U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1959)

07W Those friendly F/y, °ll the way . . . ' O^fcUen treat y Sood /;ke a cigarette shooed dry cracker. Sfarf with the top tobacco, grade A~] , Velvet Touch East) is due for a shift in emphasis — away from subtlety toward a positive identification that gives the laugh a secondary (and purely supporting) role to the merchandise. "Off-beat" humor, according to the interview-ees, has lost its impact and must make way for a new approach to selling the product. Emphasizing the role of music, Joe Stone, vice president and a copy group head on the Ford account, JWT (an agency that last year put an estimated .512 million into radio billings) , declares: "There's hardly an advertiser w ith our company who wouldn't prefer to use a musical commercial in preference to any other kind, except in the case where there's a complicated story to tell — and even then we've used music as a backdrop for straight narration. From 90 to 95 percent of the clients at our New York office use jingles. "In my opinion, singing commercials of high musical quality, well arranged and well produced, will become more and more prevalent in 1959, with cha-cha as the most popular beat." Says Margot Sherman, vice president and chairman of the creative plans board at M-E (with an esti mated $15 million in radio billings in 1958) : "We regard music as an important creative element which can he used as deftly and with as much impact as visual art. We're in the rather luiique position of having a number of people on our staff who Vi'rite both ^vords and music — they think in terms of music in producing Avell-integrated, purposeful singing commercials. "The trend is definitely continuing toward music, which has the qualities of impact, memorability, mood and emotion so important in a selling message." Says Marjorie Greenbaum, vice president and copy group head at FC&B (with a reported $7 million in radio billings) : "\ great attempt has been made at humor recently, too — -there was a definite swing to it about a year ago, stemming in part from the listeners' appreciation of the 'Titus Moody' series for Pepperidge Farm products. "The trend is always toward something that's really good. The danger is in following a copy trend to be fashionable rather than designing a commercial to fit a particular product and problem." Says Doug MacNamee, vice presi dent and radio-tv creative director at EWR&R (with 1958 radio billings estimated at $5.5 million) : "Music has special advantages — and limitations. Using an established tune, and using it with originality, can stretch a limited budget, carry gieat emotional and recognition impact for a particular age group or region, and relate the product to an estal> lished theme or mood. It can also, if handled tritely, be useless as a selling tool. "Music is being used increasingly to back the whole commercial — and sound effects are due for more and better application." Says Howard ^Vilson, vice president and copy director, KR:E (which last year placed an estimated $7.2 million in radio advertising): "Singing commercials are becoming so predominant that we're getting a little tired of them. Music is memorable— up to a point. But with so many commercials being sung now, and more jingles in the offing, the time may be ripe for speaking. "The style of humor has become cliche, too. The 'off-beat', which most creative people like to write, has become 'on-beat' because it's so common. Oiu problem is to con U. S. RADIO • January 1959 41