U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1959)

struct each ( omiiieic ial as iniagiiialively as possible so that it is Iresh and different and nienioraljle and I scllirio— whether musical, huniorons or narrative." Taking xip Mr. Wilson's question ot whether the recent lunnhers ol humorous commercials serve a selling purpose or just echo one another, Miss Grcenbaum comments that occasionally they come perilously dose 1 to making liui ot the protlucl and its Joe Stone Margot Sherman J. Walter Thompson McCann-Ericlcson salesmen. "Some writers are forgetting the product image," adds Tom McDonnell, director of broadcast plaiming at FCR:B. "Their humor may entertain, but does it prompt someone to buy? Most people don't joke about spending money. ' Using the Titus Moody conuuercials as an illustration of sound use of humor, he points out that the listener is amused by Moody's character but at the same time gets the impression he's an expert on farm products. ".As an astute farmer, he's identified with the milk, butter and flour which go into Pepperidge Farm baked goods," Miss Greenbaum e.xplains. "And although he obviously underestimates the city dweller's appreciation of flavor and food values, the people who bake the bread don't. Moody's humor in every way points up the quality of the product and producer." FC&B doesn't use "humor per se" in commercials, Miss Greenbaum says. "We take each problem as it comes along. If the solution requires humor, we use it." .Mr. Stone believes that "talking conmiercials" will more and more endiody humor directly related to selling the product, and cites the use by Ford of Ed Gardner's familiar phone chats with Duffy. "In a forthcoming ccjmmercial, for instance," he says, "the comedian will describe a styling feature by pointing out that the roof of a Ford shields the passenger from the sun, while a competitive mcxlel 'lets you bake like a peasant imder glass.' " .Ml gocjd creative people know the value of humor, Miss Sherman maintains. "Well done, it's telling and imiversal in appeal — like the Will Rogers variety," she continues. "But that kind of humc^r takes a vei y skilllul hand to fashion. And in advertising it must also answer the selling objective. "What is 'good advertising'.^ OI> viously it's the kind that helps a client solve some of his problems. The objectives can change tremendously over the years to cope with introducing the product, meeting the competition and tackling all other problems of marketing that affect sales. "There is no formula [or creative thought in meeting the needs of any client." Bringing the subject back to nuisic, Mr. MacNamee describes the evolution of an EWR&R singing commercial for KLM. "A survey indicated that Americans have a warm feeling for Holland, associating that country with a friendly atmosphere," he says. "We wanted to develop the same feeling for KLM, so we related the commercial directly to Holland by opening with barrel organ music recorded in the streets of Amsterdam. The copy refers to "friendly music, friendly people." Lyrics keyed to the Dutch tune point out that KLM is 'the Royal Route to ev'rywhere' and wind up assuring the listener that 'those friendly Flying Dutchmen treat you well.' " (Mr. MacNamee, incidentally, wrote both the American-adapted uuisic and the lyrics lor this coiiiluercial.) Gone are the days, Mr. Stone says, when a recording group marched into the sound studio and prcKluced a singing connncrcial with only a lead sheet as a guide. "We've learned a great deal from the recording peoj>le," he points out. "Singing commercials today are frequently fine recordings, ccjmjjarable in technique and production to the ones you buy and take home. "Notice the use of 'musical figures' in a good singing commercial — just one of theainal lessons we've learned Ircjm recording arrangers. For instance, 'Winston tastes good like a (plink, plink) ' — that instrumental plink-plink is as important as words in the whole composition. It gives the listener's mind time to 'take a breath.' " Regarding cpiality, Mr. Stone mentions Ford's use of Mitch Miller, Percy Faith and other leading music ians in recording its commercials. For a complicated straight narrative on Ford's economy features, the agency called in a 35-piece orchestra just to play a special arrangement "imder" the speaker's voice, thereby "lifting an anncjuncement that might have sounded heavy to a bright cjuality plane," Mr. Stone says. Anticipating cha-cha as the rhyth\n for 1959, Ford will soon release a chacha tempo commercial to take advantage of the rhythm's popularity. "In Marjorie Greenbaum Tom McDonnell Foote, Cone & Belding Foo+e, Cone & Belding this business we sometimes have to predict what the record industry itself doesn't yet know," Mr. Stone adds. "We were auditioning cha-cha times more than a month ago. What tipped us off was the kids' torrid interest in this beat versus 'rock.' " Turning a slightly deaf ear to singing commercials, Mr. Wilson considers them overworked — but expects they'll be used even more wide 42 U. S. RADIO • January 195£