Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

MR. ADAMS Advertising Subverted By 'Gimmickry— Adams A no-holds-barred attack on today's role of research in advertising was made Wednesday in Toledo, Ohio, by Charles F. Adams, vice president and Cadillac motor car account supervisor at MacManus, John & Adams, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Addressing the Advertising Club of Toledo, Mr. Adams noted that "imitation is the sincerest form of suicide," and that "the advertising lookalikes have approached that point of perilous perfection where potshots are being taken at all advertising." Describing some of the current ads — in print as well as television — Mr. Adams said, "Here is boredom at its best, the most expensive sedatives in the history of communication . . . magnificently produced advertising that does everything but arouse interest in the product that pays the freight." He went on: "It takes a trained observer to tell whether the product involved is to be eaten, rubbed in the hair, ridden in or smoked. 'Mildness makes the difference' covers everything from chainsaws to toilet tissues . . ." Advertising today, he asserted, is "beautiful . . . and sterile"; it does nothing for the consumer or the client. Who is to blame for "this virtual collapse of persuasive power" at a time of economic recession? Mr. Adams blamed "gimmickry" — the "sure thing" that abolishes the "basic insecurity of creativity," ergo saves an advertiser from making the wrong guess. The implementers : "researchers . . . pseudoscientists . . . head-feelers" [who] "proposed to guarantee the results of advertising." This playing of the "confidence game," Mr. Adams charged, has resulted in "creative men becoming carpenters hammering together mass-produced ingredients. And because the ingredients were mass produced and for sale to any advertiser, the resulting ads became as alike as Sundays in Philadelphia . . . and every bit as stimulating." "Creativity," said Mr. Adams, "became a dirty word in some agencies and it became fashionable to be known as a marketing agency or a merchandising agency or a motivation research agency. Anything except, God forbid, a creative agency." You cannot force a consumer to want something, noted Mr. Adams. "All the motivational mumbo-jumbo, all the Freud-happy figures assembled since Herr Doktor Dichter was knee high to a couch cannot make the public's taste-buds tingle or its ego pant for a new car. . . . The public just doesn't give a damn how much research went into the preparation nor will it buy blindly to bail the economy out of a slump." Bring back creativity, he urged, and del Broadcasting egate research to its rightful place ("not as a drunk uses a lamp post . . . but to light the way"); follow the "inspired hunch" as did the Leo Burnett agency with Marlboro. Concluded Mr. Adams: "If creativity is to conquer the head shrinkers, the prime force is not likely to come from 10,000 speakers at 10,000 luncheon clubs ... but it will come from the man with the bankroll, the client. And I believe the average advertiser is rapidly becoming disenchanted with the sterile, play-it-safe advertising. He is about to lower the boom . . . and high time." Aiello Goes to MJ&A in July One of the principal sparkplugs on the Buick Motor Div. account during its long stay at Kudner Agency, New York, will remain instrumental on General Motors Corp. tv advertising. Vincent F. Aiello, a high-echelon Kudner executive who voluntarily took a back seat at the agency following the loss of Buick to McCann-Erickson, is shifting in July to MacManus, John & Adams, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-New York, in a policymaking post. MJ&A is one of principal GM agencies — servicing both Pontiac and Cadillac auto accounts in addition to GM institutional advertising on NBC-TV's Wide Wide World. Officials at MJ&A declined comment on Mr. Aiello's move as did Mr. Aiello himself. Both indicated that an announcement