Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES continued BBDO BLUES The beat was down and the mood was blue ... at least when Benny Goodman picked up his licorice stick and swung into those "BBDO Blues." The occasion: an Oct. 21 luncheon by the Advertising Men's Post of the American Legion to benefit the Herald Tribune Fund drive. Mr. Goodman and his former vocalist, Helen Ward, collaborated on a parody whipped up for the occasion by George T. Simon, president of Bouree Productions, New York. The lyrics follow: The Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborne blues There's an advertising agency whose full name really grooves; Its name has got a beat ... a beat that I can't lose; I've got the Batten, Barton, Durstine . . . and Osborne blues. Well, Benton may have Bowles; And Sullivan has three souls; Ogilvy has his pair; And N. Double-you's got his Ayer; But there are four names I can never lose; I've got those Batten, Barton, Durstine . . . and Osborne blues. McCann's got Erickson; And Ruthrauff's got Ryan; Walter Thompson's got his Jay, And Hal Davis has his Grey; But I've got blues that I can never lose; I've got those Batten, Barton, Durstine . . . and Osborne blues! time & talent production cost per show: $350,000). The network reportedly was meeting with Timex to persuade the watch firm to change its corporate mind. But so far as Peck was concerned, the matter stood "with the letter of cancellation" sent Tuesday. NBC was in somewhat of a dilemma Thursday. In a last-ditch attempt to persuade U. S. Time Corp. to "reconsider" its decision, the network set up a date with Peck officials for Friday and also arranged for a meeting direct with the client today (Monday). NBC, should it fail to woo Timex back into its camp, is faced with these alternatives: • It can try to sell the Hope specials (they pre-empt, on both Nov. 7 and Dec. 7, a total of four half hours sponsored by Liggett & Myers, Max Factor and Scott Paper Co.) to a number of advertisers understood to be interested in picking up the programs. • It can delay the Nov. 7 and Dec. 7 programs until some other time when it gets a sponsor and can clear the time to reschedule them. • It can drop these two altogether, hoping it can persuade another advertiser to share the bill (estimated $370,000 per show, time and talent) with Johnson Motors for the 1958 shows. Timex officials had "no comment" on the situation until today's meeting has settled the issue, but Peck executives indicated that should the client stick by its decision, the agency would redistribute the Hope network allocations into some other television activity. U-l Ad Plans Won't Ignore Radio-Tv, Sales Execs Told Universal International (Universal Pictures Corp.) is re-evaluating its advertising approach because today's volume of highpressure salesmanship "has created a high resistance with the public." But radio-tv are expected to figure strongly in reshaped plans, especially radio, based on the film company's previous use of the broadcast media. In a week-long U-I sales executives conference in New York, the film company's sales personnel went over advertising strategy for the new fiscal year, but according to U-I Advertising Vice President David A. Lipton, "We didn't discuss strategy in precise media terms." However, Mr. Lipton did spell out to the attending executives what U-I has in mind. "The major job of the motion picture advertiser," he declared, "is to find and concentrate his selling in those specialized areas where he can hope to break through the wall of advertising volume." U-I, he said, no longer can afford to "scatter" its "shots." Instead, it must use the "sharpshooter" technique. Advertising dollars alone cannot do the job. What is needed is careful pre-selling and this in turn requires employing "the utmost care in analyzing the specialized audience for each picture." U-I apparently will eliminate the traditional annual budget — estimated at roughly $3 million and down some from what it was Page 36 • October 28, 1957 two years ago — and instead will allocate special budgets per film. It is bullish on radio, especially in the summertime, and intends to continue making full use of this medium into the winter. With U-I's "shock" package now in tv station distribution by Screen Gems Inc. making a considerable case for the revival of monsters, U-I is expected to spring its next big radio push on behalf of a "double horror bill," "The Monolith Monsters" and "Love Slaves of the Amazon." Still uncertain at this time is what U-I will do in local tv. For the past several years, the studio has been riding on spot vacancies garnered by Matty Fox through his barter activities, but cash will be necessary now. Cunningham & Walsh is U-I's agency. Soft Goods Trend to Radio Cited as Two Buy NBC Time A growing trend that soft goods manufacturers are turning to radio is noted by NBC Radio's director of sales planning, George A. Graham Jr. He reported last week on some NBC Radio clients who are making their first use of the medium. Among them: • A. & M. Karagheusian Inc. (Gulistan carpets) which will use 10 five-minute Bob and Ray Monitor capsules next spring to push its line of rugs. The campaign will be launched in mid-March with a closed circuit merchandising "on-air meeting" between NBC officials, Gulistan dealers and executives of Karagheusian and Fuller & Smith & Ross, the firm's agency. • Waverly Fabrics Div., F. Schumacher & Co. (drapery, upholstery fabrics and wall papers) which on Jan. 4 will begin using Monitor for 10 participations a weekend for a run of 13 weeks. Agency is Ehrlich, Neuwirth & Sobo. Mr. Graham noted that NBC maintains a well-versed merchandising team that ties an advertiser's use of network radio in with the problems of a local dealer. He also cited the use of radio in earlier instances by such firms as Princeton Knitting Mills and The American Institute of Men's & Boys' Wear. $500,000 Whitehall Account Resigns EWR&R Over Merger Reorganization of accounts continues at the newly-merged Erwin Wasey, Ruthrauff & Ryan agency as Whitehall Pharmacal Div., American Home Products, resigned from the agency last week. Affected by the resignation: billings in excess of $500,000 and a number of pharmaceutical products still in the "X" or test stage. Principal products include two spot tv users, Dristan sinuscold tablets and Neet hair remover. Test products include Petro-Syllium, a laxative, and Dondryl, a fever blister lotion. Neither agency nor client cared to discuss the move, but it was learned that Whitehall never viewed the merger of Erwin, Wasey and Ruthrauff & Ryan with great enthusiasm. The products had been with Ruthrauff & Ryan before the two agencies teamed up last month. New agency assignments remain to be made, with the exception of Dristan, already given to Bryan Houston Inc., agency for Whitehall's Dryaid nasal mist and Gardrin inhaler. Dristan looms as a potentially $1 million account. Effective Nov. 4, the product— in test stages for over a year — will make its national bow via the Whitehall network of tv shows. It was uncertain as of midweek which other Whitehall agencies would stand to gain some of the lost EWR&R business. Agencies are Grey Adv., Ted Bates & Co., Lynn Baker Inc., McCannErickson and Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles. Blumberg Heads Katz at Baltimore Stanley Blumberg, vice president, copy chief and member of the plans board, Joseph Katz Co., has been named vice president and general manager of the Baltimore office. Mr. Blumberg joined the Katz agency in 1935 as a copywriter. Later he became manager of the agency's retail advertising department. He became vice president, copy chief and member of the plans board in 1955. Other appointments in the Baltimore office include James A. Miller, radio-tv director; Morris L. Milstein, production manager, and George Fondersmith, art director. Broadcasting >