Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES continued A CHRONICLE OF COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE PAYOFF PEPSI PLEASES • Pepsi-Cola's now-famous "Pepsi, Please" radio contest was reported last week to have boomed Pepsi sales in the Bristol, Conn., area by 50% in a week's time. Officials of WBIS Bristol, 500 w independent daytimer carrying the month-long promotion, also quoted Pepsi authorities as saying 30 Pepsi-Cola fountain dispensers had been installed in Bristol alone since the contest started Sept. 16. The "Pepsi, Please" contest, first was used on KCBQ San Diego, Calif., and WLBC Muncie, Ind. [B»T, Aug. 20, 1956, et seq.], and involves the transcribing of local residents' voices saying "Pepsi, Please," playing the recording on radio spot announcements and offering prizes to people who recognize their own voices. Authorities at WBIS, owned by author Eric Hatch, said that by the end of the first week the station had recorded 10,000 voices and received 4,000 calls from listeners trying to identify their own voices. A total of 51 prizes — including table model radios, wrist watches, and Pepsi coolers — were given away during the week. Station officials said that to handle the contest four "electronic secretaries" were installed to record the voices of people telephoning in, eight telephones were added on a separate line, and six additional employes were hired, including an announcer, an engineer and four telephone operators. MONKEY BUSINESS • A spot schedule on WOV New York packed double impact for one of the W. T. Grant stores in Harlem. The store had purchased a spot schedule to plug a two-day "back to school" sale. Spots carried a tag-line which said ". . . and if you're good children, I'll take you to Grant's pet shop to see the monkey." Results for the "back to school" sale were good — monkey business was terrific. Around noon of the first day the spots were broadcast, WOV received the following wire from Grant's manager: "Discontinue immediately gag tag-line about monkey in our pet shop. We are already out of monkeys." DOUBLE PUNCH • Belcher Buick Inc. has found that weather and news on WRCV-TV Philadelphia packs a double sales punch. Using a Mon.-Fri., 6:40 p.m. spot between the news and WRCV-TV's weather show, Forecast with Judy Lee, the auto firm reports that sales have doubled. HOME SHOPPING • The Myron Mcintosh agency, realtors in Joplin, Mo., were interested in using television. Their purpose: to sell houses, obtain listings. KODE-TV came up with a format that stuck strictly to the business at hand. The format: showing houses that the agency lists for sale. On the half-hour weekly show, viewers are taken on an armchair tour of homes by Dorothy Friend, KODE-TV staffer, and Myron Mcintosh, president of the agency. Pictures showing exterior and interior views of homes and grounds are shown, with spe cial features pointed out conversationally. Prices are quoted, terms specified, with a "soft sell" approach. The day after the second show, a family bought one of the featured homes — television was the only salesman. Mr. Mcintosh reports that property sales have increased 132% since the program's inception, with listings increasing 92%. The real estate firm has also extended its business over a four-state area, since home owners in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma have asked them to show their property. The firm does this by using television in these various towns. KODE-TV's business has shown an increase, too — the real estate firm extended their original 13-week contract to 52 weeks, with first option on another year. SHOPPING SPREE • KOTA Rapid City, S. D., went to the supermarket — and brought along 7,000 people the first day. For the opening of a new Red Owl supermarket, KOTA broadcast all local shows from the store for four days. Customers were interviewed, merchandise gifts were given away. For the four days, call letters were given as "This is Radio Red Owl — KOTA in Rapid City." Result: The store reportedly had the biggest opening of any new market in a four The Next 1 0 Days Of Network Color Shows (All Times EDT) CBS-TV Oct. 8, 15 (9:30-10 p.m.) Red Skelton Show, S. C. Johnson & Son through Foote, Cone & Belding and Pet Milk through Gardner Adv. Oct. 9, 16 (8-9 p.m.) The Big Record, Pillsbury and Kellogg through Leo Burnett, Armour through Foote, Cone & Belding and Oldsmobile through D. P. Brother. Oct. 11 (2:30-3 p.m.), Art Linkletter's House Party, participating sponsors. NBC-TV Oct. 7-11, 14-16* (1:30-2:30 p.m.) Howard Miller Show, participating sponsors. Oct. 7-11, 15, 16* (3-4 p.m.) Matinee Theatre, participating sponsors. Oct. 7, 14 (7:30-8 p.m.) The Price Is Right, Speidel through Norman, Craig & Kummel. Oct. 8 (8-9 p.m.) George Gobel Show, RCA-Whirlpool through Kenyon & Eckhardt and Liggett & Myers through McCann-Erickson. Oct. 9, 16 (9-10 p.m.) Kraft Television Theatre, Kraft Foods Co. state area. Only complaint, according to store officials: at times, so many people crowded into the store that the entrance had to be blocked in order to clear the aisles of shoppers. PAJAMA GAME • One person in pajamas usually means bedtime. Make that a thousand, and it's a promotion. Tommy Charles, d.j. at WSGN Birmingham, Ala., announced that everyone attending the Birmingham opening of "The Pajama Game" in pajamas would be admitted free. Taking advantage of the offer, along with 1,000 others, d.j. Charles and engineer Ben Dixon put on their sleeping clothes, broadcast their all-night record show from a bed set up near the theatre's box office. In addition to the pajama-clad crowd, 800 others attended the premiere — best promotion results the theatre has ever had, according to manager P. M. Russell Jr. Richards, European Group Affiliate Eugene I. Harrington, president of Fletcher D. Richards Inc., New York, and Dr. Rudolf Farner, chairman of Continental Advertising & Marketing Agencies, a federation of 11 independently-owned European agencies located in 12 countries abroad, have announced affiliation of their respective organizations for exchange of business on a full commission basis on both sides of the Atlantic. through J. Walter Thompson Co. Oct. 10 (7:30-8 p.m.) Tic Tac Dough, Warner-Lambert through Lennen & Newell. Oct. 10 (10-10:30 p.m.) Lux Show starring Rosemary Clooney, Lever Bros, through J. Walter Thompson Co. Oct. 12 (8-9 p.m.) Perry Como Show, participating sponsors. Oct. 12 (10:30-11 p.m.) Your Hit Parade, Toni through North Adv. and American Tobacco Co. through BBDO. Oct. 13 (8-9 p.m.) Steve Allen Show, participating sponsors. Oct. 13 (9-10:30 p.m.) Standard Oil (New Jersey) 75th Anniversary Show, Standard Oil through McCann-Erickson. Oct. 15 (8-9 p.m.) Eddie Fisher Show, RCA-Whirlpool through Kenyon & Eckhardt and Liggett & Myers through McCann-Erickson . * In the event the World Series is played on Wednesday Oct. 9 and Thursday Oct. 10, starting time will be 12:45 p.m. in originating city. Sponsor will be Gillette through Maxon. On those days Howard Miller Show and Matinee Theatre will be on a stand-by basis. Page 52 • October 7, 1957 Broadcasting • Telecasting