The ancient commercial advertisements in China have a long history, which can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In the famous book The Book of Songs at that time, Feng Weimang recorded the most primitive forms of advertising: "catching insects, holding cloth and changing silk." This poem means that young people hold cloth and wait for people to buy it. The "holding cloth" here is the earliest physical display advertisement; At the same time, the Tales of Han Feizi in the upper right once described a well-known story: "Song people were blessed by wine and promoted. They are polite, the wine is beautiful and the flag is high. " The "high banner" here is used to attract customers. When it belongs to banner advertisements, it can be seen that this form appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Li Bai, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, was the first to advertise poetry: "lanling wine tulips, jade bowls filled with amber light. But the master is drunk and doesn't know where he is. " This poem and the hearty advertisement of wine have already become eternal quatrains.
In fact, the earlier celebrity advertisement endorsement was Wang Xizhi, a great calligrapher in Jin Dynasty, who endorsed his calligraphy. There are historical records: once, Wang Xizhi saw an old woman selling bamboo fans in a collection. That kind of bamboo fan is unpretentious, can't attract people's interest and can't be sold. The old woman is very anxious. Wang Xizhi was sympathetic and walked up to her and said, "Of course, this bamboo fan can't be sold because there are no pictures or words on it. How about I write you a word? " The old woman doesn't know Wang Xizhi. Seeing his enthusiasm, she gave him a bamboo fan to write.
Wang Xizhi picked up a pen, wrote a few words on each fan, and then returned it to the old woman. The old woman can't read. She thought his writing was poor and she was very unhappy. Wang Xizhi comforted her and said, "Don't worry. You only tell fan buyers that this is written by Wang Youjun. " The old woman did as he said. When collectors saw that this was Wang Youjun's calligraphy, they all rushed to buy it. A basket of bamboo fans soon sold out.
Wang Xizhi's advertising endorsement is free, which means helping the poor.
Su Shi did the same thing many times in Song Dynasty. Zhuang Chuo in the Southern Song Dynasty was the year of chicken ribs: At that time, Su Shi was frustrated in officialdom and relegated to Hainan Island. He met an old woman who sold prickly heat, and she was worried about the bad business. Su Shi sympathized with the old woman's situation and happily wrote an advertisement poem for her: "Jade hands rub, ointment is deep and tender." Come to the spring to know the weight, crush the beauty, and hold gold. "
The poem is accurate in description and rich in imagination, depicting the thin, fresh and crisp features of prickly heat and the image of a beauty ring. How can it not make people feel really excited? The old lady got these four poems and posted them on the door, which really became a living advertisement. The old lady's prickly heat powder shop immediately filled with customers, doubled her income and solved the problem of food and clothing for the whole family. Su Shi is probably the first person who can take the initiative to sell goods with poetry.
In addition, Su Shi also wrote an advertisement poem, which was given to him by his friend Zhang Shijun after he crossed the Huaihe River. After the poet tasted it, he immediately wrote a poem to praise the good wine: "If you want a book, you should freeze your body first, and a lonely lamp can turn into a candle." Let you share crisp wine in the middle of the night and make your wife and children laugh. "
In ancient times, many people used couplets to endorse advertisements. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was one of them. Years ago, on New Year's Eve, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an imperial edict, requiring all officials and people in Jinling Imperial City to post Spring Festival couplets to celebrate the Spring Festival. He also patrolled the street incognito and found that there was no Spring Festival couplets. I didn't know it was a castrated pig until I asked. My business is not good and I can't read. I can't afford to ask others to write couplets. So Zhu Yuanzhang wrote him a couplet with a pen: "Split the road of life and death with both hands and cut off right and wrong with one knife." Obviously, this couplet is humorous and attracts people from all over the neighborhood to watch it. As a result, I directly advertised his home.
According to historical records, there was a father-daughter hotel near West Lake in Hangzhou during Hongzhi period of Ming Dynasty. Due to poor management and depressed business, father and daughter are in trouble. This spring, the famous calligrapher Zhu Zhishan returned from a visit to the West Lake. After entering the store to drink, he asked why, and then wrote a couplet: "No matter whether it is east or west, I will take care of the wine;" No matter prosperity or decline, please stop drinking. "These two lines of Chinese characters caused a sensation in urban and rural areas near and far, and the audience kept watching them every day. Since then, the hotel business has gradually flourished.
According to legend, one year in the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong went incognito and saw a restaurant called "Natural Residence" in a remote alley in Beijing. Gan Long, who loves to recite poetry conjunctions, made a splash and wrote a palindrome couplet on the store sign: "Guests can live naturally, and guests can live in the sky." However, the bottom line is bitter and fruitless. Just as he racked his brains, Ji Xiaolan said to the bottom line: "People have passed the Great Buddha Temple, and the temple Buddha is great." This couplet is actually a free advertisement for Tianranju Hotel, where customers are crowded and business is booming.
In fact, most of the so-called advertisements endorsed by ancient celebrities are just adult beauty works that they improvise at will. No interest disputes, no desire to return, some kind hearts and feelings of loving the people have left this story. Therefore, it is still talked about by people.