Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1955)

DURING the past two years the Pepsi-Cola Company has sponsored a great many special matinee shows for children throughout the country with arrangements made on an individual basis by the theatre manager and the head of the local bottling company. The results of the shows have been so favorable for all concerned that Pepsi-Cola has set up a standard program of procedure for arranging the performances and developed a number of advertising accessories for exhibitors to use in exploiting them. The program and the materials are fully described in a new 16page, illustrated booklet issued by the company, called "Pepsi Pals Go to the Movies." In announcing the new booklet, Alan W. Finley, head of the company's Theatre Sales Division in New York, pointed out that arrangements for the shows will continue to be made on a local basis — and not through his department. The present campaign format is the result of careful analysis of such "kiddie shows" held in the past, he said. As described in the new booklet, the Pepsi-Cola plan is to have the local bottler act as host, at lOc per seat, for the special children's matinee, with! a carefully executed promotional campaign preceding the event. In carrying out the latter both the bottler and the theatre play an active part. The show, usually held on a Saturday morning at 10 o'clock, has an appropriate cartoon-and-action screen program, lasting about two hours. This permits a 15-minute intermission for the drawing of prizes donated by local merchants in return for screen credit. Required as "admission charge" to the shows, which are customarily open to children between the ages of six and sixteen, are either six Pepsi-Cola bottle caps or a carton of six empty bottles. As his part in the promotional campaign the bottler arranges for window and indoor display signs in his local outlets; places posters on his delivery trucks and possibly obtains radio and TV plugs in addition. He also supplies the theatre with display material tor the lobby and stage and furnishes Pepsi-Cola trade mark cuts for the theatre's newspaper ads. For his part the theatre man is expected to prepare and run a trailer announcing the children's show at least two weeks before the scheduled date and to advertise the show in the newspaper the day before the opening. In addition he should arrange a display of the prizes to be offered the youngsters in the lobby and give screen and lobby credit to the merchants donating those prizes. Pepsi-Cola (through the local distributor) furnishes the theatre with several three-color display pieces so designed that the theatre name and the time and date of the matinee can be imprinted upon them. Included are 30 by 40-inch posters (one sheets); 14 by 22-inch window posters; and 9 by 7-inch triple bottlecollars. The illustrations feature a rabbit (as shown in the photograph) sporting a Pepsi-Cola bottle-cap lapel badge and wearing a gay tuxedo. "While all theatres are invited to participate," Mr. Finley explained, "the decision as to whether the tie-up will be effected in any given situation must necessarily rest in the hands of the local Pepsi-Cola bottler." Copies of the booklet explaining the plan have been distributed to all PepsiCola bottlers or can be secured by writing to the Theatre Sales Division, PepsiCola Company, 3 West 57th Street, New York 19, N. Y. ated beverages cold presents a special problem, since they must often make long trips to distant ramps. In some cases operators have adopted the practice of using ice cubes although syrup manufacturers have pointed out this leads to dilution, which tends to destroy flavor. If icing is used, it is considered wise to add a little extra syrup to the drinks. With non-carbonated drinks icing is, of course, less important since there is no “fizz” to be lost in transit. For this reason Redstone Drive-in Theatres of Boston has adopted a policy of stressing sales of the “still” drinks at their operations. In other drive-ins in the New England area various plans have been adopted to shorten the treks from farthest ramps to the refreshment building. In some situations an additional snack stand has been erected; this is the case at the Natick, an operation of the Smith Management circuit in the Massachusetts town of that name. There it was deemed worthwhile to eliminate space for a number of cars in the center of the field to make a more spacious children’s playground immediately behind the main concession building with a second concession building at the rear of the playground. James Collins, manager of the Natick, points out that any parent leading a child to the playground must pass close enough to one or the other of the buildings to arouse the hunger or thirst of his offspring. USING MOBILE WAGONS In a few other New England drive-ins mobile sales wagons are currently being experimented with, some with very satisfactory results, indicating that the plan may spread soon in the area. At George MacLaughlin’s Fresh Pond Open Air Theatre in Cambridge, Mass., this method of selling has proved especially popular. Drinks sold in this fashion are non-carbonated, in addition, of course, to popcorn, frankfurters and ice cream. On the question of the number of different kinds of flavors which should be offered patrons in order that the greatest possible number of sales can be achieved, there is some controversy. There is general agreement, however, among both indoor and drive-in operators, that there should always be more than one kind. From that point there are recommendations for two or three flavors to up to as many as eight or ten. Operators desiring to offer as many as that latter figure will now find on the market automatic cup dispensers equipped to sell them. One such model is produced by Apco, Inc., in its “SodaShoppe” line and is constructed with two separate stations with individual coin selectors so that more than one patron can be served simultaneously. RKO circuit has installed this 2-R MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JUNE II, 1955