The Exhibitor (1956)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 15 Kid Promotions Win Extra Christmas Cash Philadelphia — Nyman Kessler, Stanley Warner DeWitt, Bayonne, N. J., with an entry on kid promotions has won the judges’ nod as winner of this week’s SHOWMANSHIP SWEEPSTAKES’ con¬ test 77. His check for $100 should reach him in time for some last minute Christ¬ mas shopping. The other entries cover such things as some drive-in stunts and even some extra profits showmanship which gives an in¬ sight on how our Canadian neighbors give their concession business a boost with some sound sales gimmicks. WINNING ENTRY KID PROMOTIONS Submitted by Nyman Kessler SW DeWitt, Bayonne, N. J. 2800 seats • 80 cents top admission General patronage. Kiddie promotions tried out the past six months include one matinee at which we gave out Mickey Mouse magic etching sets which were advertised on television. A sponsored herald, paid for by a local sports goods shop, and a lobby 40x60, as well as screen trailer heralded the give¬ away, which sure was popular since it evidently was something the kids really wanted. We also had a ballpoint pen giveaway for the children as a “Back To School” gift at one regular Saturday matinee kiddie show. This worked the same way as the magic etching sets, with a sponsored herald helping plug it. We had a tieup with a local photog¬ rapher whereby we gave away photos of children, providing they came in with a paid admission of any adult. This went over terrific. The photographer had sev¬ eral hundred sittings during the week. A special herald and newspaper ads as well as trailer sold the stunt. This actually boosted our business. Each patron taking advantage of the offer received a color photograph. The gimmick for the pho¬ tographer was that he got several worth¬ while orders since the photos really were beautiful and “sold” themselves. During the summer we had a tieup with a local AAA sport center for 11 weeks. In addition to our regular Tuesday kiddie show (during the summer only) we gave away 10 sport prizes to lucky children. Prizes consisted of baseballs, baseball gloves, basketball, camping equipment, etc. Prizes were worth about $25 or $30 each week. This boosted our kiddie mat¬ inees during the summer period. The sponsor, of course, received advertising in return in the lobby, on heralds and on screen via trailer. The C & C Super Cola soft drink com¬ pany rented our theatre for a free show to the children. The rental was a good one for which we gave the kids a double feature and five cartoons. Free tickets were distributed by merchants selling the soft drink in return for two bottle tops. The merchants issued the tickets, and we honored them. Our candy concessions did a terrific job that matinee. A local Boy Scout Explorers unit has a membership drive, so I permitted them to put up a tent in our large lobby. In this way I made friends with the sponsors 1955-56 SERIES Finalists In Contest No, 77 George Nonamaker Editor Eddie Meade, center, manager, Shea's Buffalo, recently received a $375 check for staging one of two winning campaigns in MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR'S Showmanship Sweepstakes contest on UA's "Alexander The Great." Presenting the check is Stanley Kositsky, UA Buffalo branch manager who now heads the company's Phila¬ delphia exchange. At the right is Albert Glaubinger, who replaced Kositsky in Buffalo. of the group and established good public relations. The local Kiwanis Club rented our house for a Saturday matinee for its annual National Kids Day show. They paid us a nice rental for which we gave them a feature and cartoons. They sup¬ plied each child with candy and had prizes for lucky winners, with each ticket numbered. A crowd of 2700 children packed the house for this event. RUNNER-UP NUMBER 1 | ■ SPONSORED KIDS MATINEE Submitted by James Salmans Sixth Street, Coshocton, Ohio 795 seats • 25 cents admission (this show) General neighborhood patronage. The only reason for submitting this sponsored kids matinee as an entry in SHOWMANSHIP SWEEPSTAKES is that I think it’s the first time the big A & P Food Market ever sponsored a show of this type. The show was held on a Saturday after¬ noon at 1.30 P.M., right along with cur regular kiddie show; and we charged our regular admission of 25 cents. All chil¬ dren who had visited the A & P Company WITH THEIR PARENTS received a free ticket to the show. The A & P Company paid us a flat rate of $100 for these tickets. We sold our own tickets to the children who showed up without the A & P tickets. The show was heralded by a large ad, three columns by 18 inches in the Coshoc¬ ton Tribune. This was paid for entirely by the A & P and read: “Hey kids . . . this is too good to miss! Free movies at the Sixth Street Theatre given by your A & P. Get your free ticket at A & P, 205 South Third Street, where mom and dad buy their top quality foods at money¬ saving prices ... Be sure to ask mom or dad to pick up your free ticket at A & P . . . It’s first come — first served! Tickets given to children with parents; or parents can pick up tickets for children at store. Here’s what you’ll see — A big screen and stage show . . . two hours, 15 minutes . . . Saturday— starting at 1.30 P.M., James Stewart in ‘The Far Country’ — and five Disney Cartoons. All this plus stage contests where you can win prizes. Don’t miss out; be sure to have mom or dad go to A & P and get your free ticket. Free balloons when you enter theatre. Make a date or party to go Sat¬ urday — Sixth Street Theatre.” Various stage contests were held whereby over 100 children participated. Small prizes, mostly toys, were awarded. It is not easy to tieup a company as large as the A & P; but the local promo¬ tion manager was so enthused over the bang up job we did that he is now ready to close a deal for 10 or 13 weeks of these sponsored free shows for kids. This is proof that the big companies CAN be worked for this type of promotion. RUNNER-UP NUMBER 2 BABY SITTING SHOWS Submitted by L. E. Downing Haven, Brookhaven, Miss. 800 seats • 50 cents top admission General small town patronage. This is a stunt I met success with last year and that I am getting ready to inaugurate again as the Christmas season approaches once again. It is in the nature of all cartoon and comedy shows with a running time of three hours, which are run from nine a.m. to noon. They are held the two weeks before Christmas on weekday mornings. Local merchants purchase $500 worth of tickets which are given out to their patrons. The shows are advertised as special BABY SITTING promotions whereby the theatre is advertised as a place to take care of customers’ children so the parents may complete their Christmas shopping in the neighborhood stores. The morning showing does not interfere with the regular theatre schedule and affords a fine time to weld good relations between the theatre, the merchants, par¬ ents and children. Special attendants are used to look after the children, a personnel capable of December 19, 1956