1914-06-18tt Part 2

 

 

The first large newspaper advertisement in the two part promotional campaign had created considerable anticipation as to what be revealed in the second instalment.

The Home Outfitting Company had only indicated that an “important announcement” would be made regarding a “special offer “ in the following day’s paper.

 The final details of the offer to be made to a limited number of customers were still in need of approval by the company’s management, but it was promised that with “reasonable certainty’ that fifty Hamilton households would be sure to take advantage of the deal.

The second part of the unusual promotion appeared in a newspaper advertisement as large as the previous day’s offering.

What was being offered were a shipment of 50 McDougall Kitchen Cabinets which the Home Outfitting Company had managed to obtain. The cabinets would be put on sale, on a first come basis, at a special price of $35.00. The company would make the cabinets available to Hamilton women at a price of $1 Down and a commitment to pay $1 a week until the $35 price was met.

However, the special price and payment option would only be available to the first 50 women who joined the company’s Kitchen Club.

The McDougall Kitchen Cabinets were among the best available in 1914. The company provided the following description:

“The cabinet has sliding nickel-plated table top, is furnished in golden oak with dull copper-finished hardware, large china closet with extra shelf, glass doors, glass spice jars, glass removable sugar bin, aluminum flour bin, which is removable, sanitary leg base, legs copper ferruled, cupboard with sanitary shelf, large bread and cake drawer with sliding top.”

What made the purchase of a McDougall cabinet by Kitchen Club members was the addition of 13 free articles.

The ad listed the free articles available with each of the 50 cabinets to be sold:

1.   1 lb. Ladies’ Delight coffee.

2.   1 package McLaren’s Invincible Powdered Jelly.

3.   1 bottle McLaren’s Baking Powder.

4.   1 tin Red Feather Black Pepper.

5.   1 package Excelsior Salad Dressing

6.   1 tin Mechanics’ Friend, ‘Quick’ (a hand cleaner).

7.   1 bar N. P. soap.

8.   1 loaf Ewing’s Creamalt Bread.

9.   1 tin Black Knight Stove Polish.

10.        1 cake Mother’s Toilet Soap.

11.        1 package Dickenson’s Tea.

12.        2 lbs. Triumphant Flour.

13.        1 set Enamel Triple Nesters (enamelware)

14.        1 broom.

Each item to be included free with the purchase were given away by a partnership of the Home Outfitting Company and the article’s manufacturer. The large newspaper carried an illustration of each article, or in two cases, the bread and the flour, the company’s logo was used. An engraving of a McDougall cabinet was also included in the ad.

Needless to say there was considerable traffic at the Home Outfitting Company’s store on King street. The fifty cabinets were quickly sold, the elaborate promotion proving to be successful.