What a Way to Go! (20th Century Fox) (1964)

What a Title! What a Picture! What Opportunities for Exploitation! FASHION FEATURETTE A 16 mm, 15minute film, narrated by Edith Head, presents a fashion featurette, exactly as it was staged at the 20th Century-Fox studio in Hollywood for a gathering of fashion editors. This film will be available, on loan for one week, to a participating department store. The film, in black-and-white, concludes with color “take outs” showing Shirley MacLaine in a parade of spectacular costumes. By showing this film, retailers will be able to invite their customers to a “Hollywood Party” and hear 7-time Academy Award winning designer Edith Head describe the clothes she designed for Shirley MacLaine. Viewers will get an advance “‘peek” at what is bound to be the talk of the town. The film offers a greater flexibility in promoting both the retailer’s merchandise and the motion picture. Local retailers can set up their own schedules. The film can be shown three or four times each day, either in their fashion center, auditorium or on the first floor. It can be part of the store’s own fashion and travel show. The featurette has been applauded by various women’s groups, including the national convention of the Federation of Motion Picture Councils. Once the local promotion is over, there is the additional possibility of showing the film on television for greater coverage. “What a Way to Go!”’ not only brings fun to the screen in the most sumptuously mounted comedy in recent years, but also offers a wealth of exploitation possibilities for the exhibitor. In an effort to allow the widest possible freedom for working out local promotions——where no two situations are alike—no national commitments have been made (with the exception of Kislav Gloves). This leaves local retailers complete freedom of choice. And since there are unlimited possibilities with fashions, accessories, travel, home furnishings, and the like, any number of promotion schemes can be worked out with the slogan: “WHAT A WAY TO GO” with. . . (name of product) REMARKABLE COVERAGE! Already much has been done in the way of advance promotion for the picture which has reached millions of readers and television viewers and which will now have to be supplemented by activity on the local level. For almost a year columnists have carried items on this unique feature. It is a tour de force for Shirley MacLaine who works in every scene in the film. Each of the male stars—-Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, Bob Cummings and Dick Van Dyke carry a sequence . . . Shirley’s fabulous wardrobe . . . her breath-taking jewelry from famed Harry Winston, Inc. . . . all has led to more than the usual interest. For the past several months, the film has had coverage in the following publications: ESQUIRE VOGUE SEVENTEEN THIS WEEK POST CUE LOOK LIFE TIME INSIDER’S NEWSLETTER PHOTOPLAY MOTION PICTURES Still to come are breaks in such magazines as Pageant and Life. And there have been several television breaks including the one on NBC, “Hollywood and the Stars.” FASHION SKETCHES FULL-PAGE CO-OP ADVERTISING Suggestions have been provided for a full-page crosspromotional advertisement. The plan is to use the upper third of the page for a sales message for the motion picture, which also will serve the interest of the department store, giving them use of the attention-getting power of the extraordinary star cast. There can be any number of variations, providing that the star’s names are used primarily in connection with the motion picture. Contact 20th Century-Fox Advertising and Publicity Managers They will gladly work with each retailer to make certain that both the exhibitor and retailer obtain maximum value out of this stellar powerhouse. The other two-thirds of the page is to be used by the retailer to sell merchandise. THEATRICAL TRAILERS Two trailers have been prepared for exhibition in theatres in advance of playdates to attract the widest possible audience to the picture. The teaser trailer emphasizes the star values of the movie since the cast represents the greatest line-up of stars in one picture in recent times, especially in view of the fact that the roles are not of the “Cameo Star” type which has been typical of current productions. The regular trailer catches not only the star appeal, but also the entertainment values of this CinemaScope-De Luxe color attraction. ADDITIONAL PROMOTIONAL AIDS Arrange special morning shows featuring fashions and/or travel promotions. The picture comes at a time when summer and fall interest in these is very high. Make use of special lobby cards and posters to catch the eye. Tie-in with a travel agency and other retailers who supply travel accessories for a travel contest with promoted prizes. KISLAV GLOVES To complement her fabulous wardrobe designed by Edith Head for her role in “WHAT A WAY TO GO!” Shirley MacLaine QO promotions. wears gloves by Kislav. Better stores throughout the country carry this highly respected product and will gladly cooperate with you in joint promotions. So contact the store in your com munity which sells Kislav Gloves and arrange for a mutually beneficial tie-up. In case you have any problems in such a tie-up, contact either Miss Bobby Fog or Mr. Albert Blum at Kislav Gloves, 437 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. “om cee The five fashion sketches shown here are from a set of 24 stills, 8 x 10 black-and-white, which are available for exploitation purposes. They illustrate the Edith Head designs for Shirley MacLaine’s wardrobe in “WHAT A WAY TO GO!” and can make a most impressive display when grouped together. For example, one retailer has made up an excellent checkerboard center piece of these designs. They could also be used in window displays for effective Photographic Blow-U ps — There are also 11 x 14 stills, a set of 20, which show Shirley MacLaine in scenes from the film in a promenade that covers a wide range of fashions. Copyright © MCMLXIV Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation