Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

e ask *ntic^ Cleo' Is a Magic Word In Sales Promotions Cleopatra is the name to conjure with — in merchandising as in literature, history and the arts. Ad-promotion forces of 20th-Fox are convincing diverse business managers that the "Cleopatra" spell built in the film will help them in sales campaigns. The twocolumn ad at top right appeared three times weekly in Cincinnati to stimulate hotel and dining business. The other two-column ad is from Pittsburgh where the Pick-Roosevelt Hotel found "Cleo" profitable in promoting trips to the city. At bottom, is a 7x5-inch insert from the Loblaw grocery chain in the Toronto area offering "Cleo" tickets in exchange for Green stamps. Pick-ROOSEVELT invites you to PITTSBURGH for a Date with CKOPATfcA . \ starting June 26 STATE THEATRE I 8 p.m. nightly CLEOPATRA DINNER SPECIAL i£ . 2 Ticket* to "Cleopatra Plus... • Attroitiv* Guust Room All FOR OMIT 1 boo50 1 • Full Course Dinnur • Breakfast • Froo Overnight Parking 1 AO c0UPLE I FULL COURSE DINNER in Frontier Steak House, Netherland Hilton Skyline-Terrace Garden, Terrace Hilton with A CHOICE SEAT FOR "CLEOPATRA" and FREE THEATER-DINNER PARKING at Phillips Parking, 130 W. 6th St. $7.00 • Monday thru Thursday S7.60 ■ Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Holiday! Mol* R#i«rvof/oni Now / Phono: mownm stem house Jr skviine terrace 6xroeh Write or Phone Jot Reservations Tha P1CK-R00SEVEIT /^/<L<OPATBA UNIVERSITY THEATRE KSsSErS LUCKY GREEN STAMPS PERFORMANCES JUST REDEEM YOUR STAMPS FOR TICKETS AT LOBLAWS 2 $3.00 ORCHESTRA 3 books OF ORDER NOW! LUCKY GREEN STAMPS FOR BEST SELECTION SEATS FOR (2 WEEKS TO ENSURE QOOO TICKETS — PLEASE OIVE ALTERNATE DATE) The acceptance of filled books of trading stamps for orchestra seats for “Cleopatra” is only one of a variety of promotion gimmicks being innovated in behalf of the picture. Merchants in various parts of the country are using “Cleopatra” tickets as a sales promotion device and indications are that, based on the success of the ventures, the plan will be extended to other important pictures. In Toronto, two $3 orchestra seats for “Cleopatra” were given away by the Loblaw Markets for three books of Lucky Green stamps. To ensure good seats, patrons were asked to order at least two weeks in advance and to give alternate dates. Loblaw, according to Myron Weinberg, who is handling group sales for 20th-Fox, buys the tickets from the University Theatre at the full price, with no discounts. In Minneapolis, a new Muntz TV store gave two reserved seats to “Cleo” with the purchase of any Muntz TV or stereo set as a grand opening sales promotion. In Des Moines, two tickets were given with the purchase of any Zenith set by the Pidgeon stores. The K. Ginsberg & Sons furniture stores, also in Des Moines, had a three-day offer of two “Cleopatra” tickets with the purchase of $88 or more of merchandise. A theatre-dinner package was made up by the Netherland Hilton and the Terrace Hilton Hotel in Cincinnati whereby a choice seat to “Cleopatra” and a full course dinner were offered for $7 Monday through Thursday and $7.50 on other days. Finkelman’s furniture and appliance store in Newport, Ky., went a step further and gave a dinner for two and two tickets to “Cleopatra” with the purchase of any nationally advertised refrigerator. The Pick-Roosevelt advertised a special hotel plan under which, for $28.50 a couple, offered a guest room, full-course dinner, breakfast, overnight parking and two tickets to “Cleopatra.” The newspaper ads for the various projects did not construe in any way an endorsement for the picture. Theatres did not have any financial participation in the ads, but merely sold the tickets at the full price. In Rochester, N.Y., the Ford dealer worked a different twist in plugging the “1963 Vz” model. Every person who called to arrange a test ride was awarded a pair of “Cleopatra” tickets to the Riviera Theatre. Also getting into the “Cleopatra” promotion act are airlines, television set stores, home developers, etc. Star Home Co. of Denver used 8xll-inch ads to herald “Denver’s Biggest Attractions” with art work and copy defining the two as “Cleopatra” and North Star Hills homes. The copy included: “No expense was spared in making ‘Cleopatra’ the quality spectacle that it is. Every scene was planned to perfection and the result was the ‘Movie of the Century.’ The same is true of Stars Homes . . .” Trans-Canada Air Lines — Air Canada has put out color booklets promoting “New York on a Cleopatra Holiday ... an adventure to one of the world’s great cities with added excitement of a great motion picture.” The booklet offers several combinations on length of tour, sightseeing, etc., but all include “Cleo” at the New York Rivoli. Rate Hikes Add to Advertising Problems Plenty of Dames Ready For Midnighter Stunt Add Holy Terrors, variety femme! Theatre owner Paul Vogel boosted patronage at his Salem Drive-In at Salem, Ohio, by inserting the following advertisement in the classified ads of the Salem News. $10 reward to the lady patron who will sit alone in her automobile at midnight. Sept. 26th, and watch the sneak preview of the Horror Motion Picture, "The Terror" at the Salem Drive-In Theatre. Call Ed 7-6134, Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun., after 7:30 p.m. You think the dames don’t read the classified — under the heading of “Female Help?” Vogel was almost ready to install a switch board, but instead not only gave his crowded theatre “The Terror,” which was a hit with the “loner,” but he added ) three other horror films. The results made both Vogel and his boxoffice very happy. Commended by Air Force Charles Pincus, T&D Theatres manager at Oakland, Calif., was presented an Air Force certificate of commendation for outstanding support of the Air Force’s recruiting programs. Mounting advertising rates for newspaper space and radio-television and other media coverage and what to do about it were under discussion at a showmanship session at the recent Allied Theatre Owners of Wisconsin convention held in Milwaukee recently. “Hardly a day goes by that we are not confronted with a rise in rates for newspaper space, radio, TV and so on. Advertising has become quite a problem,” commented Henry Toilette, moderator. “It follows that, due to our limited budget, we have to find new ways to get by. We have to be flexible.” Otto Settele, who owns the See-More at Seymour and the Pulaski in Pulaski, Wis., said newspaper advertising is a problem in small towns, too. “Usually we go along with the nearby large cities, in my case, Green Bay, on a small scale. The weekly newspaper is a must place to advertise,” he commented. He mentioned that the discount ticket placed in the hands of youngsters is bound to reach the homes on a picture like “Lilies of the Field.” Ben Katz, Chicago, Universal publicist who was one of the judges in the showmanship contest, referred to a recent survey that shows that 78 per cent of the people prefer motion pictures over any other single form of entertainment, and declared that this can only mean that the theatre business is there — use some ingenuity to get it. One exhibitor reported he made a deal to give a radio station 10 per cent of his profits in return for 100 spots on “From Here to Eternity.” He said this “worked wonders despite the fact the picture was on its fourth or fifth time around.” “The Drylanders,” first feature-length film made by Canada’s National Film Board, was premiered recently at Swift Current, Sask., where it was filmed. BOXOFFICE Showmcmdiser : : Oct. 28, 1963 — 171 — 3