At the time, commissionless trading was a revolutionary idea; investors could not believe it possible. This ad compares the skepticism of commissionless trading to that of another once revolutionary idea: the phonograph.

The creative execution behind the ad also included the idea that OLDE's audience of educated investors would be interested in reading a little history while also learning about Smart Trade. The intriguing headline ''Poor Du Moncel...'' and the true history was a means to capture and sustain the reader's interest and attention.