Octave-Jacques Gérin Pioneers the Application of Hypnosis to Advertising

1911
Gerin Publicitie suggestive title page and frontispiece
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
The authors discussed the basics of printing and typography in the context of topics such as the psychology of reading, legibility, etc.
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
The authors discussed the basics of printing and typography in the context of topics such as the psychology of reading, legibility, visual impact, etc.
Example of stages of color printing in Gerin's book on hypnosis in advertising
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
Original cloth binding on Gerin La publicité suggestive
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
In 1911 Octave-Jacques Gérin (1875-1937), professor at L'Institut Commercial de Paris and C. Espinandel, a graduate of l'École des Hautes Études Commerciales, issued La publicité suggestive: théorie et technique as part of the monograph series "Commerce et Industrie: Les Procédés Modernes de Vente." As far as I have been able to determine, this was the first book to apply hypnosis, or the power of suggestion, to marketing, and was an early example of applied psychology. The preface (in French) was written by Walter D. Scott, Director of the Laboratory of Psychology at Chicago. Examples given in the first and second editions apply entirely to the widest variety of print advertising, and appear to exclude radio.

Digital facsimile of the expanded second edition (1927) from BnFGallica at this link.

Timeline Themes

Advertising
Commerce / Trade
Gerin Publicitie suggestive title page and frontispiece
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
The authors discussed the basics of printing and typography in the context of topics such as the psychology of reading, legibility, etc.
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
The authors discussed the basics of printing and typography in the context of topics such as the psychology of reading, legibility, visual impact, etc.
Example of stages of color printing in Gerin's book on hypnosis in advertising
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons