The film daily year book of motion pictures (1934)

range for its broadcast over a local station. Making a deal with the high school dramatic society or a Little Theater group, to obtain their services in acting the playlet. — • — TANGO CONTEST Arrange a tie-up with a local ballroom, which features a tango contest. A week's engagement at your theater is guaranteed the winners. The stunt should collect publicity from two angles. One via dance enthusiasts, and the other through local radio publicity. Practically the only cost in connection with the plan is a week's salary for the winners. PONY PRIZE Plenty of advertising can be had if you'll pull this one. To the child turning in the greatest number of coupons, a pony is given. No date for the termination of the contest is given until you are satisfied the stunt has done its job. This can be made possible through a tieup with a lacal stable, racetrack or veterinarian. There are no profits in the kid admissions but it will help the adult trade. Parade the pony in front of the theater and have it lead through town often, of course with a banner announcing the contest at your theater. — • — PENNY SALE Two tickets for the price of one, and add one penny, can be worked to great advantage if you give a local dry goods store the exclusive hand-out privilege. Tickets should be good only before noon the opening day of your picture. In return for the tie-up the store places cards announcing the stunt in prominent places in the store windows. Tickets should be on sale at the rear of the store so that buyers will have to walk through the store, past bargain counters to get to the ticket booth. Ticket sale should open early and stop not later than 11 A. M. — • — COOKING SCHOOL Every morning for a week hold a cooking school at your theater. For the instructress have a teacher from a local school. Tie-up with local merchants for use of nationally advertised brands of foodstuffs and ingredients. Free admission to the school and a display of the results as the pay-off. Make the stunt for unmarried girls only if you want to add comedy to the gag, have the cakes, etc., judged by unmarried men. — • — BASEBALL FLASH Through the co-operation of the local sports store, equip the town baseball team with suits with the theater, name stenciled on the back of the sweaters. When you want to plug a special attraction, have special banner-announcements pinned to the sweaters. Give each player one free pass to the theater for the duration of the baseball season and stage a theater party at the pay-off. Don't forget to plaster the ball park with advertising and 24-sheets. LOCAL EXHIBITS Good for larger towns and cities, where there is considerable manufacturing. An exhibit is arranged in the lobby and local manufacturers allowed to enter their display. The exhibits can be arranged through the chamber of commerce. Each company is required to do some advertising of the exhibit, and is expected to mention the picture that is being shown. Many of them will be glad to get out heralds, cards, etc. In this way the film gets some good plugging. The exhibit is given a flash on the screen. It can be kept going advantageously for many weeks, the Spring being the most appropriate time to stage the exhibit. SAILBOAT ADVERTISING This can only be handled by exhibitors in towns near the sea coast or near a lake. Hire a good sized sailing craft and have your billing painted in bright colors on the sail. Have a radio with amplifier on the boat and have the music loud enough to be heard along the beach. Have the boat sail both day and evening close to shore. At night have it well illuminated. At times the boat can stop and anchor to permit folks on the beach to dance to the music. It is very possible that you can do this without expense, depending on what merchants you can tie-up with on the advertising. — • — AUTO SHOW Almost any auto agency will tie-in with this bally. Display their newest auto in your lobby. If fire regulations do not permit taking the space, look around for a spot where it will go. Possibly a platform with steps will put it over. Sell the company the idea of including an announcement of the exhibit in all its newspaper advertising. Be sure to dress up the display with streamers and lights. Co-operate to the utmost with the auto men and they will march in step with you on this and many other stunts. — • — RADIO AUDITION CONTEST Work out a radio audition contest with a local broadcasting station. Applications for a test are made at the theater's box-office, where all details are also furnished. The radio station announces the contest several times daily. Its winners are eventually presented from the stage of your theater. 732