Sponsor (1964)

build clothing store's image PVn the right track because the idea .is so completely different from gulai commercials," Schmidman tates. Hut then the store began to et the type of attention it wanted: lephone calls referring to the pots, and people who came into K store to see "what kind of out t u.is putting on those slapstick t ratines." >h; "We felt we were definite!) on M right track." Schmidman counties, "when people came into the bore and asked bv name for those ho were involved in the commer ials." The Landon "cast" has been di>ig the slapstick routines since 1955, ith the props and scripts supplied y the KM IV staff. The store hopes it is reaching a iendly, fun-loving type oi viewer ho enjoys a good laugh and deres a pleasant atmosphere about le place where he buys his lot he s Schmidman believes that the apstick commercials are wondcril conversation pieces for a pontial customer and that the) are tremendous aid in breaking the c between customer and salcsan. "Some people sa\ commercials re just commercials." says the ore owner, "but when Jack Paar id his famous walkout scene durig the Tonight Slum, we did a ipstiek commercial the following ight satirizing the walkout. It was rcttv funny, we thought. During the following week we Ceived telephone calls, letters and ires. Some of these applauded the sit and some criticized it and we ere tremendously impressed N lanv commercials evoke this kind f reaction and we felt that it was great compliment. I andon's now spends 50 percent its total advertising budget in Another 20 percent of its proOtionaJ expenditures goes into dio. but the real manM.iv of the ly 6. 1964 Cutting up in a typically uny landon tpot arc (left to right tponior lee Schmidman landon talesman Ray Hoffman (who hat jutt been hit with a teltier bottU blatt during a "Mexican execution" routine) and Jerry Watt, alto a member of the ttore t telet ttaff store's advertising campaign is its video spots Schmidman notes that the I ol the commercials is substantial, with customers coming into the store mentioning a specific spot up to two months after it has run S titration over the \ears has been so complete that some people think the commercials are on ever) night in the week "We are on ever) week in the year, but reaction like this can onl) be achieved through unusual advertising." is the 1 .union v lew . I he store is equal!) cnthus about its business growth. [Minting (Hit that sales have increased sub stantiallv Credit tor a L're.r ot the sua iven to tl commercials Schmidman also compliments station k\ll\ foi Ul given to I andon's m the form ot a continuing supplv ol off-beat material for slapstick com:1 \ long as the. ming up with ideas, we'll have th. and the most interesting t\ m the < hnaha area,*1 he : both station and sp no change in sight. ■ 37