Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1959)

Washington, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, and Hollywood. (Tile latter is strictly a tv unit) . New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago have copy and media staffs Avhich handle local accounts. Every branch has a Chevrolet account man, for the whole organization follows the regional pattern of Chevrolet distribution. Each location (except Hollywood and Los Angeles), where C-E has a branch is also the center of a Chevrolet region (these regions include 47 zones, over 7,200 dealers and some 25,000 Chevrolet salesmen) . When the word came that Chev rolet had decided to enter Corvair in the 1960 auto race, C-E increased its staff, set up special teams to cover the expanding Chevy line. This year, according to Campbell, about 225 of the total agency personnel worked exclusively on Chevrolet, and about 275 worked on the Chevrolet account 75 /c of their time. Budgets were set up by the Advertising Committee. Contrary to the belief of many in broadcasting, car advertising budgets are not the product of hindsight. Chevrolet's 1960 budget, for example, is based not on last year's sales but on a carefully worked-out estimate of the 1960 car MEDIA-ANALYSTS: (I to r) Rick Bent, outdoor; Robert D. Schiller, media analyst; Carl Georgi, v.p.-media director; Jerry Moynihan, asst. media director; Robert Crooker, radio/tv buyer; G. E. Eagan, print. "Broadcasters," says Carl Georgi, "should make pitches early." AERONAUTS: The radio/tv group of C-E meet (you'll see commercial on 4 Oct. Dinah Shore Show): Robert McTyre, (standing) group copy supervisor; (I to r): Ken Jones, v.p.-creative director; John Coleman, assistant; Phil L. McHugh, v.p.-radio/tv; James Beavers, asst. a/e market. The Chevrolet ad budget in! eludes Chevy cars and station wagons, j Chevrolet trucks, sports car Corvette and now — the new Corvair. Since it is estimated that one Corvair will be sold for every five Chevrolets in 1960, the proportions of commercials for Corvair can be expected to get about this share of the play. During May and June of this year, the C-E media department gave serious thought to station and network buvs. On the basis of past success, Dinah Shore (NBC TV) and Pat Boone (ABC TV) were musts again. For added impact in this crucial automotive year, a Red Skelton Special was added on CBS TV. Radio buying took place in August. Over 2,000 radio stations will be beaming approximately 75,000 announcement commercials. "Never has Chevrolet had as much radio support during an introduction period," K. E. "Gene" Staley, general sales manager for Chevrolet, told SPONSOR. This is saying something indeed, for Chevrolet has always been a champion of radio. (The greatest spot radio campaign of all time was the Chevrolet Musical Moments campaign of the early '30's, instigator of which was C-E's Joe Neebe, now on the staff of sponsor) . This year Chevy has, in radio, a big spot flight, Mutual and CBS newscasts, plus more than 1,000 stations of Keystone Network. "Even so," says Carl Georgi, Jr., v.p. and director of media at C-E, "we're getting calls from a few stations now wondering why they also weren't bought. Reps and stations," says Georgi, "should start much earlier in the year making pitches. We're always available to hear a sales story from a station, but were more available early in the game. When our plans are firmed, and we're in the process of making buys (as they were by mid-summer this year) we have less time to listen." NOTE: For a fleeting moment, SPONSOR glimpsed spot radio media charts blocked out through next summer. But it also learned that talks are already in progress for the 1961 car line. Out to Chevrolet dealers have gone {Please turn to page 52) 32 SPONSOR 3 OCTOBER 1959 "