Moving Picture Age (Jan-Dec 1921)

24 MOVING PICTURE AGE January, 1921 B Screen Advertising with Slides and Films "□ a □ Making Dealer's Name Legible WE are all familiar with the blotchy, illegible scrawl which until recently was the common method of filling in the local address of a dealer on the slide furnished him by the manufacturer whose goods he sold. This spoiled an otherwise good slide and really harmed the slide manufacturer, as it prevented his work from making a good impression. A man contemplating using slides would see the scrawl and think slides have to be that way. But it doesn't. Some slide manufacturers are realizing the harm this does to their business as well as the decrease in value of the slide to the user and are insisting that they be permitted to imprint in type the name of the local dealer before the slide leaves the maker. In such cases the client sends to the slide manufacturer the names to be put on the slides and has them mailed direct to the user instead of rehandling. This makes a more satisfactory and drawing screen advertisement, as it is neat, attractive and harmonizes throughout. Building Business through Film Trailers ONE Chicago concern has built up a considerable business in 50 foot film trailers for the Christmas holiday season. These are all of the animated cartoon type. Their plan is to make up about 100 different Christmas films advertising about a dozen various trades such as bakeries, banks, confectionery shops, drug stores, clothing stores, Santa Claus headquarters and others. They keep track of the trailer sent to each town and do not send the same trailer to competing dealers. The "scenario" of a few of these trailers may be of interest. In the Santa Claus headquarters trailer a little girl in animated cartoon walks up to a window full of toys and asks the elephant "Is this San Claus' headquarters?" The elephant nods "Yes" and the little girl enters the store. The name of the local dealer then flashes on the screen. The bank trailer shows a man picking up money from the "paying" window and saying "This Christmas Saving Club solves my gift buying problems," and the bank's name flashes on. One of the confectionery trailers shows a box of candy opening up. Each gives in animation a strong seasonal appeal. This concern is making up a large number of these trailers for various businesses and plan distribution throughout the year with the same check to see there is no confliction in any locality. This large distribution and the fact that it distributes or sells through the small town theater owners enables a 50 foot trailer to be supplied at a very low price. Using Slides for Selling Service THE successful use of slides for advertising or selling requires as careful planning of sales appeal and distribution as for any other type of sales propaganda. When this is worked out properly there is but little limit to the possibilities of the use of slides. For example, one Chicago concern selling a high class service to large advertisers which must obtain first the interest of the higher officials of any organization, has in preparation a series of artistic slides calling the attention of these business men to their work. The original feature of this plan lies in the distribution of those slides. Chi( ago distribution would in all probability not pay, as t-SlVLftlct O-M \£Cp$ Let thu machine pktu Perfect AUTOMATIC Daylight Stereopticon. Capacity any part of 50 lantern slides. Brilliant pictures. No assembling. Compact! Ideal for exhibits. Write ATTRACT-O-SCOPE CORPORATION E. Van Altena, President 6 £. 39th Street .'. New York City they could not get into the high class moving picture theaters and the outlying neighborhoods will not give them the class of distribution desired. Distribution, however, is planned for the suburban residence towns, Wilmette, Winnetka, River Forest, Oak Park and others. For its readers Moving Picture Age will watch this attempt with interest because if it shows success, it will open up an opportunity to interest these men in many other service propositions such as bank service, bonds, philanthropic enterprises, advertising service and numerous others of general appeal which must receive the approval of the president or other guiding heads of a business organization. While this use of slides may seem novel it is only the application of a sound advertising and selling principle— a careful study must be made of the circulation of the appeal. Selling South America through Films WHAT is expected to be the first real test of the value of motion pictures as an efficient medium for developing sales for American products in foreign countries will be made at the coming exposition of United States manufacturers to be held at Buenos Aires next March. Two large theaters, located within the exposition grounds, will be given over to the exclusive exhibition of films portraying American industry and commerce. The performances will be continuous and open to the public without charge. The American National Exposition, Inc., who are conducting the enterprise, have turned over the supervision and management of the motion picture division to the Cinema Service Company. I'lrase say. "As advertised in MOVING PICTURE AGE," when you write to advertisers.