Alan Martin could have had a future in YouTube

I neglected to note last month the passing of Alan Martin, the appliance dealer, best known for his gentlemanly selling pitch on television in Wellington from the days of black-and-white right through to the mid-1980s, when the torch was passed to his son.
   The junior Mr Martin’s ads and later infomercials never caught on quite as well in the age of deregulation and more swish, high-budget marketing, but Alan Martin was the stuff of legend.
   His slogan, ‘It’s the putting right that counts’ for L. V. Martin & Son (he was the son—old Mr Martin doesn’t get about much) was novel in the days before money-back guarantees and free repairs were expected by consumers.
   Funny thing is, Mr Martin’s no-nonsense approach would probably do exceptionally well as YouTube clips in the 2000s. Someone should stream one of his ads online.