"Subtle servant": A theme for the next decade

The well-documented scarcity of time as the 21st century begins suggests a continued emphasis on services as components of products. At the same time, the social unacceptability of "servants" means that the service components of products are best underplayed. Resolving that dilemma leads to a recomm ended advertising emphasis: the "subtle servant." The concept is measurable : advertising successfully walks the recommended narrow line when prospecti ve buyers say that the advertised product unburdens them, yet does not conn ote pampering or the idea that "this product does things for me that I shou ld be doing for myself.".