Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1961)

Steak Dinners, Movie Tickets Free When Alarm Goes Off 150,000 Dinner Discounts Also Given Patrons in Circuit Cafe -Chain Promotion iPijyi. M^SPUDBURQQt FAMOUS PUyERS THEiSTRES ' C ATTlfWiyS' yWlsmiMJ® wM Of major promotional impact was a tieup completed by Famous Players Canadian Theatres in Toronto with the Steak 'n' Burger restaurant chain. The tieup involved the distribution of some 150,000 special FPC discount tickets, plugging both the eating places and the FPC theatres. At left is a window display, such as was used in all the Steak 'n’ Burger restaurants; in center is a standee used in the doorway of each restaurant, and at right is a counter display with an alarm clock and restaurant manager handing out a double guest ticket, good at any FPC theatre in Toronto, to patron paying his check when alarm went off. The copy in the window display at left follows: "Mr. Spud Burger Loves the Movies ... He knows that good food and good entertainment go together, so he is giving out guest tickets to Famous Players Theatres during the month of September." The explanation of the offer is completed in the alarm clock display at right. Similarly, the theatres handed out steak dinner certificates. When the alarm clock went off, patrons buying tickets at Famous Players Canadian Theatre boxoffices in Toronto throughout an entire month received free steak dinners. During the same month, alarm clocks rang at cash registers of a prominent restaurant chain, and the lucky patrons paying their checks received double guest tickets to any FPC theatre in the city. GIVE AWAY STEAK DINNERS There are 14 FPC theatres in Toronto; during September the theatres gave away 300 free steak dinner coupons good at Steak n’ Burger restaurants. In turn Steak n’ Bm-ger gave away 400 double passes good at any FPC theatre to restaurant patrons. The giveaways at the theatre boxoffices and at the check counters of the four prominent restaurants were made when alarm clocks at each place went off. The co-op deal was expanded this year from a similar promotion worked out the previous fall by Tiff Cook and the exploitation department of Famous Players Canadian, and the Steak n’ Burger restaurants, which had proved very satisfactory to both. JOLLY CARTOON FEATURED First, the Steak n’ Burger people had 150,000 special discount tickets printed, good for a 50-cent reduction on a $1.99 steak dinner. These special tickets (see accompanying reproduction) measured 4x21/2 inches, described the offer, detailed the dinner — even contained a pictm'e of it — and gave the addresses of the Steak n’ Burger restaurants, etc. Distributed at the boxoffice of 14 FPC theatres in Toronto, each had this line, “Compliments of Famous Players Theatres . . . Your Passport to Eating Pleasure.” To personalize the promotion, displays, ads, etc., featm-ed “Mr. Spud-Burger,” a jolly cartoon figure in a cowboy hat. “Standees were made up for each FPC theatre lobby. Copy was: “Mr. Spud Burger Loves the Movies . . . And We love Mr. Spud-Burger and those terrific meals they serve at the Steak n’ Bmger restaurant . . . May we suggest you visit one soon. In Toronto at (addresses of all the four restaurants) .” The restaurant chain supplied 300 steak dinner coupons for giving away to theatre patrons buying tickets, by means of the old alarm clock stunt. In addition the restaurant people gave out some 40 additional steak dinners to the FPC managers and doormen to stir up their personal in Tbit diiMunt ticket 9»«d E«r 50< *och to yow and ovory mombor of yowr porty AA Complete • 7 # Steak Dinner .50 OFF NOW 1^0 WITH THIS *■17 TICKET TICKET Vino Present this ticket KT ANT TIME wilh your check oe lO CO o Z Compliments of FAMOUS PLAYERS THEATRES Your Passport to Eating Pleasure o t out FAMOUS STEAK DINNEK InciuOes Ton<»lo iuicc, serverous oortiOR ol too ouefili Sleek. oekeO ideM Potato, Tossed Ssiid, Tossled Roll. Oeee Ohh Sirswbeiry Shortcike snd choice ol Collet, Tet, Milk, or ^(t Onnk. ’Does not epply to any other Item on Men — tec reverse VALID IN ANY OF THE STEAK N'BUKGER RESTAURANTS TORONTO J,« lONOON LOCATIONS LISTED ON REVERSE The restauront chain had 150,000 special discount tickets printed (2x4'/2), both sides of which ore reproduced above. These were passed out at the FPC theatres in Toronto. terest in the promotion. In each boxoffice a card, put up where every patron could see, read: “Mr. SpudBurger Loves the Movies . . . And he says if the alarm clock goes off while you are buying a ticket at this boxoffice, he will give you an absolutely free steak dinner at any Steak n’ Burger restaurant of your choice. So keep a sharp ear and enjoy the show.” On entering the theatre each patron was handed one of the 150,000 Steak n’ Burger coupons as described above. In the FPC daily directory ad covering the Toronto theatres copy explained the steak dinner tieup, concluding with “. . . Listen for the alarm clock to go off when you are buying a ticket and a free steak dinner is yours.” LOVES THE MOVIES! At the restaurants, the Steak n’ Burger people put up complete window displays highlighting Mr. Spud-Burger, and special signs at the cashier’s counters, and had other displays near the door which announced the giveaway of theatre passes when the alarm clocks went off. The door displays also carried a list of the major coming attractions at the FPC houses (see, center, accompanying photo layout). As in the 1960 tieup, special place mats were designed by Cook for use in the restaurants. Besides a menu, these carried Mr. Spud-Burger tiein copy and some general public relations copy for motion pictures as follows: This Month's Passport to Pleasure! Mr. SpudBurger Loves the Movies! . . . He soys the name STEAK N' BURGER is your passport to eating pleasure, and the name Famous Players is your passport to movie pleasure. Why not combine them both and in the future moke it o night out with o visit (Continued on next page' BOXOFTICE Showmandiser : : Dec. 18, 1961 — 203 — 3