Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

ADVERTISERS & AGENCIES continued DODGE RADIO SPOTS FIRST IN EFFECT • Blair gives survey results • 2,000 executives polled Which spot radio commercials are considered the most popular and effective by agency and station executives? John Blair & Co., radio station representative, held a news conference in New York last week to announce its findings. Arthur H. McCoy, executive vice president, with one finger on the button of a playback machine, interspersed his comment with the playing of the winning commercials. Each of the six leaders (advertiser and agency) in the national competition won transistor radios. Mr. McCoy referred to the 2,032 executives (split about even between agencies and stations) who took part in the polling during February and March of this year, noting that they were asked to vote for the spot radio commercials they remembered as the most effective during the winter season. Dodge Div. of Chrysler Corp. and Grant Adv., Dodge's agency, won first place in the voting. In fact, the audio commercials took first place in five of nine regional Blair tabulations and were among the leaders in the other four regions. The next five were Beech-nut gum and Young & Rubicam; Chesterfield cigarettes DODGE'S TOP HONOR is acknowledged by W. D. (Pete) Moore (I), director of advertising and sales promotion for Dodge Div. of Chrysler Corp. Offering congratulations is Charles Fritz, head of Blair's Detroit office. and McCann-Erickson; Camel cigarettes and William Esty; Pepperidge Farms and Ogilvy, Benson & Mather, and Budweiser and DArcy Adv. In the polling, 228 spot radio commercials received one or more mentions. These represented the creative product of more than 200 advertising agencies. Of course, certain advertisers with regional distribution received strong backing in the poll from the local areas. Mentioned in this category C O L O fljC The Next 10 Days of Network Color Shows (all times EST) CBS-TV April 15, 22 (9:30-10 p.m.) Red Skelton Show, S. C. Johnson & Son through Foote, Cone & Belding and Pet Milk through Gardner Adv. April 17 (8:30-9:30 p.m.) Shower of Stars, Chrysler Corp. through McCannErickson. April 19 (7:30-9 p.m.) DuPont Show of the Month, DuPont through BBDO. April 19 (9-10 p.m.) High Adventure with Lowell Thomas, Delco through Campbell-Ewald. NBC-TV April 14-18, 21-23 (3-4 p.m.) Matinee Theatre, participating sponsors. April 14, 21 (7:30-8 p.m.) The Price Is Right, Speidel through Norman, Craig & Kummel and RCA Victor through Kenyon & Eckhardt. April 15 (8-9 p.m.) Eddie Fisher Show, RCA-Whirlpool through Kenyon & Eckhardt and Liggett & Myers through McCann-Erickson. April 15 (9-10 p.m.) Jerry Lewis Show, A ST I N 6® Oldsmobile through D. P. Brother. April 16, 23 (9-10 p.m.) Kraft Television Theatre, Kraft Foods Co. through J. Walter Thompson Co. April 17 (7:30-8 p.m.) Tic Tac Dough, Warner-Lambert through Lennen & Newell and RCA Victor through Kenyon & Eckhardt. April 17 (10-10:30 p.m.) Lux Show, starring Rosemary Clooney, Lever Bros, through J. Walter Thompson Co. April 19 (8-9 p.m.) Perry Como Show, participating sponsors. April 19 (10:30-11 p.m.) Your Hit Parade, Toni through North Adv. and American Tobacco through BBDO. April 20 (7-7:30 p.m.) My Friend Flicka, sustaining. April 20 (8-9 p.m.) Steve Allen Show, S. C. Johnson & Son through Needham, Louis & Brorby; U. S. Time Corp. through Peck Adv. and Greyhound through Grey. April 20 (9-10 p.m.) Dinah Shore Chevy Show, Chevrolet through CampbellEwald. April 22 (8-9 p.m.) George Gobel Show, RCA-Whirlpool through Kenyon & Eckhardt and Liggett & Myers through McCann-Erickson. were Butter-nut coffee (strength in Mountain States and west north central states); Tetley tea (high in New England and Middle Atlantic States) and Crown-Zellerbach on behalf of Zee tissues (high in the Mountain and Pacific areas) [Advertisers & Agencies, May 20, 1957]. This was the second national spot radio commercial survey by Blair. The first covered the summer season of last year, the winners announced last November. Mr. McCoy said the firm now on plans a winter and summer competition each year. Mr. McCoy observed that Blair has made about 500 presentations on spot radio in the past two years and, in speaking of business, he declared that Blair's radio dollar volume last year totaled more "in national advertising dollars" than NBC Radio, ABN and Mutual combined. Asked about CBS Radio, he noted that the network reported only gross figures and thus comparisons with other networks were difficult but said, Blair is "way ahead" of that network in national ad dollars. DFS Gets Last Swift Products Pegged at Possible $2 Million The remainder of the business not assigned by Swift & Co. to Leo Burnett Co. last month [At Deadline, March 10] went to Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample Inc. last week, representing perhaps $2 million in billings. The announcement, made Thursday by Ray Weber, Swift advertising manager, said the agency would handle all U. S. and Canadian advertising for Pard dog food, Swift'ning, Jewel oil and shortening — effective June 1, 1958. These and other products (Allsweet margarine, Vigoro and End-O plant products, subsequently picked up by Leo Burnett) represent about $4 million dropped by J. Walter Thompson last month [Advertisers & Agencies, March 3] and perhaps 20-25% of all Swift business. The bulk is handled by McCann-Erickson Inc., Chicago. At least one other major account was still footloose last week — and will be until June 1. Hotpoint Co., a subsidiary of General Electric Co., has been informally screening agencies to handle its $4 million tv receiver-appliance-trade advertising account. Business currently is split between three agencies — tv receivers at Needham, Louis & Brorby; appliances at Maxon, and trade at J. R. Pershall Co. — will be channeled to a single agency shop. K&E Board Votes Salary Slashes Kenyon & Eckhardt, New York, sounded an ominous recession note last week when its board of directors voted a salary reduction to all employes earning over $10,000, effective May 1. Persons earning $10,000 a year will get a 10% reduction; those earning over $30,000 will get a 20% reduction. Members of the board itself will take a 25% wage cut. Although officially it could not be confirmed, it was understood that Kenyon & Eckhardt had followed the pattern of salary cuts once or twice in the past and when agency revenue was restored, all employes were paid in full retroactivity. Broadcasting April 14, 1958 • Page 39