Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1920)

172 EXHIBITORS HERALD December 25, 1920 "Give a Man What He Wants," Metro Policy By J. E. D. MEADOR Director of Publicity and Advertising, Metro Pictures Corp. IN providing exploitation matter for the exhibitor of motion pictures Metro feels that the distributing company should adopt much the same procedure as does a host staging a smoker for his friends. Discounting the provision of beverages and edibles, and giving attention for the moment only to the tobacco, the best hospitality is that which gives the guest a choice of the form in which he likes his weed : whether he likes the ready-made-sort — the cigar or the tailor-made cigarette — or whether he wants just the tobacco for his pipe or for rolling his own. Metro adopts that principle of hospitality to exploitation. The company believes in placing at the disposal of the exhibitor both a complete, finished, ready-to-use campaign, and at the same time matter that can be adapted to any individual ideas the exhibitor may wish to put into practice. * * * THIS takes into account that some exhibitors have little time to do more than book their pictures and look after the immediate management of their houses, while others are in such a position as to be free to cast about outside and indulge in experiment with their ideas. Specifically, this material is found in the press books of twelve or more pages which are issued with every Metro production. These publications have been so arranged that a showman may take them and without giving up any of his time to sitting alone and meditating heavily, launch a publicity and exploitation campaign certain to draw favorable attention to the picture and to his theatre. A synopsis of the story is followed directly by an analysis of the sale points to be hammered into the public. Then come publicity stories, advance and review notices, special newspaper advertisements, a reproduction of special star cuts and scenes from the play, pictures of the lobby stills and of all posters, with definite suggestions as to how to use every line of writing and every square inch of pictorial material. * * * THERE is likewise matter for insertion in his theatre program ; and in conjunction with this is the issuance separately of two-color heralds for distribution among his audiences in advance of the exhibition of the picture. By merely ordering cuts, by cutting out and copying publicity matter for the newspapers, by sending for posters and the herald, the exhibitor has at hand a complete line of magnetic material. This he may dispose of as directed in the advertising talk, or he may alter according to his own ideas. Metro realizes that local conditions often alter the value of advertising means. That, for instance, an exhibitor may have evolved a policy of publicity in his town that has made his theatre distinctive ; and that in such a case to use a different plan of advertising would be to lose that individuality. At the same time it gives such an exhibitor the raw material, so to speak, and he may cast it into his special mold of appeal. * * * IN brief, the Metro idea is that stated in the beginning; that the exhibitor may have either the ready-made, ready-to-use sort of Campaign, or he may "roll his own." In either case the company provides the matter. There is no opportunity, in an article of this length, to go exhaustively into the matter of advertising a motion picture. The public does not realize that there is such an extensive and careful planning of sales attack required with every release. And many exhibitors do not. Some of them simply paste a one-sheet up before their theatre and let it go at that. And at times they do a big business. Other exploitation in this case is waste. Metro does not seek to have any exhibitor contrive stunts for the sake of stunts. It wants merely to have the showman get the biggest results from its pictures. This aim is the basis of all its exploitation, advertising and publicity service ; and when it is achieved — as so many letters from exhibitors testify daily — then only is Metro satisfied. Wesley Barry and Colleen Moore, leads in Marshall Neilan's First National attraction, "Dinty," entertain Los Angeles orphans. Thanksgiving Day Party for Orphans Staged by Stars Among the notable innovations in exploitation during the past year has been the participation of stars at various times in local publicity enterprises calculated to generate national interest. Though still in its infancy, this type of general exploitation will doubtless be greatly developed in the future. It is great in potentialities. An event typical of its class was the T hanksgiving Day party given the three hundred children of the Los Angeles Orphan Asylum by Wesley Barry and Cooleen Moore, star and leading lady of "Dinty," Marshall Xeilan's First National attraction. The event gained big space in the Los Angeles papers, it is said, and illustrates the type of enterprise which may be expected to figure in the national news of the future. Among the things that occupied the day for the youngsters an automobile tour of the city which they live in but seldom get to see and a vaudeville show which was wholly a novel experience for them figured prominently. Enterprises of this calibre have a double merit. They are genuinely charitable in direct result and worth while for that reason alone. They also make genuine news that will be printed by any fairly disposed newspaper and, when the magnitude of the event merits it, will be reported in other than local publications. Such news is good for the industry, good for the stars and the picture mentioned, and good for every exhibitor in the nation, whether or not he plays that particular attraction.