would be "forthcoming." With Kudner since 1944, Mr. Aiello had been executive vice president and copy chief on Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Buick and GM institutional accounts. BUSINESS BRIEFLY WHO'S BUYING WHAT, WHERE TROOPERS RUSHED IN • Falstaff Brewing Corp. has renewed State Trooper, MCA-TV film syndication show, in 66 markets for third successive year, through its agency, Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, N. Y. MCA Tv Ltd. will go into production immediately for third series of State Trooper to meet requests by advertisers for additional half hour shows. New programs will bring to 104 number of segments available for regional and local sponsorship. OLDSMOBILE SONG • Oldsmobile Div. of General Motors Corp., Detroit, through D. P. Brother & Co., Detroit, will sponsor CBS Radio's The Patti Page Show when singer begins Tues.-Sun. series of five-minute programs June 17. Miss Page will be heard Tues.-Fri. 8:25-8:30 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 7:30-7:35 p.m., and Sun. 8:55-9 p.m. DAY AND NIGHT • Six new advertisers have ordered schedules on NBC-TV's Today and Tonight shows: Amity Leather Products Co., West Bend, Ind., for Rolfes leather goods (Edward H. Weiss & Co., Chicago); Liftsavers, N. Y. (Product Services Inc., N. Y.); Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., Akron (Campbell-Ewald, Detroit); RCA-Whirlpool, N. Y. (Kenyon & Eckhardt, N. Y.); American Optical Co., Buffalo, for Cool-Ray sunglasses (SunderlandAbbott, Buffalo); Fifth Ave. Color Labs, N. Y. (Maxwell Sackheim Inc., N. Y.). PILLSBURY MILLIONS • Pillsbury Mills Inc., Minneapolis, last week placed 52-week daytime order amounting to more than $2 million in gross revenue on NBC-TV. Purchase calls for sponsorship of alternate-week quarter-hour segment of six daytime weekday programs starting in fall. Agency is Leo Burnett Co., Chicago. EAGER FOR BEAVER • Miles Labs, Elkhart, Ind., and Ralston Purina Co., St. Louis, will sponsor Leave It to Beaver when series moves from CBS-TV to ABC-TV starting Oct. 3 (Fri. 8:30-9 p.m.). Agencies are Geoffrey Wade, Hollywood, for Miles Labs, and Gardner Adv., St. Louis, for RP. RADIO ROAST • Borden Co. (Rich Roast coffee), N. Y., has launched 12-week campaign on eight radio stations in New York metropolitan area, using 109 one-minute spot announcements per week. Agency: Doherty, Clifford,. Steers & Shefield, N. Y. STEVERINO STAYS • Greyhound Corp. has renewed its sponsorship of NBC-TV's Steve Allen Show (Sun. 8-9 p.m.) for 195859 season. Agency for Greyhound Corp.: Grey Adv., N. Y. SUMMER WRAP • Dow Chemical Co. (Saran Wrap), Midland, Mich., currently is conducting 13-week tv spot drive in nine central and eastern U. S. markets, expiring in July. MacManus, John & Adams, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is agency. AMERICAN COMBO • Four advertisers have signed to sponsor segments of ABCTV's American Bandstand (Mon.-Fri., 4 5 p.m.). They are Minnesota Mining & Mfg. Co. (Scotch Brand tape), St. Paul, through BBDO, N. Y.; Polk Miller Products Corp. (Sergeant's dog remedies), Richmond, through N. W. Ayer & Son. Phila.; Shulton Inc. (toiletries), Clifton, N. L, through Wesley Assoc., N. Y., and Vick Chemical Co., N. Y., through Morse International Inc., N. Y. CONTINUALLY CONTINENTAL • Continental Baking Co., N. Y., renewed its sponsorship of Howdy Doody Show on NBC-TV, Saturdays, 10-10:30 a.m. for 52 weeks effective June 24. It marks seventh year that Continental Baking will be sponsor of series. Show itself has been on air, first as daily strip, now weekly, for past 10 years. Agency for Continental is Ted Bates 6 Co., N. Y. RETURN OF ZORRO • AC Spark Plug Div. of General Motors Corp., Flint, Mich., and Seven-Up Corp., St. Louis, renewed sponsorship of Zorro on ABC-TV for fall season (Thurs. 8-8:30 p.m.). AC Spark Plug's agency is D. P. Brother & Co., Detroit, and Seven-Up's, J. Walter Thompson, Chicago. June 2, 1958 • Page 35