As a marketing nerd, I don’t just love great marketing from the now, I love looking back at marketing from the past.
I recently came across this flyer for Dr Perkey’s Medico-Surgical Dispensary.
The exact date the flyer was released is not known, but it seems to be from the mid to late 1800’s. Dr. Perkey has found a world changing cure for “fits” and wants to get this astonishingly incredible product out to sufferers.
So many things to love.
The claim;
The drama;
And don’t forget the illustration at the top;
Don’t forget the complete lack of any and all ingredients, the asking of names for reference, and the personal and medical information request.
The Offer
Aside from the fantastic old style language and questionable humanity improving claims, what caught my eye was the offer.
and then at the end;
Sound familiar?
Yep, that’s a free plus shipping offer from the mid 1800’s.
In the words of Led Zeppelin, the song remains the same.