Universal Weekly (1924-1936)

28 Universal Weekly Vol. 24, No. 12 ^ Advance Exploitation for The Keynote The One Big Idea Around Which All Your Stunts— All Your Advertising and All Your Publicity Should Revolve — Making Everything You Do Tie Up With Everything Else. TO overlook the heart throb element in "The Fourth Commandment" is to pass up easy money — and lots of it. Therefore every ad, every story, every stunt has been based on the Heart Element and the symbol of hu man emotion the heart shape. Look at the exploitation suggestions. See how the heart symbol and shape has been worked into all of them. That's the Keynote. That's Your Cue. Just imagine how the red heart used in all the ways suggested here will blanket your town or your neighborhood. If you go after this strong — if you make up your mind to do it — the fans will think that "The Fourth Commandment" is the only show in town. Lobby Teaser HAVE two tablets cut out of compo board. On the left hand one have lettered vertically the Roman numerals I — II — III — IV — V and on the other VI— VII— VIII— IX — X. Cut out the IV, put a red transparency behind it and box a flasher light so that the IV will flash on and off in red. Mount these on an easel and put it in the corner of your lobby where the light will attract. Or you can paint the tablets on a square board, and above and below say: " C 0 M I N G — The Greatest Heart Throb Drama Ever Filmed." EVERY DAY A "SPECIAL" DAY THB "Fourth Commandment" is ideally suited for special showingrs. You can dedicate each day to certain members of the "family" and so get the benefit of concentrated appeal in your advertising copy. For example, you can call Sunday "MOTHERS DAY" and lay special emphasis on the mother angle in your advertising for that day. Follow this up with special banners about the lobby of your theatre welcoming the mothers. You can get statements from leading mothers of your city touching on the picture and exhibit these on a three-sheet easel stand in front of the theatre. Here are some suggested "days." MOTHERS DAY FATHERS DAY DAUGHTERS DAY MOTHER-IN-LAWS DAY GRANDMAS DAY SONS DAY SWEETHEARTS DAY It is a simple thing to write the proper tie-up lines for each day. Heart for Box-Office THIS is good because you can use it not only for advance, but you can change it later to use throughout your run. Have a heart cut from compo board as high as will completely hide your ticket booth. Paint it a solid red. Have your lettering in yellow with black outlines or black with yellow outlines. Make a heart-shaped hole for the ticket window and in the blank spaces use this copy: "COMING— The Greatest Heart Throb Drama Ever Filmed — With Belle Bennett in the finest Emotional Performance Ever Seen on the Screen." It will cause a lot of talk, as it will be seen by every passerby. Heart Throwaways EVERY printer knows how to make a cut-out die out of steel rule for use on an ordinary printing press. Have several sizes of red paper hearts made in this manner by your printer. By using and scattering the different sizes they will attract a lot more attention than if they were all one size. The cheapest paper will do. On one side print COMING and on the other "The Greatest Heart Throb Drama Ever Filmed." Later you can substitute the words NOW PLAYING with the title. Don't forget that nothinp can he more effective in advance work than strong posters with heart-fnmch scenes. As soon as yoii book get your posting plans laid out. 2i-sheet stands are ideal for advance work. Put These Tie-Up Stills to Work Kvery one of these will get you space in a window. If you use them for advance use a hand-lettered card with suitable wording — leaving out the title, but instead "Watch for fihe Greatest Heart Throb Drama Ever Filmed— COMING to the STRAND THEATRE." Bakery Tie-Up Electric Tie-Up Milk Tie-Uv