Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

geles toward San Diego; extensions southwestward from Dallas-Fort Worth, and one northward from St. Louis toward Chicago. Prof. Frey, in his report on agency functions and methods of compensation — a subject that ranked high at AAAA's convention a year ago— emphasized that his study is "seeking only the facts." He voiced hope that the final report "will provide a guide for greater productiveness of the advertising dollar [and] can help you in achieving a more efficient working relationship with your clients." Mr. Washburn, detailing Y&R"s work on the "'Keep New York City Clean" campaign, praised cooperation of media. "God bless radio.'" he asserted, noting that stations' use of campaign material had been "very, very good."' "Now," he continued, "the piece de resistance— our television commercials. In the almost two years of our work with the citizens' committee, we've prepared scores of 10-second IDs. 20-second station breaks, and one-minute spots. There have been jingles, animated cartoons, and live commercials of all shapes, sizes and breeds." he added: "Our tv folks want me to pass on this word of advice: if you'd like to learn how to produce television commercials for practically no money at all, just take on a public service venture like this one. You soon discover how far ingenuity can go in making up for an empty purse." He offered Y&R's "Clean City" campaign materials to other agencies for adaptation in similar drives in their own areas, provided they first get their city governments' and local citizens' backing to assure "real honest interest and support" at the local level. Brorby, Danforth Head AAAA Board for 1 957 MELVIN BRORBY, senior vice president of Needham. Louis & Brorby. Chicago, was named chairman of the board of the American Assn. of Advertising Agencies last Thursday as the AAAA opened its 4 0th anniversary year meeting (see story, page 36). He succeeds Robert D. Holbrook. chairman of Compton Adv., NewYork, in the AAAA chairmanship. J. Davis DanMR. BRORBY forth, executive vice president of BBDO, New York, was elected vice chairman and Ross H. Ryder, president of Ryder & Ohleyer. Oakland, Calif., was named secretary-treasurer. President Frederic R. Gamble continues in office for another year. More than 400 AAAA members and their wives were registered for the three-day meeting at the Greenbrier. White Sulphur Springs. W. Va. They were to be joined by some 200 media and advertiser guests and their wives Friday and Saturday. Edwin Cox of Kenyon & Eckhardt, Otto Kleppner of Kleppner Co., and Raymond F. Sullivan of Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles. all New York, were elected directors-at-large for three-year terms. Frank White, senior vice president and treasurer of McCann-Erickson and former president of NBC and Mutual, was named directorat-large for two years to fill the unexpired term of Emerson Foote, who has resigned from McCann-Erickson. Retiring President Holbrook. tracing the growth of advertising in the 40 years since formation of AAAA. pointed out that AAAA membership itself has grown from 111. with 123 offices, to 329 agencies with 571 offices in the U. S. "And today," he continued, "our members continue to place more than two-thirds of the tremendously increased volume of national advertising in the U. S." Of the broadcast media's place in advertising over the years, Mr. Holbrook said: "When radio arrived, we were provided with a mass method of communication which was wholly new. and very effective. Then came tv. Both these new mediums gave us some king-sized, unfiltered headaches, but American advertising men saw the immense opportunity they presented and used them effectively." Directors representing the four AAAA regions were elected for one-year terms as follows: Eastern Region— Brown Bolte. Benton & Bowles. New York; Lendell A. Layman, Henry A. Loudon Adv., Boston; Dan W. Lindsey Jr.. Lindsey & Co.. Richmond. East Central — Wilfred F. Howard. L Walter Thompson Co., Detroit. Central — F. Strother Cary Jr., Leo Burnett Co., Chicago (re-elected), and Arthur G. Rippey, of Rippey. Henderson, Bucknun & Co., Denver. Western — Roy Campbell. Foote. Cone & Belding. Los Angeles. Named to serve with Chairman Brorby. President Gamble, Vice President Danforth and Secretary-Treasurer Ryder as the AAAA board's operations committee for the coming year were Joseph H. Epstein of Fitzgerald Adv.. New Orleans: Robert M. Ganger of D'Arcy Adv., New York, and Arthur E. Tatham of Tatham-Laird, Chicago. PUTTING ARTISTRY INTO ADVERTISING JACK BAXTER, vice president of Earle Ludgin & Co., Chicago, addressed the AAAA convention Friday on "How Creative Have We Really Been with Tv Commercials?" Here is a condensed text of his presentation, which was illustrated with slides and films: I DO NOT feel that anyone had to come here to learn how to sell. You have already traveled far down that familiar road. To me, the areater chal ___________ lenge is the challenge of making people interested. Even the most persuasive sales message will not be heeded by an audience that has its back turned, or has already walked out. To interest people is an art. To interest people in mr. Baxter our television presentations calls for all the artistry we can muster. 1 think we all agree that we can no longer hold an audience simply by hiring an announcer to hold a product in front of a camera. The average viewer spends 5 hours and 42 minutes at his television set each day. according to Nielsen. That means he's exposed to 420 commercials per week with some 2,500 scenes or pictures. All told, vour weary viewer gets 5 hours and 8 minutes of commercials thrown at him each week. Is it any wonder that one-third of our audience walks out when the commercial goes on? I think one obvious solution to this problem is to avoid the obvious in our presentations. Perhaps, we should all try a little harder to be more exciting visually. Of course, we all know that television is a superb medium for product demonstration, but I truly wonder if we have probed into all the dark recesses of this part of our television world. Most of us have seen the Toni twin demonstration, showing that Toni Home Permanent stands up — even in a steam bath. And we've seen the vibrating water test for Timex watches, and Band Aid demonstrating its amazing stick-to-it-iveness. But it was Prom's study of slow motion hair that got me to thinking. Today's camera can slow down a speeding object so that it hardly moves at all. Did you know you can take a picture at 10,000 frames per second and thereby stretch a single second in time to seven minutes on the screen? What a wonderful way to demonstrate how a tire grips the road, or how shatterproof your glass is, how your product withstands shock. Or a dozen other things. But maybe you'd like to condense time. Here, through the miracle of John Ott's time-lapse photography, we shall see an orange spoil in 47 days before our eyes. It's demonstrating that special waxes keep fruit fresh longer. You could use this technique to prove that your paint lasts longer or your metal withstands rust better or your refrigerator keeps foods fresher. Now. through John Ott's micro-photog Broadcasting • Telecasting April 29, 1957 • Page 37