Week-End Marriage (Warner Bros.) (1932)

17 PRACTICAL STUNTS FOR EXPLOITATION “Week-End Marriage” Stunt Based on Timely Topic Here is a peach of a stunt that is especially timely and should, if propearly handled, create a whale of a lot of discussion and _ publicity for “Week-End Marriage.” In view of the economic situation, there is today more and more agitation going on in reference to married women who work, while so many single girls are unable to find employment. Suggest to your newspaper editor the idea of printing a symposium of opinions of prominent club women, employers of large staffs, etc., on the subject—“Should a Married Woman Be Employed If Her Husband Is Capable of Supporting Her?” A variation of the question could be, “Can a Married Woman Who Works Do Justice to Her Job and Her Husband?” Still other thoughts would be the questions, “Why Do Women Insist Upon Working After Marriage?” or “Can Working Wives Make Marriage a Successful Side Line?” To this can be added the questions, “Is It Independence She Seeks?—Is It Because She Hates Housework?—Is It Because She Page Ten Wants Freedom and Love at the Same Time?—Or Is It Purely a Dollar and Cents Question?” The stunt can also be handled along the lines of “The Inquiring Reporter,’ in which case, those whose opinions are published in the newspaper, by the paper’s inquiring reporter, will be given two free tickets each to “Week-End Mar riage.” Of course, on the question, “Should a Married Woman Be Employed If Her Husband Is Capable of Supporting Her?” it is imperative that the theatre take a neutral position. The answers, as published in the newspapers, should be blown up and displayed in your front lobby. Your copy in the newspaper, announcing free tickets to the show, should read as follows: Do you agree with Faith Baldwin’s heroine of ‘“Week-End Marriage,’ which comes to the.... Theatre .... , that a Wife Can Work and Make Marriage a Successful Side Line? See how the picture works out this engrossing problem of the day, with Loretta Young as the Part-Time Wife and Norman Foster as the Two-Timing Husband. Photo Identity a Good Stunt Employ a “phantom photographer” to go out on the streets to snap pictures of crowds. Instruct him not to reveal his identity. Announce that he will take pictures of crowds in different parts of the city each day for the week of your advance campaign on “Week-End Marriage,” and that you will have different blow-ups posted each day in your lobby, with rings around individual heads in the crowds. Three or four ringed heads a day should suffice. Offer passes to the people who come to the theatre and identify themselves. Get as much publicity as possible in the newspapers. Announce the stunt from your screen. This is a new angle on the popular identity stunt used with so much success by exhibitors. By varying it to bring people directly into your lobby, you increase the effectiveness of the stunt. Bathing Beauty Contest You have an appropriate tie-up with a bathing beauty contest on ‘“Week-End Marriage” because of the fact that Loretta Young is the Jantzen Girl (see details of Jantzen tie-up in this, section). | Get the help of your newspaper on this contest. Call it the JournalStrand Bathing Beauty Contest. Tie in your local merchant who handles the Jantzen line of swimming suits. Tie in a photographer to snap pictures of the contestants. Run the photos in the newspapers and spot them in your lobby in appropriate frames. Have three impartial judges select the three winners, who will receive prizes donated by local merchants to whom you give proper _credit. If you find it better in your locality to let the audience pick the winners in your theatre, use that method. When you do, please send copies of all the details to Merchandising Plan Editor, Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., 821 West 44th St., N. Y. C. We'll tell the trade press about the contests. } kee _ dings had already been married. } \ | | ! | newspaper publicity. f 4 Stage Wedding ¥ A stage wedding always has sufficient human interest to get co | operation from your newspaper, your | local merchants and the townspeople, | especially when used in connection | with a title like “Week-End Mar “iW riage.” Here’s the way to do it:— 1. Get a couple who are willing | to have their marriage performed on | the stage of your theatre, either by advertising in the newspaper or by | contacting people who have taken | out their marriage licenses. 2. Get in touch with the leading merchants in town, Persuade them | to cooperate with you in the furnish | ing of a home for the bride and _groom. Explain that in exchange for | their gifts you will give them screen credit as well as a lobby display and 8. The wedding ceremonies will _ of course take place on the opening night of ‘“Week-End Marriage.” ' Plug this event for two weeks in ad ance through the newspaper, your reen, your lobby, your programs, 1 window cards placed in the store ndows of all merchants. 4. Stage the wedding directly pre | { “i the main illustrations in the ) | | ‘ding your first evening’s showing “Week-End Marriage.” Keep the general atmosphere quiet 1 restrained, otherwise you may cet with criticism from members of irch organizations. » Above all, be sure that the couple secure for the stage wedding ~\ he en’t already been married. There | have been instances where it was “| discovered that couples in stage wed "4 Poster Cutouts i For inexpensive and _ attractive | lobby and marquee display it is suggested that you mount on compo twenty-four and the six sheet. Mount a 24-sheet cutout on either side of the marquee. The six sheet can be mounted on an easel and placed either in your outer lobby or 1 front of your theatre. COLORTONE EFFECT 4x5—Colored positive only..$2.00 Set (positive and negative)... 3.00 31/,x4—Colored positive only 1.50 Set (positive and negative)... 2.25 Order by No. N 255 NATIONAL STUDIOS, Inc. 226 West 56th St., New York Be sure to specify size and send remit tance with order to avoid parcel post and C.O.D. charges. Send for catalogue of Colortone Effects. “Most Popular Married Couple” Contest Try to get the cooperation of your newspaper and stores on this one. Run it as a vote proposition, with the winners receiving articles contributed by the merchants. The votes should be given to purchasers of articles in the stores tied in on the contest. Grade votes according to purchases, thus: a one dollar purchase counts for 50 votes, a two dollar purchase for 100 votes, etc. Have the merchants give you plenty of win dow display space on this stunt. Start this campaign well in advance of your ‘“Week-End Marriage” showing. Have the newspaper run the couples’ standings daily, listing a different merchant’s gift each day in order to arouse interest. Properly handled, this contest can be a rolling stone that will gather plenty of cash for your showing. Newlywed Night Offer free admission for one night only to all couples married within the past month, upon presentation of marriage certificate. Delicatessen Night Adapt the standard country store idea to “Week-End Marriage” by using delicatessen foods as lucky number giveaways. Let your patrons know the reason for it: the picture deals with a wife who works and hasn’t time to keep house and cook for her husband. With a master of ceremonies to conduct the giveaways you can put a lot of fun. into this stunt. Be sure to exhibit the canned goods and meats you secure from the delicatessen store in the lobby on a regular store counter, fittingly placarded. Oldest Couple Party Invite your newspaper in on a contest to find your town’s oldest wedded pair. Have all outlying communities enter candidates. Invite the winners to your theatre as guests of honor. Secure the cooperation of merchants for prizes for the couples. Have a local hotel or restaurant contribute a dinner party for the couples after the theatre. Run photos of the couples in the newspaper, getting statements on the secret of their wedded bliss. See The Smart | “Week-End| Marriage” | Posters on) Pagel2 :