Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1921 - Mar 1922)

January 28. 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 59 Exploitation Letters Exhibitors Herald, Chicago, 111. Gentlemen: One hundred window displays, advertising both the "Molly O Biscuit" and the motion picture; A co-operative advertising campaign with the Columbia graphophone company; A window display in every one of the circuit of Hook's drug stores, advertising the '"Molly O Sundae"; A tie-up with a wholesale dealer of perfumes and toilet waters; A cooperative newspaper advertisement, covering the greater part of a page; A Xew Year's tableau, presented under the direction of W. Hurley Ashby. art director of the Circle; A contest among all the grocery stores in the citv for the best window displav on -Molly O"; An advance campaign in the newspapers; on the screen at the theatre: through one sheets and tack cards, programf and other printed matter; Ten thousand post cards mailed from another city, addressed personally, and merely mentioning "Molly O"; Five thousand letters, written in a personal vein, to a selected clientele — That covers the greater part of the campaign put over for "Molly O." Mack Sennett's special starring Mabel Xormand. at the Circle theatre. As "Molly O" was a picture easily adapted to exceptional exploitation, and was sure to please. Ralph Lieber. manager of the Circle, decided to go the limit on exploiting it and the results proved its value. • -Among the national tie-ups the cooperative campaign with the LooseWiles Biscuit Co.. for the "Molly O." biscuit, appeared from the start to be the most valuable, owing to the great GROCERIES R.W.Greer MEATS HAR SMITH ERY number of stores handling the product in Indianapolis. In order to get the greatest possible benefit from this tie-up the Circle sent out a letter to every grocery in the city, offering a first prize of $75.00 and a second prize of $25.00. for the best window display — and more than a hundred replies were received. The Circle furnished each store with a cut-out of Mabel Xormand, eating a Mollv O Biscuit, on which the follow ing lettering was placed: "Try a Molly () B scuit and then see Mabel Xormand in Mack Sennett's Molly O at the Circle "I heatre." In addition to this each store was given a card on which were mounted lobby photos from the production, with "Molly O" written across the card. The Circle art department made all the cutouts and all the cards, which proved considerable of an undertaking, but mm which also proved very much worth while. About twenty of the windows were in the downtown district and the others were scattered in all parts of the city. The Loose-Wiles Baking Co., also cooperated with some newspaper advertising, as did a number of other concerns. The local agents for the Columbia records co-operated with window displays and newspaper advertising, as did the wholesale company handling perfumes and toilet waters. Hook's drug stores are located on the business corners in Indianapolis and their window space is considered more valuable than any other places in the city, yet they gladly co-operated with window displays on the "Molly O" sundae. One of the most effective mailing stunts in the history of the theatre was carried out when 10.000 post cards were mailed out from Cleveland, with the following reading: "Having a wonderful time. Just saw 'Molly O.' Don't fail to see it when it comes to Indianapolis." They were signed M. X.. and they aroused a great deal of conversation, which ultimately was recorded at the box office. The Xew Year's presentation was more of a comedy sketch than a tableau, thereby being more in keeping with the spirit of the rest of the program. It opened, showing a small house on the center of the stage, with a young man pacing frantically up and down before the door, above which hung a sign, 1921. Shortly thereafter an aged doctor ambled across the stage and entered the house, followed a short time later by a massive stork, carrying its proverb:al bundle. After the stork had left the stage a nurse appeared at the door, handed the infant to the proud father, who still was pacing the floor, while the doctor t urned the sign, 1921, over, making it read 1922. Although there was nothing spectacular to the presentation, it was well liked