Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

68 Motion Picture News November 15, 19 3 0 MANAGE l?J' HOUND TABLE CLUB M? GREATER MOVIE SEASON' Pepping Up The Ads Here is a reproduction of an ad which appeared in the Dayton, Ohio, Daily News not so very long ago and shows a mighty effective way of a group of theatres operating under one banner to make up a composite ad at probably a smaller cost than if each of the houses were to divide the space into quarters and use it on different parts of the page. Undoubtedly RKO gets a break with this kind of advertising of those four houses and the reason for it is plain to see. Those who believe there is something familiar about this ad may recall some months ago a reproduction of something along similar lines which was received from George Landy on the West Coast. This is mighty similar and, as you may see, mighty effective. We would like to be able to credit this fine piece of work to whom ever was responsible for it, but, unfortunately we do not have this information at hand at this moment and we do not like to hold up the publishing of the cuts until we can find out, so, whoever wants the credit can step forward and claim it. . We're hoping we are going to hear a lot more from him. We are all anxious to investigate the possibilities of something new in a newspaper ad and for this reason the Club pages are particularly ready to jump at anything real "odd" which comes to our attention. Suppose YOU try to create a "different" sort of a newspaper ad this week. Surround it with something that you consider unusual and original. Then see how it looks after it gets on the paper among other theatrical ads. You'll soon start making a specialty of turning out "different" ads. Practise makes perfect — as the saying goes. £ZO' aw ■ £jLO £&> UXO nmsn "Top Speed" was given a Kenimer Got Off To h'gh speed send-off by Guy A f J Qt * A J Kenimer at the Palace The A KjOOa Start Ana atre> Jacksonville, Fla., when Sold "Top Speed" the film played his house re cently. We are passing along Guy's complete campaign in order that you may look it over and make use of any suggestions that you care to. The campaign was planned well in advance, the artists being kept busy, day and night, to turn out work and copy that would aid in tie-ups. The picture opened on the day Auburn and the University of Florida played a football contest. When a special train arrived that morning from Gainesville, the students held a parade, headed by the U. of Florida band, down the main streets; 1,500 students were in the procession. Immediately following the student body, the theatre's part of the parade entered. Two men, carrying a banner announcing the picture at Kenimer's house led the procession. They were followed by ten taxicabs, all carrying banners. Following this was seen two men carrying a stretcher with a man on it. A sign announced that the hapless person had laughed himself to death at "Top Speed." This was followed by six new model Chryslers, all carrying banners on each side. Immediately after these, came an automobile, pulling a trailer, on which was a new model Dodge speed boat, with a boy and a beautiful young lady as occupants. This boat was placed on display in the lobby during the run. Through a tie-up with an airways corporation, a plane, with title of the picture and name of theatre painted on its undercarriage, flew over the city and distributed heralds. Each herald carried a number and an announcement that if the number corresponded to ones on a blackboard in the lobby of the theatre, the holder would receive a ticket to the show. The stunt was preceded by two advance newspaper stories. For three or four hours after the gag had been pulled a crowd thronged the lobby of the theatre. The plane also flew about the football field when the scheduled University combat was in progress. Guy next arranged with a local undertaking establishment to drive an ambulance through the heart of the main section of the town, at about the time his first evening show was breaking, blowing their sirens and horns until they stopped a few feet from the theatre. The streets were crowded with people as the two men from the emergency ward ran into the theatre with a stretcher. A crowd quickly gathered, and its eyes opened wide with amazement when the men came out bearing a man on a stretcher. A sign on the man's back stated that he had laughed himself sick looking at the picture. This gave the theatre some fine advertising that traveled quickly about town, and it is reported that several persons were known to make inquiry at competitive houses to find out whether the picture playing was the one at which the man had laughed himself sick; and upon being told that it wasn't they immediately proceeded to Kenimer's house. Plenty of other angles were covered in the campaign, included among them tie-ups with: a laundry, a dry cleaning company, taxicabs, Postal Telegraph company, etc., each firm permitting banners on trucks, with the telegraph company permitting cards on the bicycles of the messenger boys. The local police gave him a grant to place cards on all traffic signals, with copy: "Top Speed on this street 15 miles an hour but there are no limits to Laughs in Top Speed (theatre)." With so complete a campaign, the success of the booking was assured and we don't doubt but that Guy packed them in all during the run. Let's have some more of this type of work, Guy. A parade that helped put across "The Santa Fe Trail" when it played the Tudor The Police Escorted Boys On Ponies As atre in New Orleans, La., re n w». cently was staged by Mar Plug For Picture garet Lee of the publicity staff. ^ ^==^ The parade consisted of five boys on ponies with a police escort heading them. Banners were carried on the backs of the ponies: the banners containing copy that they were riding the Santa Fe Trail now at the Tudor theatre. Inasmuch as the parade was staged around one o'clock Saturday, when there were many people on the streets, it did help considerably in getting over some valuable publicity for the picture. Miss Lee's work has appeared on our pages before, and we are sure that she is going to continue being active. Are we right, Miss Lee? The Real Club Spirit! "All For One And One For All"