So Big (Warner Bros.) (1953)

nae ac ge = hs, —— ey ’ fq ee ts bee ree SS EXPLOITATION Your Lobby Be sure to have plenty of “STRAIGHT”? heads of Barbara Stanwyck in your lobby. Stanwyck is your biggest sales angle of this picture and should dominate not only your lobby, but your entire campaign. Supplementing the straight heads of Miss Stanwyck, use love scenes of Stanwyck and Brent and Bette Davis and Hardie Albright. Follow the ideas of the newspaper ads in this merchandising plan for copy and eatchlines. If you have the display space, use a head of Edna Ferber (get it from your local newspaper files) with copy to the effect that ‘‘Cimarron’’ was Edna Ferber’s Epic Of American Manhood and ‘‘So Big’’ is her Epie Of American Womanhood. Lettering for your lobby frames should be on the style of the 24-sheet which reflects the epic qualities of the attraction. Special “So Big” Sundae Arrange with local drug or candy store to sell a special “SO BIG’’ Sundae during the showing of ‘‘So Big’’ at your theatre. Have the drug or candy store make a sundae that is in keeping with the title, a special bargain concoction. Many theatres throughout the’ country have ice cream parlors on the same street as their theatre and are usually friendly with the owner, which makes this stunt easy to put over. Signs in the window and on the counters of the store with which you tie up should announce the engagement of ‘‘So Big’’ at your theatre. In fact, the special sundae ean be dedicated to Barbara Stan wyck, which makes the tie-up more complete. Women’s Societies foo Big’’ is woman’s_ picture distinetly a and you should make a special effort to interest all women’s clubs and secieties. If there are any large women’s organizations in your town, distribute special advertisng material among their members—place window ecards in their club room—and secure the endorsement of the o*ficers. Page Seven Sales Angies @ “So Big” is the type of picture that cannot be ballyhooed. @ A good lobby, an enlarged advertising campaign, a newspaper contest and a cooperative newspaper ad are your best bets. @ Watch your local happenings and try to tie them in with your engagement of “So Big.”’ @ Sell it as Barbara Stanwyck’s greatest hit. @ Plan your campaign to get everyone of the Edna Ferber fans in your town. There are 7,000,000 of them. @ If you played “Public Enemy,” “Night Nurse” and “Star Witness”’ be sure to mention William A. Wellman, who directed them and “So Big.”’ @ Give Bette Davis a special publicity plug. She is a coming star. @| Make every ad represent “So Big’ as a really important picture. @ Don’t play “So Big”? from the mother angle, unless the mother type of attraction is popular with your patrons. @ Sell it as an epic of American woman hood. Restaurant Tie-Up The restaurants are always a good medium of exploitation and you should find your local restaurant more than-willing to tie up on the following stunt: Imprint enough paper napkins to last each restaurant for three days prior to the opening of the picture and the duration of your run. Napkins should be imprinted with the following copy: The Two Biggest Bargains in Town — Our 7 Course Dinner for $.65 and BARBARA STANWYCK in ‘‘SO BIG’’ at the Strand Theatre. The above copy can also be made in the form of a window streamer and can be placed on the windows of the restaurants. Lobby Artist | Hire an artist to work in your lobby or in a vacant store window. Stunt is to copy a three-sheet poster. Artist has back to audience so that three sheet gets prominent position. Dress artist in smock and supply him with easel. Suggest that he take plenty of time with his work so that finished drawing is really impressive. Display it in your lobby after it is completed. Teaser Ads In this Merchandising Plan you will find a series of teaser ads that should be used several days in advance of your big display ads on ‘‘So Big.”’ The suggested teaser copy is also suitable for throwaways. Tie Up The Whole Town On The Title With a title like ‘‘So Big’’ you can work wonders with a co-operative ad and window tie-ups. With the following caption as the basis of a co-operative ad, the advertising solicitor of your local newspaper can enlist the aid of every merchant in town: These Values Are ‘“‘SO BIG’”’ You can’t. afford to miss them! The engagement of BARBARA STANWYCK in ‘SO BIG”’ prompted these merchants to offer these unusual bargains. Every storekeeper tied ino with this cooperative ad is a prospect for a window display. The center of the window should contain a_ beautiful hand-lettered sign repeating copy suggested cooperative ad. the ecatchline above of the This window stills from the picture, cut-out of Barbara Stauwyck and a display of the special bargain merchandise offered by the store. In order to make this tie-up doubly effective and more enticing to the merchants, you should cooperate with them to the fullest extent by announeing the names of the merchants on your sereen and distributing reproductions of the ad to your patrons. Undoubtedly, you can eet each manager to distribute your heralds from their stores. Book Tie-Up Don’t overlook the wonderful advantages in tying up with Edna Ferber’s Pulitzer prize novel. Hardly a book dealer in the country does not carry this book. Grosset & Dunlap have printed a special snipe for the cover, advertising the fact that ‘““So Big’’ is now a Warner Bros. picture with Barbara Stanwyck and a great cast playing the leading characters. Undoubtedly, you ean arrange a window or counter display on ‘‘So Big’’ by supplying the book dealer with sufficient quantity of stills and signs to make it attractive. should contain~ =