| George J. Abrams, vice-president in charge of | | | | thought, "Why not put a layer of insulation |
| advertising for Revlon, points out the | | | | between those two cans?" That was the |
| importance of all sorts of ideas in the | | | | beginning of the Scotch Cooler. In four years |
| competitive business world. He mentions the | | | | his rundown business was grossing more than |
| idea of the aerosol container which was used | | | | five million dollars annually. |
| first with whipped cream and later shaving | | | | |
| cream. He tells how a small company like | | | | The profit from a good idea is easy to figure |
| Breck in Springfield, Massachusetts, | | | | out, but J. A. Anderson of the AC Spark Plug |
| successfully competes with huge international | | | | Division of General Motors has pointed out |
| firms in the creative warfare of business | | | | the other side of the coin. "We have the |
| because of good ideas. Breck doesn't have a | | | | costs of ideas not thought up," he has said. |
| million-dollar TV program; it does have | | | | "That is a very definite cost. We have the |
| beauty parlors across the nation using and | | | | costs of ideas thought of too late. We have |
| recommending its product because of brilliant | | | | the costs of ideas not developed to their |
| merchandising ideas. | | | | fullest potential. We have the costs of ideas |
| | | | not thought of at all." |
| In almost every case of profit-making | | | | |
| products there is a good idea behind the | | | | Ideas which people have had-or not had-have |
| product. Abrams cites a competitive product | | | | made the difference in the whole history of |
| which became the largest selling deodorant on | | | | man-simple ideas and complex ideas, little |
| the market. Why? Because it rolls on, using | | | | ideas and big ideas. What unknown genius |
| the principle of a ball-point pen-an idea | | | | first discovered the wheel? Who was the |
| which created millions upon millions of | | | | person-was it a woman-who discovered wheat |
| dollars of business a decade ago. His own | | | | could be made into bread? Our whole world is |
| company, Revlon, has a long record of | | | | defined by the men who had the ideas that |
| successful ideas. One is Love Pat. For | | | | made possible the automobile, the bridge, the |
| generations women have been putting loose, | | | | skyscraper, the airplane, the ocean liner, |
| messy powder into expensive compacts. Revlon | | | | the telephone, the light which turns night |
| pressed powder, under high pressure, into | | | | into day. Who can estimate the value of the |
| inexpensive but attractive plastic compacts | | | | idea of a curved ax handle which made it |
| any woman could afford. Overnight the Love | | | | possible for one man to clear more wilderness |
| Pat compact became the largest-selling item | | | | and create a new world? What price can be put |
| in the face-powder field. "I know of no | | | | on the idea of freedom that made children |
| business weapon so powerful as a strong | | | | defy Russian tanks in Hungary in 1956? |
| idea," concludes Abrams. | | | | |
| | | | The essential difference between nations is |
| There's Herbert Piker, a young Hamilton, | | | | ideas; the Free World will stand or fall on |
| Ohio, manufacturer, who sat staring at a | | | | the strength of our ideas. In a Hell Bomb age |
| minnow bucket. He had inherited a metal box | | | | ideas are still more powerful than any other |
| company, which was in bad shape. He didn't | | | | force known to man. |
| know which way to turn. But as he stared he | | | | |