The best advertising in the world

Subscriber advertising In a mailing to potential subscribers, Weltwoche begins its advertising message with the headline: "Weltwoche is the best magazine in the world." If you then read the small print in the brochure, you are informed as a critical reader typical of the target group: "Of course that's a lie ..." Well, then: what am I supposed to take away from such dishonest advertising for my future intellectual well-being? Just before the brochure ends up in the bin, you read on anyway: "... but isn't there a spark of truth in every lie?" Confused by so much honesty in a direct mailing, you start to browse through the brochure. This turns out to be a cleverly reduced and muted pocket version of the real Weltwoche - mega-tabloid, you might say. You start reading and then find a witty column on page 7 on the subject of "The pure truth and nothing but the truth". But, you think, the headline wasn't so stupid. You are so taken with it that you even believe the sentence in the enclosed letter: "We don't want to persuade you, we want to convince you!". Only "the best advertising in the world" actually works like this.
(pan)