78 TH E M I N D O F THE BUY E R
o f a thin g whic h h a s bee n vi ta lly c onnect e d
wi th exp erienc e b efore—a th ing re c ognize d
a s ol d. ” “ Imp ul se to a t tend. “ Intere st
na t urally a rouse s te ndencie s to ac t. “ Th e
roo t i de a o f th e t e rm seem s to b e th a t o f being
engage d, engro ssed, o r en tirely take n up with
som e a c tivity bec ause o f it s re co gnize d w or th.
“ Int erest m arks th e a nnihil a tio n of th e dis
t anc e b etwee n th e p e rso n a nd th e m a terial s
a nd resul t s o f his a cti on ; i t is a Si gn of th ei r
organic union.
Wa tc h a b oy o f fourteen a s h e bend s ove r
a mystery ta l e. Bli n d a nd deaf to sigh ts an d
sound s aroun d him h e th row s hi s e n ti re b eing
i nt o t h e pa ge. W e say h e i s i nte re sted. To
a chieve such effect s upon th e reading p ublic
w oul d ful fil l th e de arest wish of th e a dvertis
in g c opy-wri te r. Fo r, acc ordin g to our l as t
defini tion of i nterest, wh e n th e rea de r of a n
a dve rtisemen t i s intereste d i n th e description
o f a t hing h e i dentifie s himsel f wit h i t ; h e
m ake s a n ima ginary p urch a se ; if i t t urn s o u t
to b e agreeabl e h e t ri e s t o ma terializ e i t by
a c t ually p urch asing th e c ommodity.
F irst l aw o f interest. H ow to c rea te thi s de
gree o f in teres t wi thi n th e mind o f th e huve r
i s th e que stio n b efo re us. Th e a n swe r m ay
b e foun d i n two p sych ol ogical laws. Th e firs t