Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

HZ'* • I ft -r Gimmicks To Boost Sale Of Refreshments Thad Horton, of the McCann-Erickson advertising agency, addressed the 30th annual fall convention of the Allied Theatre Owners of Indiana, with some pertinent advice for adding showmanship and salesmanship in the handling of Coca-Cola, which can have importance to every member of the Round Table. He cites “Gimmicks” that sell — which have long been recognized by experts to promote the sale of a product to the public. There is no limit to the imagination in dramatically exploiting motion pictures, and refreshments sales in theatres. Consequently, such big concerns as the Coca-Cola Company, and their advertising agents, are showmen by compulsion. New action creates a new reaction, with the potential customers. If you “dress up” your refreshment stand, it increases sales and you can afford to find a new dress for every holiday or special occasion. Distribute “bumper banners” at your concession stand, and then admit every car free on a certain night that displays this banner— which, in the meantime, has been advertising your drive-in theatre, up and down the roads and streets. Distribute tickets inviting new patrons to “Have a coke” as your guest the next time they visit your theatre — they’ll come and spend twice as much, in other purchases. Spread these invitations in schools and stores. Scotch-tape a free ticket to every 20th, 30th or 40th cup in your vending machine, and watch interest mount. If you have just installed machines, this will help people get accustomed to the convenience. Feature the product on both sides of the cup machines, for you may have two waiting lines. Open your refreshment stand an hour ahead of program time and note that your waiting audience will spend more, in preparation for enjoying the show. Offer a combination ticket at intervals, good for one admission and one free Coca-Cola, at a single price. You’ll more than break even on that deal. Hand out attractive menus to cars entering your drive-in, and circle some items to empha size your specialities. The possibilities are boundless. George Haddad, manager of the Gem theatre, Willimantic, Conn., reports one good stunt, along similar lines. He advertised free admission to every youngster who brought six empty Coca-Cola bottles, preferably in a carton, and this put the local Coca-Cola bottling company in a good mood, for they want those bottles back. Naturally, the incoming audience created new empties, so the endless cycle continued, as it will in all refreshment sales. The small fry are never quite satisfied— they never get enough of anything. This idea is both a trick and a treat. Col. Bob Cox, city manager for Schine's theatres in Lexington, Ky., shows the way in which LIFE magazine plugged "War and Peace" as part of his strong advance display for the picture. Ohio Theatres Encourage Kids to Dress Properly Columbus, O. — Adoption by Ohio exhibitors of a “code of dress” for juveniles would go far toward curbing rowdyism and vandalism, says Robert Wile, secretary of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, in a bulletin to members. Wile said he learned at the Indiana Allied convention that the Alliance Theatres has such a code. “The boys are required to wear pants that fit them decently and they must wear belts,” said Wile. “The girls cannot wear short shorts, shirts hanging out and dirty jeans. When a youngster is dressed up, he invariably changes his behavior to conform to his attire.” Wile noted that Mrs. Lelia Stearn, operator of the Southern in Columbus, has had such a code for many years and “it caters to more well-behaved children and teenagers than most of the other theatres in town.” Manager Gets Results With Second -Runs Roy H. Metcalfe, manager of the Times theatre, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, says he conquered his city’s second-run movie fans, by setting up some new rules for himself, and creating a formula along the following lines. He changed “from the trivial to the important” in his selling approach. “From the impersonal to the personal; the impractical to the practical; the vague to the sharply focused; the broad to the specific; the obvious to the original; the dull to the interesting” — and who could ask for showmanship that makes more sense? He says it sold tickets — which was the primary objective, using “heart appeal, sense appeal and mind appeal. And the greatest universal appeal is from the heart, for the public are creatures of emoL tion.” His campaign on “Alexander the Great,” submitted for the Quigley Awards in the fourth quarter, contains many original ideas — such as postcards mailed from Iran, to his mailing -list of opinion makers — Alexander’s home grounds. And a circular distributed to men who had shaved that morning — since Alexander started the fashion of being clean-shaven — ask any barber. Forty-two shops distributed guest tickets to customers who were then in the chairs. For “mind appeal” he addressed his campaign to Coe College, a few blocks away, and put the students at work on contest material that won them prizes, and obtained front page publicity in the college newspaper. This is called "inspecting the art work" at United Artists home office — when planning a starlet buildup, for Anne Neyland, as promotion for "Hidden Fear." Surrounded by the staff, and with Mort Nathanson, assistant publicity manager, looking over her shoulder, Anne displays samples that meet approval. 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD NOVEMBER 10, 1956