Speaking from the Chair

`OPERATION BRITAIN'

How stands the reputation of Britain overseas? I suggest that in the eyes of the rest of the world we are supreme in tradition, historic associations, old buildings—some of them ruins, and similar tourist attractions. But I feel we can go too far in publicising this type of supremacy.

Things we take for granted, such as our development of atomic energy and jet propulsion, our scientific and technological advances, our speed records on land, water and in the air, go comparatively unrecognised abroad.

'The United States and Russia are both supreme at putting across their own supremacy. Now, I feel the time has come to follow their example and tell the world how great WE are. It is impor- tant that people overseas should know what sort of people the Britons of today are, how we live and what we can do.

It was convictions like these, shared by a num- ber of my colleagues in advertising, which led a few weeks ago to the launching of 'Operation Britain.' Details of how this unusual type of pub- licity campaign will work are still being planned, but fundamentally it is to be a combined volun- tary effort by the country's. advertising and the country's industry to project Britain to the world.

There are two reasons for 'Operation Britain.'

One is that the time has come when we must show the world, in no uncertain way, who the British people are, what they have achieved in the past, what they are doing now and what they intend to do in the future. Because of our ten- dency to understate, or to take things for granted, there is a deep—and indeed dangerous—ignor- ance in many parts of the world about the British and their goods and services. While other countries are advertising themselves, projecting their way of life, telling of their prowess in this field or that, we, the British, say little or nothing.

Today in many parts of the world it is being said that we are past our prime, that we are lazy, that we are resting on our laurels. This is some- times born of ignorance and sometimes of wishful thinking.

A country and a people who have survived two of the greatest wars in history, who have often stood alone against fantastic odds and who are still the leaders in many of the great achievements of the new age cannot be said to be either lazy or self-satisfied. Outside America we have the highest material standard of living in the world and we are in the very forefront of achievement in commerce and industry.

The second, and equally important, reason is that just as, by our instinctive modesty and understatement, we have allowed people abroad to persuade themselves of our shortcoming, so we at home are in danger of persuading ourselves as well. There is an alarming tendency to 'write off' our past glories, underrate our present achievements and face the future with apathy; to accept with unworthy resignation an ill-informed verdict from abroad. This must not be allowed to continue.

'I feel we must take immediate and vigorous action to remind ourselves—our own people here at home—of all that Britain has to offer us and the world; to reaffirm once again that 'Britain is worth working for.'

Why 'Operation Britain' must be inaugurated and supported by industry is obvious. No Govern- ment could conduct such a campaign without crossing the party line or at least being accused of doing so. It is essential that it should be without political or commercial associations, though we are naturally hoping for the widest financial sup- port and for moral encouragement where finance does not apply.

It is no new thing for industry to shoulder this• sort of responsibility; it has been done with con- spicuous success by the Advertising Council in

the US for the past fifteen years. During the last war and since, the Council has conducted a number of advertising campaigns to the benefit of the nation as a whole. Currently, American businesses and media owners arc donating adver- tising facilities at the rate of upwards of 120 million dollars a year.

No such astronomical sums will be necessary to carry out 'Operation Britain.' The ideal solu- tion, I believe, would be for the press and other media such as posters, cinema and television to give free space for a home campaign, leaving industry to finance publicity overseas. If the press were to contribute one half of 1 per cent. of all their advertising revenue, we.would have a fund of half a million pounds. Similarly, if industry were prepared to contribute per cent. of what; they spend on advertising, we would have another half-million pounds.

This, of course, is too perfect to be possible, but it gives an indication of what can be achieved • by co-operation from media and industry. In Britain I know we have a genius for publicity, and already there is a willingness on the part of the publicity services of this country to make their contributions.

We have the skills and the `know-how' and I believe these are just as appropriate for use in selling British prestige as they are for selling the products of industry.