Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1962)

Majors 'Discover' TV Advertising; Success Formula: Pick Your Spots ROSENFIELD Television, that all too frequently bypassed advertising medium where only Walt Disney once grazed so fruitfully, is coming into its own as a direct pipeline to the potential theatre patron. Local video spots, of course, are nothing new to the cinema promotional scene, playdates all across the country having been plugged thusly for quite some time. But the point here is that national network, and adjacent time, buys — many in prime viewing time — are becoming SOP for many of the more enterprising film companies. The line of reasoning now is: if you have a good attraction, find the proper TV show on which to shout about it. For an idea of what can be wrought, boxofficewise, from the right kind of living room showcasing, consider the success enjoyed recently by United Artists' "Sergeants 3." UA promotioneers credited the clever, offbeat TV campaign whipped up by zany, but consumer-wise Stan Freberg, and rightly so. His hilarious announcements launched the largest video ad push in the history of the film firm. The spots were chosen with care, e.g.: the tongue-in-cheek stuff got plenty of exposure on the Jack Paar Show, where such antics go over big with late-night watchers. Now comes Columbia with what appears to be the epitome of picking your spots. Jonas Rosenfield, Jr., vice president in charge of advertising and publicity, announced that the ad drive powering "Experiment in Terror" will be fueled by "the most ambitious point of sale television time purchase for any motion picture in Columbia history." In order to spearhead BRIEFING. Tony Wilson, general manager of Bruder Music, Inc. briefs model Teri Steele before her visit to New York disc jockeys and radio-TV personalities to plug music from Astor's "Last Year at Marienbad" and "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." Page 18 Film BULLETIN April 2, 1962 a broad national newspaper, magazine and radio promotional campaign for the suspense-thriller, he noted, the firm will stir up vast TV excitement via purchase of adjacent time on every top-rated, adult mystery-suspense show during the early engagements of the film. Columbia obviously is aiming for a specialized audience for "Terror" and has decided the best place to find the thrill-seekers is in front of their sets watching Boris Karloff, et al. Rosenfield said that particular emphasis will be placed on the producer-director role of Blake Edwards, well known to video viewers for his highly successful "Peter Gunn" series, as well as the "Mr. Lucky" shows. In addition, the Henry Mancini 45 RPM RCA Victor single on "Terror" and the LP album recorded by the same artist will become familiar music to those who heard over and over again the jazz sounds of Mancini's "Theme from Peter Gunn." United Artists, for one, is convinced of the importance of TV in today's selling scheme. In revealing Easter saturation plans for the company's Elvis Presley-starrer, "Follow That Dream," national promotion chief Fred Goldberg outlined two basic showmanship approaches for the picture: one aimed at the "basic Presley audience of kids, etc."; the other, "an unconventional approach in TV, similar to the 'Sergeants 3' campaign." Said Goldberg, in an obvious understatement: "TV will be a prime tool" in putting over the picture. Twentieth-Fox, as part of its comprehensive campaign on upcoming "State Fair," plans extensive TV promotion, as does M-G-M for "Sweet Bird of Youth." Ditto Universal for "The Day the Earth Caught Fire." Each set of spots will be aimed at the type of audience the film hopes to attract in local engagements. This summer should find almost all the major distributors, many cooperating with showmanship-minded exhibitors, plugging their wares over the TV airwaves. And while it may take a little longer, TV advertising slowly but surely is building in frequency and intensity to the point where it could become the most important promotional medium in the movie industry. AIP Toppers on Tour American-International's top executives — president James H. Nicholson and executive v.p. Samuel Z. Arkoff — are so enthused about their upcoming product that they've donned showman hats to tell the trade about it. The pair now are hosting a series of nation-wide screenings of their 30-minute product preview trailer on such films as "Tales of Terror" and "Survival." U-RKO MEET. Universal Pictures, RKO Theatres execi fives gather in U homeoffice projection room to ma i merchandising plans for managers of the circuit houses on three forthcoming pictures — "Lover Com Back," "The Outsider" and "The Day the Earl Caught Fire." Universal Eastern ad-publicity bo: Philip Gerard is seen here outlining campaign; Listening, left to right, are: Harry Mandel, RK president; lerome M. Evans, U Eastern promotion mar I ager; Paul Kamey, Eastern publicity chief, and Fre Herkowitz, RKO ad-publicity director. i .* ■ i * m CROWTHER TALK. New York Times film critic Bosle Crowther moderates a symposium of 300 New Yorl school editors as part of campaign for re-issue o M-G-M's "Ivanhoe" and "Knights of the Round Table.' Listening are Metro's Si Seadler, I., and A. Lincoli High principal Abraham Lass. STREET BALLY. Baltimore (Towne) exhibitor Bob Rap paport, who got OK from Mayor to change name ol West Fayette St. to "El Cid" St for week in honor * film's bow, climbs ladder to make switch.