Our Town (United Artists) (1940)

TIE WITH BIG NATIONAL CAMERA CONTEST For a high spot in your showmanship campaign on "Our Town" — join in on the national "'Our Town' Camera Contest"! The title and theme of your show presents one of the most unusual and profitable exploitation opportunities in years, because— The subject of the contest is your own town. The purpose of the contest is designed to stimulate greater public interest in the beauty, culture, progress, commerce and industry of your own community. The " 'Our Town' Camera Contest" is now set on a national basis—primed for your cooperation in your town! Heralds, window cards and additional special promotion helps have been prepared and are available at your local Exchange. National cash prizes have been set up. And a national commercial tie-up involving hundreds of local camera sup¬ ply stores is set to give you a powerful extra exploitation push on the contest promotion. The " 'Our Town' Camera Contest" can be as big as you want to make it! Thousands of camera fans are ready and anxious to match their abilities with the next fellow. Their work will mean direct, on-the-spot showmanship on "Our Town"! The various elements of the promotion are outlined below, for use completely or in part, depending upon your situation! Arrange For Newspaper Sponsorship I F OR the focal point of your contest, tie in with a live-wire local newspaper. Circulation- wise publishers will co-sponsor this contest "nat¬ ural" on the basis of its civic importance and ter¬ rific reader interest. Also, the newspaper will operate on the angle of its fine opportunity to secure additional "contest" tie-in advertising from local camera and photography stores, as well as from the complete lineup of local advertisers— who would tie up for the "local" or civic angle, or on the basis of photographic advertising. (See the two full-page co-operative ad mats on pages 12 and 13 of this pressbook, which you can obtain from United Artists Exploitation Dept.) NEWSPAPER PROMOTION, PRIZES Arrange to have the newspaper give the con¬ test appropriate publicity—giving regular men¬ tion to the rules and prizes—and get the editor to publish selected photographs for illustration. Wherever possible, offer winning contestants their choice between merchandise prizes and their equivalent in cash. An additional hook—and a necessary element ^ for fullest publicity value to your show—would ^ be to offer a number of guest tickets to "best photographs" turned in each running day of the contest. The major award, if it is not cash, should be in the form of a medal, plaque or trophy. ^ , "Award of Merit" certificates printed on parch- ment will make excellent consolation prizes. m W W sh V W er RULES AND REGULATIONS Time of Contest —The " 'Our Town' Camera ontest" should be set into operation for as long period as possible, figuring your playdate of "Our Town" as the final time period. Two weeks should be figured as a minimum before the camera contest really gains momentum. Subjects —It would be advisable to break up entry photographs into these three classifications: (a) CIVIC INTEREST: Photographs which illustrate the beauty, culture, industry and com¬ merce of your town, with or without living models. This group may include shots of monu¬ ments, residences, public buildings, schools, street scenes, industrial activities, docks, rail¬ roads, factories, etc., etc. ■ (b) NEWS PHOTOGRAPHS: Shots of local news events—such as accidents, famous people ^ in the news, court trials, unusual happenings, ^ and any photographs of the type usually taken by staff members of the local newspapers. (c) GENERAL PORTRAITURE: Photographs t of persons or groups of persons, still lifes—in¬ terior or exterior. Basis of Judging: Any contestant may submit as many entries as he desires, and the contest is - open to amateurs only. The basis of judging: ( "Pictures shall be judged on general interest and/or appeal. Photographic excellence or tech¬ nique, while important, will not be the deciding factor in determining the prize winners." If the newspaper finds it feasible, entries should be accompanied by a coupon clipped from the co¬ operating newspaper. Judges —Set up a Board of Judges, in ad¬ vance, to determine the winners. Logical mem¬ bers of such a Board would be a representative of your theatre, a photo editor of the newspaper and the town's most expert photographer. EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS Best photographs—such as the daily prize¬ winners—should be put on display regularly in the lobby of your theatre and be published by the newspaper. The overflow of entries, of course, can be usefully displayed in key merchant win¬ dows throughout your town—as publicity for the contest and for your showing of "Our Town." Your playdate and additional stills from the pic¬ ture should always be added to the displays. AWARDING OF PRIZES Announce the winners from your stage on the final night of your shawling of "Our Town"— withholding any announcements until that time. Listed above is only the bare outline of a highly important exploitation stunt on "Our Town"—a showmanship effort with tremendous potential returns. The " 'Our Town' Camera Contest" is effective ticket-selling from every angle—from the entrant's, the public's, the showman's and your town's point of view. Sol Lesser's "Our Town" suggests this important pro¬ motion—and its success means results! * * * O N the commercial angle to your contest— the national tieup with the promotion which is set to give you extra exploitation through cam¬ era stores everywhere—Photo Developing, Inc., big national developing and printing service, is set to give you plenty of merchandising coopera¬ tion through the many outlets of the following grocery chains, and their respective areas: Kroger Grocery & Baking Co.—stores in Georgia, Illinois, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Wiscon¬ sin, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania. National Tea Company—in and around Chicago, III. American Stores & Acme Markets—outlets in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Mary¬ land, Washington (D. C.) and New York (in Syracuse region). Mutual Stores—throughout New Jersey. National Grocery Co.—serving New Jersey. * * * For additional information in your situation, write to: Mr. Fred Levy, Jr. PHOTO DEVELOPING, INC. Front and Walnut Streets Camden, New Jersey * LUX SELLS MARTHA SCOTT Lux toilet soap—the Lever Bros, product whose advertising splashes through millions of readers in the country's major newspapers—ties up with "Our Town" through this bang-up ad, in 200-line and 300-line sizes, featuring Martha Scott and your show. Watch for business-build¬ ing insertions, timed for day-and-date effective¬ ness in your situation! REXALL PRE-SELLS 3,000,000 You've got a grand basis for wide local exploitation through the tremendous Own and Rexall Drug Store chains, which have outlets throughout the country, through the important layout on "Our Town" which will be carried in the June issue of "Rexall Magazine." The periodical will reach the drug stores on or about the first of June, and has a circulation of approximately 3,000,000. The layout, together with the rich exploitation possibilities of your show's title as related to the services of a drug store, will bring your showing of "Our Town" plenty of sock promotion! Page Three