Radio showmanship (Sept 1940-May 1941)

Being a Detailed Analysis of "Adventures in Christmastree Grove" a Transcribed Radio Show With All of the Elements of Showmanship That Can Make a Good Program Prime problems of U. S. toy merchandisers Thanksgiving to day before Christmas eve. at Christmas time is: 1) create kid traffic; 2) More important, though, than the show itkeep kid traffic moving; 3) make it pay. Mop self is the excellent tie-in with the store, pets aplenty storm toyland at holiday time ; in most cases, they storm and stare, while par Familiar and ofttimes used by toy departents idly wait for them to get their share of ments is the "surprise" package stunt, wherewhirling trains and Old Nick's whiskers, in youngster pays 10, 15, or 25 cents, gets make mental notes of their toy preferences choice of any wrapped package on counter, for later purchase. (Variation: A "fishing pond counter" where Interesting then is a merchandising plan kids use poles, lines, and hooks to fish out that converts the "just looking" youngsters "surprise" package.) In Christmastree Grove into full-fledged customers. the magic whistle is carried over to the spon August last, in the Boston office of Kasper sor's store and is there used instead of flsh Gordon, Inc., makers and sellers of ET ing pole. (electrical transcriptions) programs, slim, energetic, ideaman Aaron Bloom put the finishing touches on this year's version of a successful radio promotion called Adventures in Christmastree Grove. Used last Christmas by such leading department stores as Newark's Kresge's, New York's Weill & Hartmann, Asheville's Iveys, Inc., Salt Lake City's Zion Cooperative Mercantile Institution, San Francisco's Hale Brothers, Springfield's Forbes & Wallace, some 35 others, Christmastree Grove did well for all, better than Well for most. (Proof o' the pudding: Planning to use the show this year is Newark's mighty L. Bamberger & Company, Pittsburgh's Boggs & Buhl, Toledo's Sears Roebuck Company, Y oi i ii "s town's STRAUSS HiRSCHBBRG, Columbus' J. A. KlRVEN COMPANY, many more.) Built around a premium labeled The Miu/u Whistle, basis of Christmastree Grove is a leriei of 15 quarter-hour programs relating the adventures <>f the toys in your itore, who have been brought to life by the blow m the magic w histle. ii adventure story, it is well produced, should please and make listeners "t muiiij steis ti..ni three t<> seven, will last (it sched tiled on I three tune ;i week basis) from AIR ANALYSIS Procedure: Youngster buys magic whistle, is directed to magic windoiu; there, when he blows his magic whistle, Presto! Out pops surprise package. On just such a variation has the magic whistle outpulled (on the word of a last year's sponsor), train rides, animated attractions, even Santa himself as much as 15 to one. Said the advertising manager of one sponsoring store: (Julian J. Burnce, Gilchrist Company, Boston) : "This was without question one of the strongest promotional campaigns ever held for our toy department. To say that we were gratified with the response would be putting it mildly. Children stormed our doors for Magic Whistles, which we distributed in conjunction with a surprise package. We had to reorder whistles four times to take care of the needs. Our toy department was crowded, and the profits of the whistles amortized the cost of the campaign." Operation: When youngster blows his magic whistle, a clerk, concealed behind tinwindow (eyeholes permitting clerk to mt whether package is for boy or girl) drops Surprise package down short chute into a hopper in front •>♦ wide eyed child. In addition to this excellent tie-in with the radio program, Christmastrt ( otters a 98 RADIO SHOWMANSHIP