Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1963)

'Magilla Gorilla and Friends7 to sell Ideal Toys The Ideal Toy Corp., which will invest $30 million over the next five years to sponsor four animated series in more than 150 TV markets (Broadcasting, Aug. 26), has chosen a new Hanna-Barbera program, Magilla Gorilla and Friends, to start its campaign in January. Abe Kent, Ideal vice president in charge of advertising, promotion and merchandising, explained last week that more than a dozen stations in key markets already have been signed by the agency, Grey Advertising, and said in some areas — New York and Los Angeles, for example — Ideal has the choice of several outlets to carry the program and advertising. With major markets cleared, Mr. Kent observed other areas will be lined up between now and January. The Magilla program will be in three segments that total 30 minutes with commercials. One segment, spotlights "Magilla," a lovable gorilla; another features "Mushmouse and Punkin' Puss," a cat and a mouse feuding in a hillbilly setting, and "Ricochet Rabbit and DroopA-Long Coyote," casting a rabbit and a coyote in the roles of a fast, tricky sheriff and his slow, bumbling deputy, repectively. The fourth program in the Ideal line-up is one that is still in the developmental stage. It will be a halfhour cartoon series highlighting an "exploitable" character and will begin on stations in August 1964. Mr. Kent said Grey has been concentrating on obtaining early evening time slots (from 5-6:30 p.m.) to reach both the children and the adult audience. Ideal selected the January start of its campaign, bypassing the Christmas 1963 activity, because it considers the toy industry to be moving into a "year-round" business approach, according to Mr. Kent. The investment of $30 million by Ideal over the next five years, he stressed, means the company is directing its entire consumer advertising budget into TV. Ideal will supplement its cartoon purchases with spot TV and perhaps network buys during the pre-Christmas season. The purchase of the four series provides Ideal with the opportunity of merchandising the cartoon personalities involved. Ricochet Rabbit Magilla' Gorilla Droop-A-Long Coyote Automotive Radio Group opens new offices Automotive Radio Group Inc., Detroit, formed originally to offer a "package network" of stations to advertisers in the auto products field, has opened offices in other cities and will offer its station packages to advertisers in all categories, it was announced last week by ARG President Edwin R. Peterson Jr. ARG's station list now totals about 600, he said, including outlets in most major markets and in all 50 states. Mr. Peterson announced that John T. Hartigan, formerly media supervisor of Compton Advertising, Chicago, has joined ARG as partner and executive vice president, managing the firm's new Chicago office at 230 North Michigan Avenue (phone 372-0038). ARG also has named J. A. Forsyth 44 (BROADCAST ADVERTISING) vice president of West Coast operations, with headquarters in San Francisco's Russ Building (phone Yukon 1-6038). Mr. Forsyth heads his own business investment firm there and has named an associate, Tom Lynch, to manage ARG's new Los Angeles office at 3600 Wilshire Boulevard (phone 383-0757). Mr. Peterson said ARG's New York office will be opened about Jan. I. Business briefly . . . The Plymouth Valiant Dealers of the West, through N. W. Ayer & Son, Los Angeles, is sponsoring three five-minute weekday broadcasts and two five-minute shows on the weekend, covering the 1963 Sahara Invitational Golf Tournament direct from Las Vegas Oct. 1420, on a special 18-station CBS sports network. Shell Oil Co., New York, last week bought half sponsorship of A Man Called Mays that was scheduled for NBC-TV, 10-11 p.m. yesterday (Sunday). Agency was Ogilvy, Benson & Mather, New York. United Vintners' Inc. (Italian Swiss Colony) through Honig-Cooper and Harrington, that city, had purchased a minute in the show, with the remaining two minutes available to stations on a co-op basis. American Safety Razor Co., subsidiary of Philip Morris, has begun the biggest television campaign in its history promoting Personna and Pal Stainless steel blades. Through Dec. 31, the razor company has schedules in CBS-TV shows, Jackie Gleason, Red Skelton, Perry Mason, Route 66, Alfred Hitchcock, Rawhide, East Side-West Side, Evening News and NFL Football in addition to spot buys in 32 major markets. Agency is Benton & Bowles. BROADCASTING, October 7, 1963