if your table is eternit.”
According to Karinthy, who „does not recognize jokes in humor,” This is how you write one of the advertising verses featured in his poem parody was rewarded by the Herz sausage factory with „an incredible amount of sausage sticks.”.
„In Herz sausage,
The salt is much denser,
Than in other similar products
Believe it, oh, gracious reader!”
The pest control activities of the Ditrichstein Cleaning Company inspired not only Karinthy but also his friend, Dezső Kosztolányi:
„You always missed
if Ditrichstein was not missed.”
Dezső Kosztolányi: To Bedbug Exterminators! (excerpt)
Although we do not know of a single advertising verse that can be definitively attributed to Karinthy, the verses „Royal furniture Royal hull, best on Royal bed...” and „Tell me, cow, why so sad? Fish is cheaper than meat” are remembered as his – probably devoid of any reality.
Are you interested in the topic?
I recommend to you:
- In the footsteps of Karinthy's famous advertising slogans
- Artists in the advertising industry
- Selling at all costs? The birth of advertising in pre-war Budapest
