Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

MONDAY MEMO — — — — _____ from MARK LAWRENCE, vice president, MacManus, John & Adams THE IMPORTANT THING IS THE AD —NOT JUST THE BUY After the shows are locked up, after the smoke and haze and fog of network negotiations have settled down, after the clients have faithfully okayed the programs, the spot campaigns, the time periods, the markets, and the money — where do we stand? ' All agencies, at this point, stand on a heap of debris: the worn-out shows, the scratched starters, the star names that couldn't be delivered, the remnants of that dream-large radiotv budget. There we stand, and all we can see from our vantage point, stretching as far as next June, is a host of little signs that say "air-date." It is now time to go back to the all-important function of all this preparation: advertising the product. This is not a memo about copy itself or about idea brainstorming, or about techniques used in making television and radio commercials. All of these things come after the step in advertising which can be summed up by this question: "What do you expect to accomplish as a result of the advertising which you place on radio or tv?" Clients and agencies, alike, are usually so media-mad that they sometimes fail to ask this question, and if it is asked, don't give enough thought to the answers. Certainly, in the case of a Christmas promotion for Scotch Brand tape and Sasheen ribbon our objective is sales, and a good share of the credit for the sale can go to broadcast copy. The same is true of our Saran wrap, White Rock, Good Humor, etc. However, another campaign we have running for Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing introduces a product. Here, our purpose is simply to spread news and to encourage manufacturers to make use of the new fluoro-chemical. In another instance, for General Motors Corp., our job is not to sell any one automobile to the viewer, but to convince our Wide Wide World audience of the corporation's special ability, craftsmanship and facilities which stand behind the manufacture of five automobiles. WHAT ABOUT BIG, 'NON-IMPULSE' PURCHASE? And, finally, there is the question of using broadcast advertising to promote the sale of automobiles themselves. A lot has been written and spoken on the subject of advertising "non-impulse-buy" items on television. The automobilebuying process takes about 18 months and the public is not generally aware of the source of its convictions about which car is better than the next one, although in answering questions on the subject viewers will say that television has a lot to do with their choice. A recent NBC survey [B«T, Sept. 16] indicates that viewers consider television an important source of information about cars. Does this mean that a television commercial should simply be full of information? Or is our job simply to use devices and gimmicks to deliver the viewer to the dealer's showroom? Or do we go easy on the information and gimmicks and be content to do a commercial with a high entertainment value, lots of music and humor? Most viewers will tell you that their favorite commercial is the entertaining one, but they're not sure that it had much to do with inspiring them to act — that is, to buy the product. Two fine commercials, which our agency did not produce, illustrate a further point — Bert and Harry Lovers are glad to spend a few cents on a bottle of beer in gratitude for the entertaining commercial, but if a bottle of Piel's beer cost $2,000, they might feel the need for more information. Conversely, many viewers may claim to be annoyed by the repetition of the A's and B's race to get into the diagrammatic bloodstream, but a headache is no laughing matter and Bufferin sales prove that so-called "annoying" tv spots can sell even the viewer who is a self-styled expert on commercials. THE QUESTIONS IN PREPARING CAR COMMERCIALS Much in the same way, we have to determine how much information can be gotten through to the viewer about a big item like a Cadillac or a Pontiac. NBC tells us dealers think that showing a car in action is highly important in a tv car commercial. Yet consider this: If you hold a pack of cigarettes in front of your eyes at magazine or newspaper distance, you will find that the area it blots out will completely cover a 21inch television screen standing eight feet away. That's a pretty small space to show off a big item like an automobile, particularly in the traditional running-up-a-hill shot. And yet, if we eliminate all shots of the car in action, would the commercial still be informative and do its job in making the prospective buyer consider the make we are advertising? Is our job accomplished if we have made the viewer consider buying our make of car? Will he consider our product if we entertain him and inform him and neglect to make him remember which make it was he saw advertised? I intend to come to no resounding conclusions. My own mission will be accomplished here if I have reminded ourselves that the ad — not just the "buy" — is still the thing. Murk Lawrence; b. Washington, D. C, April 14, 1921, son of David Lawrence, publisher , U. S. News & World ReI port; grad. Princeton U. in 1942, followed by duty stint in Pacific Theatre of Operations as gunnery officer, five battle stars and other decorations. Was freelance writer for various nightclub performers, including Alice Pearce at New York's famous Blue Angel; other acts: Martin & Lewis, Jack Carter, and Elaine Stritch. Joined MacManus, John & Adams in 1952 as radio-tv production manager, then director of radio-tv production, and since January 1957, vice president, radio-tv. Currently active on Wide Wide World (General Motors Corp.) and forthcoming NBC-TV "Annie Get Your Gun" special with Mary Martin (co-sponsored,. Pontiac Motor Div., GMC). Also identified with former Medic and Playwrights '56 series. Broadcasting • Telecasting October 7, 1957 • Page 137