Radio showmanship (Sept 1940-May 1941)

Record Details:

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"Every Sunday at 12:15 on WTIC we give you Pinocchio, our idea of what a children's radio program should be . . . Listen every Sunday." The post cards were addressed to the children, rather than to the parents, thus increasing their effectiveness. Before the first broadcast, too, Kofsky's were building their window displays around Pinocchio. Those show windows became a focal point in the Pinocchio promotion campaign. Mr. Kofsky missed no opportunity to link show window-to-radio-to-newspaper in a three way drive toward bigger results. Here's a typical commercial used to tie-in with a window display: "Before we listen to today's thrilling episode, boys and girls, let me tell you about the interesting display Mr. Kofsky has arranged in his show window for you this week. Because she was fascinated and pleased by these delightful radio adventures of Pinocchio, Sister Mary Luke, director of art classes in the parochial schools of Hartford, called Mr. Kofsky on the telephone and offered to loan him the lifelike puppet of Pinocchio she herself had fashioned. Mr. Kofsky eagerly accepted her kind offer, and this clever, amusing puppet figure u now on display in his show window. So that you can see this lovable marionette in action, Mr. Kofsky has animated it, and, let me tell you, it is just about the cutest thing imaginable! It dances and sways and nods its wooden head as the strings are pulled, and I almost expected it to start singing our theme song: "I'm Pinocchio." With the window displays as the keystone, the Pinocchio club was built up to a membership of 8,000. (That's a tremendous response for Hartford. Population: 164,072.) Arrangements were made with Loew's Poli theater and 3,500 tickets given away to club members. Every week interest was kept up by some new piece of showmanship — prizes — give aways — parties. WASHINGTON, D. C. "Here's a program that can get the honest approval of the Parent and Teachers organizations." That was the thought that set off the opening gun in the promotional campaign for Bamby Bread over WOL in Washington, D. C. To presidents of all the P.T.A. organizations in the District of Columbia went invitations to a special Pinocchio preview and afternoon tea. Fifty of them attended! After being graciously entertained at the station, the ladies listened to several advance broadcasts of Pinocchio. The preview-tea gave the program the full support of the P.T.A. organizations, valuable individual endorsements, and plenty of material for newspaper publicity. With this flying start, the organization of Pinocchio clubs went on at a merry pace. In the first few weeks of sponsorship, 10,000 members had enrolled. To each new member, Bamby sent a special letter with his membership card, thus strengthening the ties to the club. Everj Loaf of Bamby bread became an advertisement for the program, because special VI rappers were printed boosting Pinocchio. CLEVELAND What happened at HlGBBB's 18 proof in itself of the rich rewards of showmanship. This great Cleveland department store turned on the bi^ mills of promotion at a pinnacle of when most advertisers would have felt the] had reached the peak. The Higbbb Company presented the first Pinocchio pro 12 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP