Hard to Handle (Warner Bros.) (1933)

type of promotion because through ans as asitn sae cam ene MAKE EVERYONE IN TOWN EXPLOIT AND SELL The editors have selected this exploitation plan as the ‘‘Stuntof-the Week’’ because it will enable you to put on a tremendous publicity and exploitation campaign, with hundreds of people working for your theatre, at practically no cost. Through its different angles you can secure window tie-ups, street ballyhoos, department store tie-ups and distribution which would ordinarily be impossible. The stunt-of-the-Week utilizes every person in your city, who feels he or she has ability to do exploitation and publicity work. Stores, merchants and newspapers will welcome this type of exploitation because it will attract attention and secure additional ads. As an instance, let’s assume that Mr. ‘‘A’’ has a friend working in a chain store. He goes to this manager and tells him he would like to arrange a cooperative tie-up between the theatre and the chain store. Through his friendship, salesmanship, or original selling idea, he secures, let us say, fifty or sixty different chain store windows. He does this because he feels that this particular stunt will win him a prize. On the other hand, another contestant may be friendly with the merchandising manager of a department store. Using his influence he will secure a window or newspaper tie-up. This competition keenly exploited in your city, will give you a tremendous publicity campaign for ‘‘HARD TO HANDLE.’’ The newspapers will welcome this the business manager, we are sure you will get the editorial support of the newspapers. On the other hand, department and specialty stores will be glad to give you support because contestants will be anxious to see what their competitors are doing. This will attract considerable attention to all local advertising in your city throughout the run of this contest. the columns of their newspaper, they will be able to direct contestants to gather cooperative ad pages from their respective neighborhoods or streets. It is not unlikely that the newspapers will be able to get out a whole section thru the tie-up of this nature. The newspaper editorially instructs contestants how they can secure this cooperative advertising. It is almost certain that the paper will devote an extraordinary amount of lineage to selling this phase of the contest. If you hold this bait out to In operation, you will first approach the newspapers and then the stores. Offer prizes, promoted from _ the stores, for the most novel and unique publicity, advertising or exploitation campaign originated and put into effect by an amateur in your city. In ~ S a (Publicity Story for Stunt of th rand Invites All in “HARD TO HANDLE” these stores, you will point out the different methods: that can be used. You should begin by saying that the Warner Bros. picture, ‘‘HARD TO HANDLE’? which stars James Cagney and opens at your theatre (with the opening date), tells the story of a young wan who is a_ high-speed publicity-promoter. It tells the story of his various adventures in securing publicity and advertising and his experiences in exploiting various products. Then invite all in your city to participate in a contest which will demonstrate the most novel advertising and publicity campaign. It is suggested that you offer different groups of prizes, so that you can attract. those who have a native ability in the respective fields of publicity. Offer prizes for both men and women, with a grand prize for all classes. These you can classify in the following manner: 1. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY In this classification, any news picture which ties up the picture; any news contest which ties in ‘‘ HARD TO HANDLE;’’ any circulation stunt; any feature story; any straight news item which breaks in a local om suburban paper will count toward the final awards. All cooperative ads or cooperative pages should likewise be included. 2. POSTER TIE-UPS Still another classification of contestants can be attracted to submit attractive advertising posters which would feature James Cagney. To Work on “Hard to Handle”’ James Cagney’s Role as Publicity Promoter, Inspires Unusual Contest Whereby Everyone Turns Press Agent Cash Prizes and Tickets Offered for Best Stunts James Cagney who has been a tough guy, prize fighter, taxi driver, and insurance agent in his various Warner Bros. pictures, is now a high powered publicity promoter in his latest hit, ‘‘ Hard to Handle,’’ which opens at the Strand next week. He is called ‘‘Lefty Merrill,’’ and does the grandest job of putting over a Marathon Dance—a Treasure Hunt without treasure—an 18 Day Diet in order to increase the use of grapefruit— a reducing cream and a campaign that raises a million dollars for a freshwater college. The stunts he pulls in order to put over his various campaigns, are amaz Everybody has at one time or other, : : longed for a chance to write a set of ing revelations of the resourcefulness : : : aS movie advertisements, write a publiciof present day press agents. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY ty story—draw a poster, or pull a few street stunts. Now is your chance to show your ingenuity. The Herald, in conjunction with the Strand, is inviting everyone in town to turn press agent. Perhaps you can write an ad around James Cagney in ‘‘Hard to Handle.’’ Perhaps you can make a Poster that will catch the eye of everyone. Perhaps you have a few exploitation stunts up your sleeve that you would use, if you were Manager of the Strand Theatre and had ‘‘ Hard to Handle,’’ to play. There are unlimited possibilities as to the number of things you can do to win one of the prizes being offered by the Herald and Strand for the best ideas put into execution during this contest. For instance, you may know the manager of a department store or the head of a chain store operating several stores in town. You would go to him, and tell him how much attention his windows would attract if he made up a display of stills from the picture together with appropriate copy. The theatre will furnish the stills. Suppose the store wanted to sell vacuum cleaners. A display of stills together with the following suggested copy would make a fine tie-up for window display. ‘‘If you find a broom Hard to Handle, try operate Vacuum Cleaners. They will our easy to give you as much fun as James Cag in. tn order o make this con ‘SHARD TO HANDLE,’’ and perhaps the merchants’ product. It is suggested that in this classification, contestants be permited to take whatever stills are necessary for their posters. It is best in this classification to tie-up with Art Schools, Art Classes and similar institutions, explaining that by the use of copy and: illustration, students can make attractive posters which merchants will be glad to exhibit. Thus a still of Cagney can be shown in the layout as follows: ‘‘James Cagney will appear ‘‘HARD TO HANDLE’? at the Saar thewtros-ON ess is abe: The Hooyer Vacuum appears in every competent house-wifes’ hand every week and it is not hard to handle, etc.’’? The same method of attack is applicable to washing machines and other commodities which suggest an unlimited field for poster work. 3. TIE-UPS Under this classification, all window tie-ups; inserts into the letters of Power and Telephone Companies or department store packages will be possibilities for each contestant. Window tie-ups and other cooperative exploitation stunts which will suggest themselves to contestants, will likewise come under this classification. 4. STREET BALLYHOOS Under this classification, contestants can secure any amount of novel street ballyhoos. Suggest the Street Ca in that all can enter, it has been divided into 5 classes with 10 prizes in each class. For the winner of each class, a cash prize of $5.00 will be the award. The next nine in each class will be given a pair of guest tickets for ‘¢Hard to Handle.’’ There will also be a Grand Prize of $10.00 for the best stunt of all. Now a winner of one of the class prizes, can also win the Grand Prize, so you see, this contest is worth entering. Here are the five classes. EDITORS NOTE: — Use description given in ‘‘The Stunt of the Week’’ to clarify each classes’ duties. No. 1—Newspaper Publicity. No. 2—Poster Tie-Ups. No. 3—Window Displays Tie-Ups. No. 4—Street Ballyhoos. No. 5—Slogans and Ads. The judges in this contest will be the Advertising Managers of the Herald, the Blank Department Store and the Manager of the Strand. All contestants, must first submit their idea to the Manager of the Strand who will register the idea to TIE-UPS Companies, dashboards; taxicabs,"tte., | test one | FOR YOU! can be obtained by contestants. Other avenues of tie-ups available under this classification are sniping space on commercial trucks and automobile parades. 5. SLOGANS In like manner, clever copy writers and those who think they are clever copy writers can submit slogans based on the title ‘‘HARD TO HANDLE.’’ This can take the nature of comedy slogans or serious selling slogans tieing in on current events. Unquestionably, a promotion as gifantic as this will attract city wide attention and for this reason you will want to use the utmost discretion in the awarding of prizes. It is suggested that you have a committee of judges consisting of the foremost advertising men of local department stores; the advertising managers of all newspapers and perhaps of local advertising agencies. 6. SUGGEST IDEAS In the Exploitation Section of this Merchandising Plan you will find numerous exploitation stunts that are naturals for this picture, because of Cagney’s role as a high pressure publicity promoter. To encourage contestants to enter your ‘‘Stunt of the Week’’ contest, it would be to your advantage to mention the various stunts listed and then invite the contestaitts.to put them into secu tion. Giving the =p as a stimulant for greate ticipation in the contes gether with the originator, and will also offer some suggestions as to the best way to put the stunts into execution, Two or more contestants may have the same idea. The one who gets the best results from an exploitation or publicity standpoint, will natural ly be judged the winner. All ideas must be registered no later than (Set Date)... STREET BALLYHOOS The winners, will be announced in the Herald and from the stage of the Strand the night “Hard to Handle” opens. Now that you have all the facts in the contest, put on your thinking cap and show us how good a press agent or advertising manager you would make. ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS STORY AVAILABLE IN ONE PIECE. Cut. No. 46 Cut 50¢ Mat 25c Page Twenty-one