Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1919)

EXHIBITORS HERALD "I'll say it does" — and the advertiser's signature or the name of his store or organization. The Cooperative Angle After a day or two of this, persuade these regular advertisers, who are always looking for a new angle to "liven up" their advertisements, to bring the box, or the line, into their regulation displays, making it read something like this. "It Pays to Advertise." "That's why Wilson's Dry Goods Store sold those bargain waists to three thousand women last Thursday. That's why we're advertising the greatest bargain in petticoats ever offered the ladies of this city to go on sale tomorrow." About this time, or maybe a little before, an editorial upon the general subject of advertising will have good effect. Arthur Brisbane, whose "Today" column in the Hearst newspapers is frequently referred to as the best editorial column in American journalism, has given the subject space. There should be no difficulty in persuading your editor to do likewise. Using Billboards A week or more before the opening of the engagement the billboards should be given attention. Most of the paper provided for the picture is of a nature admirably suited to the purpose. The spirit of advertising is prominently featured. But it may be well to have a series of one-sheets intimately connected with the local campaign made up and posted on every available space. Here again the merchants should cooperate by using like methods. Their one-sheets need not be identified with the theatre or the picture save by the use of the title as one line of copy. It can be made to seem that a city-wide campaign for more and better advertising has been inaugurated, with the support of the newspaper and the merchants. This is the impression that should be created. Newspaper stories having to do with the subject will aid greatly. Considering the increased revenue that the advertising pages, by reason of the drive, will bring, some latitude should be given the writer of these. The Climax When the interest is at fever heat, as the press book writers, say, though fever heat must be interpreted, of course, as a comparative term, the whole body of merchant CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG In the Wonder Picture T?*t*~ /.V^-.J-U. Is the Greatest D HyeS of I OUtll Ever Screened $300,000 Production Finest Cast Most Elaborate Sets IT IS THE FIRST PERFECT SCREEN DRAMA STARTING NEXT SUNDAY The rama CD) Yn Running upon a page far removed from the motion picture section of a Chicago daily paper, this unique and attractive display drove home the conviction that the Playhouse engagement of "Eyes of Youth" must be a picture event of extraordinary importance. advertisers should be grouped into a single advertising supplement to be run in the issue preceding the opening of the play. Something more than double-page tie-ups should be possible. An eight, ten or twelve page supplement is not beyond the pale of probability. The result of such a campaign is a many-sided one. You will have profited, by the big business assured your theatre. The newspaper will have profited by the extra advertising effected. The merchant advertisers who take part in the enterprise, by reason of the wide notice given the whole, will profit in proportion. Incidentally, advertising in your town will have been stimulated. It will never sink back to quite the old level. The reading element will have been brought to a keener appreciation of the value of advertising, and their attention in future will be more sharply drawn to the advertising pages. There is a splendid opportunity in "It Pays to Advertise" to prove to the public that the title states an important truth. It should be at once a box office success and a permanent force for good. 84 Detached Space Bought By Chicago Advertiser Shouting from house tops is out of date. But the principle which prompted it is the principle responsible for publicity of all varieties. It can never go out of style. A new angle on exhibitorial publicity is always of interest. The one here described is especially "Eyes of Youth," Clara Kimball Young's Equity production, opened an indefinite engagement at the Playhouse, Chicago, on November 22. An advertising campaign of unusual proportions preceded the opening. Chicago newspapers carried news items regarding the engagement. The theatrical advertising pages were given display ads of unusual dimensions. But the important step forward that was taken involved the placing of threecolumn display announcements on pages ordinarily free from theatre advertising. We are reproducing one of these, originally of three-column width, which was accorded excellent position and undoubtedly caught the attention of a great many readers who would not otherwise have been informed of the coming engagement. There is sound business judgment behind this sort of thing. The practice should be widely adopted.