Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1962)

'SELLER'S VIEWPOINT By William S. Todman Partner Goodson-Todman Productions Game shows, a safe bet Game shows are a good buy for advertisers even though this type of programing is not tailored to the particular needs of a sponsor. I'll tell you why. Game shows, being mostly live, are flexible in both format and content. A sponsor buys a game show that he— and the producersconsider "a natural." But then it unaccountably bombs at its premiere. Somehow the ingredients that looked so good at a runthrough failed to jell on the air. But is the buyer— as he wotdd be with a film series— stuck with a beast? No, indeed, because the game show leopard can change his spots. I've Got a Secret will serve as a classic example along this line. "Secret" panicked us all with its first show on 19 June 1952. It was, if I may make an understatement, not a triumph. But, because "Secret" was a live show, we were able to make major changes immediately. As a result, one of the sponsors of that first show stayed with "Secret" for the next nine seasons. Changing a game show once it is on the air, however, is not lim ited to shows in trouble. It would be bad business, and even poorer showmanship, not to try constantly to improve even a good show. And this is just another reason for sponsor confidence in game show product. There is, moreover, a game show for every advertiser. Merchandise "sold" on programs of this type range from the obvious detergents (heavy in the daytime) to glassware, cigarettes and insurance. Many products— such as Winston cigarettes and Stopette— were introduced on game shows. Stopette initially used What's My Line? as its sole advertising medium. The name of the product was built up entirely on this show. Other sponsor advantages to a game show buy include rating strength and the relatively low production costs which provide low cost-per1,000. Good game shows, for example, almost invariably outrate their opposition. A typical 24-market Nielsen survey at the peak of this past season proves the point. What's My Line?, with a 22.9 and 23.6 rating, comfortably passed the nearest competition, Adventures in Paradise. The latter drew 18.9 and William S. Todman lias been producing winners such as "What's My Line," "I've Got a Secret," "To Tell the Truth," "Passiuord," and "The Price is Right" in association with Mark Goodson since 1946. His record includes a zoriting stint at CBS u'licre he first met Goodsun, and radio work with Green ir Brodie. He was born in New York, and studied medicine before taking up broadcasting. 66 16.4 for the respective 15-minute periods. To Tell the Truth, according to the report, attracted ratings of 21.4 and 21.9 versus 18.0 and 20.6 for the hour-long Cheyenne, its lone network competitor in that time segment. Longevity, meanwhile, provides another sponsor lure. Many game shows have been on the air since the early days of tv— a result being that an advertiser has time to build product identity with the program. Sponsors who stick with these shows— and a large majority dobecome as closely identified with the productions as the shows' panels and/or emcees. This sponsor identification is a powerful plus. Even a good game, however, may be difficult to communicate on television. You can't, in my opinion, present games on film. Filmed games might be beautifully lighted, exquisitely produced and feature some of the most talented panelists extant. But they couldn't, by the very nature of stop-andstart film, capture the excitement that results only from an uninterrupted contest. Game show producers, because their shows are live, lose out on all those lovely residuals. But here, again, the advertiser benefits from the situation: his commercial messages, because the shows are live, can be "up to the minute." He can tape or film them the day before, if he likes, as opposed to having to prepare them months in advance for a film series. Should he, further, want to present his message live, he can do so in the knowledge that viewers will be getting an "exclusive"— a message that will never be seen again in that precise form, in any medium. Many sponsors feel, with reason, that the live commercial is the most effective of all. So we play our games before a studio audience. We present them live or, uncut, on tape, when facilities are unavailable to present the program at the hour it goes out on the air. This way, the spontaneity that develops — and it's there in spades — draws a viewer into willing competition and holds his attention through the word from "our sponsor." ^ SPONSOR/29 October 1962