The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

882 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 7, 1920 Value Advertising by Effect, Not Inches prominence rather than the actual number of square inches, and short of a full page we do not believe that this strip could be improved upon. The copy might be bettered to stress the fact that this is an extension of the engagement, but the general layout is unusually good. Kunsky Advertising Offers Pointers For Students Who Plan Layouts HOWARD O. PIERCE, of the Kunsky houses, Detroit, sends in some samples of the work done for the Adams and Madison theatres. They offer good studies in layout, for most of them show skill above the average. We like least the first of the three displays in the triple cut. This is a three tens, the largest yet the least efTective of Three Displays Which Show That the Largest Advertisement Is Not Always the Best. the three. A checkerboard design, which has nothing in particular to do with the story, is used to gain prominence, with a cut of the star and pictures of the De Havens in the lower corners. This added attraction accounts for the larger space used. The only selling talk is a four-line bank in a break in the cut near the upper right hand corner which tells "Cast on an island in scanty raiment, Fate brought her the love of a good man." Most of the stars have tarcen turns at being cast away on. a desert island with few clothes, and this appeal probably sold more tickets than any other line of attack would have done. A much better display is that for "What's Your Husband Doing?" Here there is an almost perfect combination of title, selling lines and cut. Few cuts fit the stories they are supposed to advertise, but this does and will immediately attract attention which the lines will build up on. It is only a three nines, but is plenty large enough to get it all in. Just below the title is run "The sensational story of a man, his wife and the other woman told in a way that's going to make old man Cadillac sit up in his grave and take notice." That should sell tickets if anything can, for Cadillac is the local patron saint (and not an automobile), who has been dead for some time. The smaller space is a three sevens showing a more advantageous use of the same picture of Miss Thomas. Just to show what they can do there is included a cross page sevens for "The Greatest Question" with the question mark facing the right way. There is no special talk here. None is needed. It will sell on the producer and the stars MADISON STARnHOTOMy Bv mciM. MtuNcemirrs D.\WGBIFFIT«'/: snsniMiToner SPCCtAL NOTICE CREATEST \ TQUESTION A Cross Page Sevens with a Maximum of Display and a Minimum of Type. or it will not sell at all, so the only argument used is that this will be oflFered at the regular house prices. There does not seem to be any particular merii in the advertisement. It might be that anyone could throw an advertisement together like this, but to the contrary it is harder to get a good simple advertisement like this than it is to fill the space with words. It takes both restraint and intelligence to get an effect like this. It is an art to know when to stop talking, and this art Mr. Pierce seems to possess. All of his stuff is brief. He says something good and stops. He knows if he cannot reach the patron with one good argument, more will not help a sale in the least. It would be a good plan for the beginner to memorize that last sentence. It is one of the commandments. —P. T. A.~ W. C. Watson Believes in Teasers If Only You Give Them Time to Work WC. WATSON, of the Wenonah Theatre Co., Bay City, Mich., is another who believes that the teaser • is a powerful draw if only you give it time to work. Like Mr. Tally he tried the stunt for "Back to God's Country," using the First National stock dog truck cuts, and like Mr. Tally, he cleaned up on the showing, because he gazr the teasers time to tease. He ran his teasers ten days before the first showing date. He ran them for a week with no other advertising. His spaces showed only the foot-pad prints with "Follow the tracks of Wapi." After the fourth day he added "Announcement soon." This was to hold interest, lest the people get tired of watching for the space daily. This brief addition put fresh interest into the teasers. The people had become interested. Possibly their interest was being strained past the curiosity point, but the assurance that the mystery would soon be solved brought a fresh interest. It carried past the danger point. It was along the same lines as an old vaudeville act. When the curtain rose the artist was discovered in bed. The unusual situation brought a laugh, then curiosity. Holding Up Suspense. When the suspense had almost reached the breaking point, the performer wagged one foot. It got a fresh laugh and roused fresh suspense. What would be the next development? It ran the opening to double the time originally possible. In the same way the addition of the phrase kindled fresh interest. The fifth day brought "Watch for the big announcement." The last day brought "The trail is nearing the end. Announcement tomorrow. Don't miss it." No one did. They were all waiting for it when it came. All of this merely brought the readers up to the point of interest when the real announcement was sprung, but it did more than that. It assured the careful reading of the full announcement and the reading began with the prospect assured that it was something out of the ordinary. He came to the first display advertisement already assured that the picture was good. The full text merely confirmed and amplified this belief. This could not have been done in a three day teaser campaig^n. Got the Run of the Paper. And no special eflfort was made to get any definite position. To the contrary the ad was permitted to run wherever the make-up man put it. It got on the home page one day and attracted the women. Another day it was on the sporting page. It reached everyone through this variety of placing. The first displays were only a two ones. Later they went to two five and a halfs and again dropped to ones, but always the pages were prominent. Of course the nature of the teaser, the picture and the campaign must determine the length of time it runs. If you use the "Should a " series of titles to tease with, they will not hold interest as long as the dog pads unless they are built up with a change of copy. Here the title alone is iiwt good for more than three or four days, but with some novel idea, such as that used by First National, ten days in advance and a full week of teaser is not too long. Picture Theatre Advertising is like a check on a bank. All you have to do is collect. By mail, postpaid, $2 the copy.