The Recent History of Brochures and What We Can Learn about Making Better Brochures Today
Learning from the Recent History of Brochures to Make Better Brochures Today.
The modern-day brochure gradually evolved with print advertisements and related technologies.
Last month, we traveled back over 500 years to see how brochures first started. Those ancient brochures primarily served to disseminate political, social, and religious ideas. You can still find brochures for all those topics today. But this week, let’s learn how they transitioned into today’s advertising tool.
Let’s see how our modern concept of “brochures” developed so we can learn to make better brochures today.
Setting the stage with the Gilded Age.
We’re going to summarize a lot of history so we get the broad themes from the broad strokes. The Gilded Age (1870-1890) experienced the rise of mass industrialization and rapid economic growth.
The Gilded Age will set the tone for the 20th-century economy, but it was a horrible time for most people. Economic inequality, unhealthy urbanization, dangerous working conditions, and political corruption created widespread poverty. The only people who had money to spend were the fat cats of the upper class. That takes us to our first lesson…
History Lesson 1: Know your audience.
Knowing your audience is a good rule of thumb for any copywriting endeavor. However, brochures are limited by space, so it is extra important you understand what your audience wants. That goes deeper than understanding what they already know and what they don’t. What is the underlying problem your product or service can solve for them? What benefits are important to them?
Let’s take a look at an example from the time—a novel invention and a precursor to the horseless carriage: the Moto-cycle!
Figure 1 above is largely credited as the first automobile advertisement. It’s essentially a carriage with a TWO-horsepower steam engine and a top speed of EIGHT miles per hour.
The intended audience for this contraption was the wealthy upper class. They didn’t need a new mode of transportation (they already had horses and carriages for that). They wanted a novel luxury item for leisurely strolls and to brag to their neighbors.
In 1890, this moto-cycle cost $500, which is equivalent to $17,000 today! Figure 1 premiered as an early magazine advertisement, which would eventually grow into print marketing.
The Successive Transformations of the Progressive Era
Long story short: the Gilded Age sucked for workers. But the Progressive Era (1886-1917) addressed poverty, political corruption, the exploitation of labor, and large monopolies with widespread activism and strong unions.
Unions essentially created the middle class by implementing regulations we take for granted. Fun fact: the 8-hour shift, 5-day work week, and subsequent weekend are all thanks to hardworking unions.
A healthy middle class means more people have more money to spend on nonessential purchases. Previously, children were limited to hand-made toys or whatever their parents bought them. But with their newly regulated jobs, they had their own money. The early 20th century is also when the word “teenager” entered our vernacular.
So the American economy benefited from new markets, ripe with spending power.
Lesson 2: Start with a Strong Central message.
Print advertisements in the early 1900s focused on posters. They were limited to hand-drawn illustrations and a restricted color palette. Brochures slowly emerged in the 1930s-1940s, but they shared those limitations.
At the core of all advertisements is writing.
So you need a good headline, no matter the marketing medium. According to Robert W. Bly’s excellent guide, The Copywriter’s Handbook, a good headline needs to grab attention, select the audience, deliver a complete message, and lure readers into the body.
Let’s skip ahead to the 1940s and examine a great example in Figure 2.
Figure 2
“Your new Home Deserves the Finest Plumbing System Available… and that Means Streamline’s Copper Pipes and Fittings.”
This headline hits all the requirements!
It grabs attention by making a value promise. “Your new home deserves the finest…”
It selects the audience of new homeowners. “Your new home…”
It delivers a complete message. The product fulfills that value promise: “...Streamline’s Copper Pipes and Fittings.”
Luring in readers is more of a matter of opinion. But at least for me, I’m thinking, What makes Strealine’s Plumbing products so good?
By the 1950s… They were still figuring brochures out.
Today we are bombarded with thousands of daily ads. As we grow used to advertising’s status quo, advertising tries to advance to overcome our mental armor.
But the core of advertisements stays the same: clear, concise, and competent communication.
That’s obvious to us today, but 70 years ago, most companies learned that the hard way.
Lesson 3: Short, easy sections.
Let’s look at what NOT to do with Figure 3.
Figure 3 (the text is too small to read, but don't worry, I quote it below.)
Figure 3 is a brochure for one of the first electronic computers: the UNIVAC System. It only had 20 bits of memory (don’t quote me on that; it’s an estimate) and took up an entire room. But hey! It could automate some industrial processes, which was huge for many manufacturers.
Anyway, this brochure does two things right and one big thing wrong.
