Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

INCREASE AD EXPENDITURE; SPACE NOT A BOTTLENECK Radio to Continue to Get Good Share; Budgets May Reach New Highs Sharp increases in advertising expenditures by practically all companies, in some cases reaching new highs, are anticipated during the balance of this season and next. Company advertising executives have indicated that particularly in the case of highbudget pictures, promotional plans call for unusually high expenditures. Radio will continue to receive extensive attention from the companies. It has been indicated that little difficulty has been experienced in obtaining required space in magazines and newspapers for local and national advertising campaigns. Newsprint Shortage Seen Continuing Meanwhile, Civilian Production Administration officials in Washington warned that the newsprint shortage would continue for some time. However, they said, magazine publishers using coated papers were slightly better off in that many publishing companies own their own mills, while others have long term contracts with paper distributors. With the anticipated increase in all advertising during the remainder of 1946, indications point to the fact that motion pictures will do their fair share. Paramount has spent more money on its magazine, newspaper, trade papers, radio and direct mail advertising in the past six months than at any other time in the company's history, Curtis Mitchell, national director of advertising and publicity, said last week. With such top-budget pictures as "Unconquered," "Blue Skies," "Two Years Before the Mast," "Perils of Pauline," and others to be released within the year, it is probable that the same high advertising ratio will continue. Paramount Advertising On Individual Basis Mr. Mitchell noted that as far as Paramount was concerned, there is no such thing as an over-all or annual advertising budget, rather the policy of advertising product has been individualized for each picture. Some films call for large "slick" magazine coverage ; other for smaller, spot advertising in lesser journals ; some for more extensive radio promotion, and so on. In the future, this method of advertising the company's product will be continued. Expenditures will follow the requirements of the picture and will be guided into the best channels of advertising for each particular release, Mr. Mitchell said. An over-all increase in the amount of direct-mail advertising and outdoor posting RETURN TO NORMAL IN PHILADELPHIA With the end last week of Philadelphia's newspaper delivery strike, which afFected three of the four city dailies, the film critics ran capsule reviews of all films which had opened during the strike. Film advertising, which during the strike period went to radio, has returned to normal and newspapers, once more, are giving full coverage. In Columbus, Ohio, the "strike" of many neighborhood and subsequent run theatres against the increased advertising rate inaugurated April I by the Columbus Citizen is about over. All but eight of the theatres which withdrew their advertising when the rate was increased have resumed, but have trimmed their space to stay within pre-raise budgets. may be made in the autumn. A survey of strategic outdoor billboards is being undertaken. At the United Artists two-day sales meeting in Chicago, May 3 and 4, the company announced it would spend upwards of $500,000 for "Caesar and Cleopatra" advertising in national magazines, newspapers and radio, and a total of from $7,500,000 to $8,000,000 will be spent on campaigns for the 22 to 26 pictures for the 1946-47 season, doubling the expenditure of the current budget for v^^hich approximately $3,500,000 to $4,000,000 was appropriated. David O. Selznick will spend $1,000,000 for advertising and publicity campaigns for his production, "Duel in the Sun," prior to its release, and plans another $1,000,000 expenditure after the picture is released, it was said. In New York last week, S. Barret McCormick, director of advertising and publicity for RKO Radio Pictures, said that the company's expenditures for national advertising campaigns had increased at least three or four times what it was during the prewar years. Special Promotion Scheduled For 14 "A" Productions At the RKO sales meeting in Chicago May 4, company executives and sales representatives discussed the distribution plans and policies of 14 "A" pictures to be released between now and January 1, 1947. Each picture will be backed by an extensive advertising campaign in national magazines designed to do a pre-selling job six to nine months ahead of the set release date. The total advertising expenditure for the 14 pictures is estimated to be from $4,000,000 to $4,500,000. Republic's advertising schedule for the past six months has increased, and the expenditure for advertising during the coming year will be doubled, Herbert J. Yates, president, said at the sales meeting in Hollywood recently. No Problem Obtaining Space, Warners Find Little or no difficulty has been met in acquiring all the required newspaper and magazine space for national campaigns, a Warner Brothers executive said. In recent months more money has been spent in all types of advertising, especially on the major productions. Many forthcoming pictures in the "A" category will receive the benefit of extensive national campaigns, it was pointed out. Pictures such as "One More Tomorrow," "Devotion," "Stolen Life," and two musicals, "Two Guys ^ from Milwaukee" and "Night and Day" will be included. In the field of radio Warners will extend its spot announcement usage. These radio announcements have gone over exceptionally well on local stations, with the company making an elaborate one-minute transmission plugging a particular picture and the exhibitor using it over his station. Most of the big pictures in the future would use this one-minute announcement, it was indicated. In recent months PRC has inaugurated national advertising campaigns in magazines, newspapers and trade papers on a scale unprecedent in the company's history, according to Arnold Stoltz, director of advertising and publicity. Typical examples of the pictures which have received this treatment are "The Wife of Monte Cristo" and "The Enchanted Forest." In the coming year some 10 to 12 major productions will be given the benefit of national campaigns, he pointed out. Stresses Trade Journal Value In Informing Exhibitors For the most part radio advertising has been used only in local situations and when tied up with picture premieres at theatres. Mr. Stoltz said he believed that a national campaign for a big picture should consist of three phases. First, it should be sold to exhibitors through trade publications ; second, the picture should then be sold to the public through newspaper and magazine campaigns, and finally, exhibitors should be notified through the trade press of what is being done in the way of national advertising to the public. "You can't sell big pictures without the insurance that a national advertising, publicity and exploitation campaign provides," Mr. Stoltz said. 26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. JUNE 8, 1946