When I was writing my 'Tube Talk' column, a man sent me a letter complaining about the advertisement of cars on the Underground. Why would the Underground masochistically promote a rival transport mode? The answer, I discovered, was that the adverts on the network must not 'harm the brand', and a car advert per se was not deemed to do that. However, a car advert that said 'Why are you using this horrible Tube when you could be driving one of our lovely cars?' would not be allowed. 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 41:
In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result. 2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8837, page 74:
This was a wonderful advert for the Premier League, with both Chelsea and United intent on all-out attack - but Ferguson will be concerned at how his side lost their way after imperiously controlling much of the first period. 2011 March 1, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2 - 1 Man Utd”, in BBC:
On the day that decision was made, Virgin adverts appeared at St Pancras to let everyone (including its rival) know that things are going to change. 2026 February 4, Gareth Williams speaks to David Stubbings, “The RAIL Interview”, in RAIL, number 1054, page 32:
From Middle English adverten, from Old French advertir (“to notice”), from Latin advertere (“to turn toward”). See also adverse.
Meanings
(intransitive) To take notice, to pay attention (to).
At a time when creation seems to be endangered in so many ways through human activity, we should consciously advert to this dimension of Sunday, too. 2007 September 9, the Vatican (trans.), Pope Benedict XVI (speaker), speaking in German at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Austria
(obsolete, transitive) To turn attention to, to take notice of (something).
(obsolete, qualifier:usually fixed phrases, transitive) To turn attention to, to take notice of (something). ▸ To turn the attention (of something or someone) (to or toward) some object).
To meditate, one must advert the mind toward the breath
(intransitive) To call attention, refer (to).
In this context, it is worth remark that Sir Brian should have paid particular attention to the importance of a reserve of power in locomotives. He adverted to this in a discussion of punctuality, making first the highly debatable assertion that "a very high proportion" of steam locomotives today were being worked to the limit of their capacity, with little or no reserve in hand, [...]. 1961 July, “Editorial: Sir Brian begs the questions”, in Trains Illustrated, page 386:
As soon as Miss Fairlie had left the room he spared us all embarrassment on the subject of the anonymous letter, by adverting to it of his own accord. 1860, Wilkie Collins, The Woman In White:
‘I have before suggested that a genuine blackguard is never without a pocket-handkerchief. But it is not to this fact that I now especially advert.’ 1842, Edgar Allan Poe, The Mystery of Marie Rogêt: