Teenage Millionaire (United Artists) (1961)

EXPLOITATION MATERIAL Dig This FREE Giveaway Deal To Launch Music Promo! A special 3345 RPM recording of Jimmy Clanton singing the title song from “Teenage Millionaire” has been prepared as a giveaway. The label features art of Clanton and Diane Jergens with see/hear copy on the flip side advertising the other top teenage music recording stars. The “Dig This Deal” copy offering FREE records to teenagers buying tickets appears on every ad and poster. A utility mat (3A) is also available with these slugs set in various sizes. Adapt them to special ads and enlarge them for use as part of your lobby and around-the-town displays as well. This “Bonus With A Beat” record should be given to each of your teenage patrons as a gift of the Teenage Millionaire, and is most effectively distributed to them as they leave the theatre. You can set up a special table with a FREE display so that an usher can give away the records easily, avoiding confusion and attracting the attention of passers-by who have not yet bought tickets. If you have a DJ broadcasting from your lobby he can distribute the free records while he is on the air. If you have a Teenage Millionaire For A Day, let him supervise the giveaway. Both of these promotions are described below. If you operate a drive-in you can distribute the records as the cars enter, to avoid congestion after the show. Set Record Hops and Dance Parties For Your Town's Teeners, Both On And Off TV Dance Parties are naturals for “Teenage Millionaire.” If you have local TV programming, tie in with the record hop or bandstand show. The personality conducting this program will welcome your movie-promotion, for the stars of the film are among those whose records he most often plays. Decorate the studio as described in the column at right, and be sure to make one and three-sheets available, all sniped with your playdate. You can use scene stills for close-up one-shots during the program. For a slightly different dance party, have the host invite the teenagers who come to the studio to dress up as Teenage Millionaires—and see what happens! Teener response to any kind of costume party is always enthusiastic and imaginative. Invitations should go out over the air and also through the mail, using the program’s mailing list and that of kids’ organizations such as the Hi-Fi Club and other fan-and-fun clubs. Radio DJs also host dance party remotes, at school gyms, churches, meeting halls. Even if there are hops that are not broadcast, tie in with them for the excellent word-of-mouth which will increase your box office turnout. Promote Prizes for both on and off the air dance parties, to be given for best dancers, best costumes, best anything that you and the DJ feel is most appropriate. Records and guest tickets are good general awards but a record player or transistor radio make the best top prizes. Often the stations themselves promote appliances for prizes, in return for mentions. Alert All Youngsters To Your Playdate By Involving Them In Local ‘Amateur Hour’ There is singing, dancing and music-making all through “Teenage Millionaire,” displaying a variety of teenage talent. Announce an old fashioned amateur night, or matinee, at your theatre, encouraging teenagers to perform. Plant the Jimmy Clanton biographical feature on page 4 with newspapers, then blow it up and post it out front of your theatre, in windows and at point-of-sale wherever you have a merchant tie-in. Circle the last paragraph so it stands out. This quotes Jimmy Clanton saying he didn’t let the razzing his fellow students gave him keep him from trying to develop his talent. Angle is that he was just a high school kid with an eight dollar guitar, and his eye on a star, and he made good: “... so can you!” In addition to promoted prizes, through merchant tie-ins, arrange for the winner to appear on a radio or TV show. Borrow a tape-recorder and record the amateur hour, presenting the contestants with tapes or records of their performances, including the applause and audience reaction. Invite a leading DJ or radio/TV personality to MC the program. Go On The 'Green Light’ Traffic-Safety Tie In The top song in “Teenage Millionaire” was written by Jimmy Clanton, who also sings it. Called “Green Light,” it is certain to get heavy plugging and become popular with the teenagers. It is expected to sell over a million copies, as did his “Just A Dream.” Check with the surveys and tie “Green Light” in with your city’s traffic and safety program with posters reading Go On The Green Light. Go To The Bijou. Hear And See Jimmy Clanton Sing His Newest Hit, “Green Light,” in “Teenage Millionaire.” Now. Plant green lights in candy and drug stores, with the traffic posters and playdate snipes. Use green lights as attention-getters with other merchant tie-ins also, using both the traffic posters and additional accessories. Generally use the green light gimmick as an association device, and it will remind potential audiences of your playdate every time they see one. Be sure to include it in all window and in-store displays where records are sold. Make FUN! FUN! FUN! See-Board Adapt ad mat 601 to make a “See-Board” using the key-word FUN. This display makes itself and should be dressed up with the art stills shown on page 6 and scene stills from the exchange set. Feature the element reading: It’s One Big Party—And Everyone’s Invited. You can banner a sound-truck with blow-ups of this ad, as well as the posters and special material, and tour your town with it. You can also prepare separate stickers or throwaways for automobile showrooms (“Jt’s A Story That Keeps Its Motor Runnin’ .. .”) swimming pools (“.. . Splashing Good Times!’ ), dance parties (“t's Loaded With Pretty Girls and Swingin’ Dates!” ) and places where teenagers congregate (“It’s all BEAT and BOUNCE with 20 hits sung by the Top Stars” ). ORDER THESE “BONUS WITH A BEAT” RECORDS FROM YOUR UNITED ARTISTS EXCHANGE. Attract Dating Crowd With Fun And Music Atmosphere In Your Lobby And Out Front Give your foyer and theatrefront a record-hop look. Get album covers from the various dealers and display them all around your lobby area. Make up the posters described in the box below, showing all of the records avilable, and place it prominently. Enlarge the special art. Post all of these displays and any additional material you get from record companies, record stores or other cooperating merchants and radio stations. Set a juke box in the lobby and play the film’s tunes continuously. On opening day have all the DJs from one station broadcast from your lobby, in relays. They should plug this event for at least one week before playdate, and you can place a 40 x 60 out front heralding the broadcast. Both announce that there will be special giveaways. Promote the 45 RPMs and other merchandise for these prizes and use one of the contests described on page 6 to decide the winners. Broadcast their names and possibly brief interviews on the air on the spot. Drive Ins: Ozoners have a constant heavy teenage business, and will find that merchants regard the tie ins described on these pages especially attractive. Set as many as you can handle, with your displays at the food concessions as well as on fences and elsewhere on your grounds, Use your screen for announcements, your p.a. system for record plays and the driving areas for the car bally described on page 6. Announce that on opening night there will be a special giveaway, but do not reveal the details. Paint some of the car speakers gold, and before your show, when the cars are parked, announce that patrons with these gold speakers will receive the prizes. Have ushers, dressed in top hats, go to the winning cars and distribute the prizes, which can be records promoted from the respective dealers, discount tickets for record store or other merchant tie ins and guest tickets to your theatre. Prizes are compliments of the Teenage Millionaire. Record Display Sells Music Angle There are 8 separate 45 RPM records on 7 different labels. Get a complete set from the record store you tie in with and make a 40x 80 to let the kids know the‘r favorite recording stars are on the screen. This sketch suggests one way to make your display, with the record jackets pasted to the poster and featuring a blowup of Jimmy Clanton playing records (Still TM-6). Use these posters in your lobby, out front, in all windows and at point-of-sale where you have merchant tie-ups. Most music-and-news stations have more. or less permanent tie-ins with each city’s top record stores for cross plugs of top & ten records. Get in the middle of this promo with these multi-record posters. Use them also with other ballys out lined on these pages, and as theatre cross plugs. Here are the artists and their labels: Marv Johnson: United Artists; Jimmy Clanton: Ace; Jackie Wilson: Brunswick; Chubby Checker: Parkway; Dion: Laurie; Bill Black’s Combo: Hi (Subsidiary of London); Vicki Spencer: Fraternity; Jack Larson: Fraternity. PAGE 5