Perkins of Portland: Perkins The Great

"Perkins of Portland: Perkins the Great" by Ellis Parker Butler is a comedic story set in the early 1900s that’s all about the wacky world of advertising. The story introduces the reader to the quirky Perkins, who sees himself as a top-notch advertising expert, whose brain is always spinning with over-the-top plans to market very strange things, like his "Perkins's Patent Porous Plaster," that he promises will heal anything. The story makes fun of the way things are advertised and the crazy things people will believe, focusing on Perkins's out-there ideas, his never-give-up attitude, and the big dreams he chases after. The story kicks off in a hotel lobby, where Perkins, dressed in his own peculiar style, is excitedly trying to convince everyone his product will be a hit. He believes that the key is to create buzz and make people think they absolutely need what he's selling, even if they don’t. This initial part sets the stage for a funny journey through the ups and downs of marketing, guided by Perkins's bizarre methods and grand ambitions.