Great cover illustration. (I didn't have room for the cover but you can see it here.)
Excellent, logical flow chart of the process.
Horrible copy.
“The Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation, designers and builders of the UNIVAC SYSTEM, have incorporated into the equipment all of the knowledge and experience which their chief engineers gained through their technical direction of the ENIAC and initiation of the EDVAC Projects. Their background skill in the field of Electronic digital computers is unequalled.”
What does that even mean? We naturally like short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. Readers read in sips, not gulps.
So, here’s how I would revise this copy.
“From unparalleled expertise to the latest innovations, Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation presents the UNIVAC SYSTEM.
The Universal Automatic Computer System embodies all the knowledge and experience of our chief engineers. Upgrade your industrial controls with a reliable commercial device previously only available in advanced laboratories.
We’ve combined the past success of our commercial devices with our new innovations…”
I would then use that last sentence to transition into the selling points and their benefits.
Getting Groovy in the Middle of the Century. (1950s-1970s).
If you like the aesthetic of vintage advertisements, then the brochures from the 1950s through 70s are a vibe. The print advertising industry enjoyed growing influence and three major advances.
Photography. Printing high-quality photos into brochures became more accessible thanks to technological improvements.
More colors and a culture shift in design. Printing technology allowed for more colors in deeper saturation and bolder hues. The groovy counterculture of the 60s and 70s took advantage of this in new, experimental designs.
Sophisticated marketing techniques led to early targeted advertisements. Advertisers learned how to target specific demographics for their marketing campaigns.
Lesson 4: Don’t forget the obvious.
With all this newfangled technology, it’s easy to forget the basic details. No matter how fancy your brochure is, you will need at least some of the following:
Phone Numbers
Directions/street address/branch locations
Store hours
Prices
Guarantees and warranties
Shipping information
Email address (of course, they didn’t include this in the 1950s.)
Website URL or QR Code (again, this is only relevant for today).
And most importantly: A clear, specific call-to-action.
What is the very next step in the buying process? It should be specific. “Give us a call” works but “Give us a call and schedule your free, no-obligation test drive” is more specific and makes an offer.
Bonus Lesson: Make your brochures worth keeping!
Brochures’ huge advantage is that they can be kept. They can be filed away for later, forgotten about, and rediscovered, reigniting interest.
A brochure is worth keeping when it offers valuable information. Easier said than done, but you can get creative.
I’ve seen casino brochures that include the rules of blackjack and roulette.
A brochure for an earth science museum included beautiful diagrams of crystals. These diagrams detailed the crystal structure, where they form, and how—perfect for nerdy kids.
An agritourism group produced a large brochure featuring a map of the region. It highlighted its many locations and detailed the unique offerings of each farm experience.
One of my favorite brochures was for an escape room franchise, but it featured a puzzle. Once you solved the simple puzzle it rewarded you with a discount code.
The rise of Computers (1980s onwards)
I was going to say that most of you probably lived through the 1980s. But 60% of LinkedIn users are between ages 25-34, so statistically speaking most of you didn’t!
Most of the themes from the 1970s continued. Photography got better and became easier to print. Marketing companies created more personalized and targeted campaigns.
Digital advances have made design and publishing more accessible and cost-effective.
Design software made it easier than ever to create brochures in-house. Now, anyone with a desktop computer could slap together some digital assets, scribble on mediocre copy, and get it professionally printed. This led to some… interesting designs.
Just because anyone can do it doesn’t mean everyone can do it well.
That trend of accessibility and cost-effectiveness continues today with web services like Canva. No offense to anyone who uses Canva. I understand it is much easier than hiring a graphic designer.
But trust me, a professional graphic designer can make all the difference. That’s the last history lesson. A good graphic designer can evaluate your print marketing and make you stand out from the competition.
Today, we are oversaturated with mediocre brochures. Professional writing and designers will make a difference you notice in your bottom line.
Of course, I am a professional writer, so I am a little biased. But if you need any recommendations for graphic designers I will be more than happy to refer some your way.
Key takeaways:
Know Your Audience: Understanding your target audience's needs and desires is crucial for effective brochures.
Start with a Strong Message: Craft compelling headlines that grab attention, deliver a complete message, and entice readers.
Keep it Short and Clear: Use short words, sentences, and paragraphs for easy readability.
Don't Forget Basic Details: Include essential information such as contact details, pricing, and clear calls to action.
Make Brochures Worth Keeping: Provide valuable information or interactive elements to encourage recipients to hold onto and revisit the brochure.