Harrison's Reports (1949)

164 HARRISON'S REPORTS October 8, 1949 the insertions were unnecessary. And the proof of it is right in the "Love Happy" press-book, which discloses that ticups were made with the following products even though none are plugged in the picture: Optimo cigars, Hunt's Poods, Guild Wine, RC Cola, Silent Night perfume, Sealright milk bottle caps and containers, Chromcraft furniture, New Haven clocks, Monsanto chemical products, Jergens Lotion, and Jewel, Columbia and MGM records. The fact that Mr. Cowan was able to arrange ticups with the manufacturers of these products without plugging them in his picture is proof positive that no producer need resort to advertising in pictures to receive reciprocal plugs. Today, any number of national advertisers will gladly back up a particular picture in their magazine ads, posters, counter displays and other promotional helps if permitted to feature in their advertising a photo of one or more of the picture's stars. In many cases, the stars are compensated for their testimonials. Yet none of these advertisers require that their products or trade marks be plugged in the picture. One cannot help coming to the conclusion that, even though Mr. Cowan received no money for these ads, as he claims, he must have been influenced to a great extent by the production costs he could save through having the different manufacturers furnish him with certain sets. The furnishing of these sets is, of course, equivalent to compensation for the ads. From an entertainment point of view, "Love Happy" is a fair comedy and it should satisfy those who enjoy the Marx Brothers' brand of comedy. Many picture-goers will, no doubt, feel resentment because of the advertisements that will be thrust upon them, but such resentment will probably be held to a minimum because of the fairly clever way in which gag situations have been worked into the presentation of the ads. The danger in this picture, however, lies in the possibility that, if it is accepted by the exhibitors without protest, it may very well prove to be the forerunner of a flood of other pictures with either concealed or sponsored advertising, perhaps not handled as well. The exhibitors cannot afford to remain silent about advertising in pictures that are sold to them as pure entertainments; their silence will serve only to condone the practice, and in such a case the industry will be in for trouble. AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN PUBLIC GOOD WILL There is no better and quicker way for one to capture the hearts of the American people than by doing something for children. November nineteen will be the first annual National Kids Day. On that day there will be a drive to collect funds for the relief of underprivileged children. The money collected from each locality will be spent for such children in that locality. The drive will be conducted by the Kiwanis International with its 3025 affiliated locals in the United States and Canada. The j. Walter Thompson advertising agency will display posters throughout the United States and Canada informing the public of the event, and urging it to support the movement by patronizing the business places of those who had pledged cooperation and support. The publicity department of each local Kiwanis Club will issue appropriate publicity, and will appeal to the local newspapers for their editorial support, which will no doubt be given in full measure. The leaders of this movement know of the reluctance of the theatre owners to use their theatres for collecting money from their patrons, no matter how praiseworthy the cause, for picture-goers resent being put into an embarrassing position while trapped in their seats. For this reason these leaders have adopted a method that will prevent embarrassment, not only to the public, but also to the theatre owners themselves. The plan is to ask the owners of theatres and other places of amusement, department stores, and many other types ot business firms, to contribute to the fund a certain percentage of their day's receipts. Each cooperating business place will be given a card to display, informing the public of its cooperation. The theatres, even though they will be asked to contribute about ten per cent of the day's receipts, will not be the losers thereby for the following reasons: every one of the 3025 Kiwanis locals will set out, by appeals in the newspapers and by the use of exploitation stunts, to induce the public to patronize all the stores as well as the places of amusement that will cooperate with them on that day to make the drive successful. Thus the receipts of these places will be far greater on that day than they would be ordinarily. Suppose, for example, that a theatre takes in regularly on a similar day of an uneventful week, five hundred dollars. The leaders of the movement believe that, with their appeals to the public to come out and support the drive, the receipts may run as high as seven hundred dollars. Now, by giving ten per cent of the seven hundred dollars, or seventy dollars, to the National Kids fund, the theatre will still be left with a handsome profit. It is understood, of course, that a theatre owner, before pledging to the movement a percentage of his receipts, must obtain the distributor's consent in the event that he should be playing a picture on a percentage basis on the day of the drive. But is there any one amongst you who believes that a distributor — any distributor — will refuse his consent when the percentage of the receipts that he will give up will in no way reduce his take because of the increased attendance? Besides, the theatre owner will not be alone in his efforts to induce the distributor to give his consent; representatives of Kiwanis International as well as the officers of the local clubs will intervene in order to obtain such consent. It is hardly imaginable that any distributor will refuse to cooperate in such a worthy cause. If one or more distributors should refuse, then the public relations program that the industry is now setting up will be a sham. You should not wait until a Kiwanis representative approaches you to ask that you donate a percentage of your receipts to the fund on National Kids Day; you should approach the Kiwanis Club yourself. If every one of you should do so, then the good will your theatre and the industry will gain will be immeasurable. It is my conviction that, by supporting National Kids Day, the industry will profit in more than one way: ( 1 ) It will establish a friendly relationship with the Kiwanis Clubs, a most powerful body; (2) it will bring into the theatres a greater number of people than necessary to make up the percentage of receipts that will be donated to the fund; (3) it will bring into the theatres persons who have never gone to a picture show or who have discontinued attending them for some reason; (4) it will gain the good will of the churches; (5) it will gain the good will of other national bodies such as the Rotarians, the Lions, the Elks, the Masons, the Women's Clubs, the Parent-Teachers Associations and many other similar groups; and (6) it will give the industry a chance to show to the American people that the motion picture industry knows how to cooperate in any worthy movement. Here is the first real opportunity that has presented itself since the industry has taken steps to set up a permanent public relations program to gain genuine good will. It is an opportunity to put a theory into practice. Ned Depinet, the leader in the public relations move, can do much to overcome any resistance a distributor may offer, if any resistance is encountered.