Publix Opinion (Jan 10, 1930)

y yee SHOCK SELLING CAMPAIGN ROCK TOWN SOLD ON PUBLIX’ NEW ACQUISITION All Chicago was rocked by one of the most elaborate and, proportionately speaking, inexpensive campaigns ever put over in that city when the ten Lubliner & Trinz theatres publicly became Publix-Balaban & Katz theatres on November 4th. Herb Elisburg, advertising manager for the L&T circuit, Ed Seguin, ass’t. advertising manager, and the L&T managers including C. T. Boisumeau, L. Weil, I. Barr, T. H. Stevens, A. C. Binenfeld, E. Nikodem, H. K. Archbold, H. Stern, M. J. Murphy and C. Kamp put over this campaign. . One of the highlights of the campaign—sugegested by T. H. Stevens—was a parade of automobiles, new Pontiacs and Oaklands promoted for the occasion by Stevens from the Community Motor Sales Company, all of them decorated with Publix-B&K ban-|! -ners, to the Curtis Flying Field. The stunt was played up in advance as a ‘Ten Unit Parade and Air Survey of the ‘Greater Talkie Theatre’ chain which becomes a part of the Publix-Balaban & Katz Circuit Monday, November 4th.’’ Publix Sound Train The parade was headed by the Publix Entertainment Special. Two big trucks carried the Crane Junior College Band and _ Drill Corps and the advance escort was several motorcycle R. O. T. C. men. The route was through the busy districts of the North Side. T. H. Stevens, manager of the State Theatre, took pictures of the parade, upon arrival at the airport, filmed the Publix-B&K officials in a cabin plane. These shots, were shown at the ten L&T theaters for one week. Pep Bulletins The importance and value of a live opening as Publix-Balaban & Katz Theatres, was stressed every day in clever ‘pep’ bulletins sent to the house managers two weeks prior to the Publix-B&K opening by E. M. Glucksman, Supervisor of Theatres in Chicago for the “Publix Greater Talkie” The thought of inspiring the managers to go out and make tie-ups in their neighborhoods by ‘punch’ bulletins proved their worth. CG. T. Boisumeau of the Belpark theatre put over the following: A Publix-B&K issue of a neigh-: borhood newspaper, circulation 35,000. An Ande’s Candy’ Store tie-up, with 2,000 boxes of candy given away to patrons. A full page of merchants’ ads in local newspaper, greeting Publix Balaban & Katz. Fifty dollars worth of flowers were obtained free from a neighborhood florist. Sold an ad on monthly calendar of attractions, which paid for printing. Mary Bowden, Fox Films’ star, made a personal appearance at the first matinee. Business men contributed $200 for decoration of street. Dept. Store Tie-up Melvin J. Murphy, manager of the Berwyn Theatre, tied-up with two leading department stores, getting two large banners in each window. Four window displays in as many radio shops. Front of theatre building was decorated with pennants. Started a whispering campaign with usher force. Murphy also had pluggers distributed in the neighborhoods of competitive theatres. Sniped all ‘pill-posting, paper with “Gala -Publix Week.” Lou Weil, manager of the Con ‘gress Theatre, induced neighbor|} ‘tie-up with Max. Factor’s Cos ~ hood merchants to distribute and print a four page circular, 80,000 circuit. | PUBLIX OPINION Bes j , WEEK OF JANUARY 10rn, 1930 S CHICAGO BALLYHOO GALE IN GIANT CAMPAIGN! : A vast gale of free ballyhoo, concentrated in the respective localities of the various theatres, and spreading over all Chicago marked the acquisition by Publix-Balaban and Katz of ten Lubliner and Trinz theatres. Read the full details of the campaign in the adjoining columns. Many of the stunts can be duplicated in your town for almost any event. ge cere Re lands % RESS in all, with Congress Theatre on front page, gratis. Merchants donated $150 toward street decorations. Fifty Piece Band A CG. Binenfeld, manager of the Covent Theatre, obtained a fiftypiece band from the Crane Technical High School—a drill squad of fifty men from the Crane Junior College—two flag bearers and two guards—all men in full uniform. Charles Kamp, manager of the Crystal Theatre, got a full page ad and three-quarter page editorial free in a 50,000 circulation private paper of Corydon’s Department Store. Local merchants decorated the street. H. K. Archbold, manager of the. Varsity Theatre, had nine window tie-ups in Evanston and obtained much local newspaper publicity. Forms Business Association T. H. Stevens, manager of the State Theatre, made quite a few tie-ups. It was found that in the immediate neighborhood of the State, no business men’s association of any kind existed. So Stevens organized the Madison Ro-Tin-ians Business Boosters Community Club. oe Stevens made a tie-up with the State Theatre Soda Shoppe to exploit a new ice cream sundae dish called the ‘“‘Publix Special.” <A window display as well as an interior poster display in the shop, was used. A collection among the merchants defrayed expenses of a very attractive flag display. Fifty street car cards advertising the State Theatre as a Publix-B&K house were installed on all transportation vehicles of the West Suburban Transit Company. This was gratis. Institutional Trailer An institutional trailer was put on the screens of all theatres for one week prior to November 4, selling the value of Publix-Balaban & Katz entertainment—what ‘the new era would bring—ete. Taking advantage of a current metics, one thousand drug store SG Belmont and Cicero Aves. pe ee 8 SAUER RTANT STEP ug IN HE {iy ta ‘Theaters 4s ‘ATTEND THE INAUGURAL, | 5 THE WEEK 4TH. A GOOD TIP! The Paramount Publix radio programs each Saturday evening offer splendid opportunities to tie up with the local radio columns each week, especially when the program is dedicated to a picture which happens to be _ playing the theatre, or coming soon. In Buffalo, Publix—Shea’s Buffalo, for instance—crashed through. with a fine tieup on “Half Way to Heaven,” by rewriting the story sent in from the Paramount radio department and getting in the local angle on both the theatre and the station broadcasting. 1@ 2-2 @e-S© °-S-2 O2-D-2 O+-D-9 Oe-S-9O-D + B+-O-2G*-D-+Oe-S --»O-S-O+DH °Oe-D-Os-S-+O°SOs S+O-SO--S-2 © +-S 2@+-G-0Oe-S-Os-G-0B+-G-0O+-G-0O+-S-9O+-B-0B0-B-0W-B-0 GH 0-GOs-S-O°-B-Os-S-1O:-O 8+ OO" OE Lo @e-O-18e-B-2 0-82-26 e-B-9O1-S-$+9-H -G-Oe-O+B1-O8+ windows carried the message that Publix-Balaban & Katz were taking over the “Greater Talkie Theatres.”’ ' All theatres had special PublixBalaban & Katz valances installed, besides a large electric display under their canopy, flashing the words ‘“‘Publix Greater Talkies.’’ Canopies Decorated On November 4 each theatre decorated its canopy with special Publix-Balaban & Katz pennants. They remained up during the advertised “Gala Inaugural Week.”’ Through an arrangement which cost the circuit nothing, a short announcement was given over radio station W M A Q the day the circuit became Publix-Balaban & Katz. The gross for the first week of the “Publix Greater Talkie’ circuit, operating as Publix-Balaban & Katz, was increased 10 per cent —and that was a week of bad weather — most of the Chicago theatres experiencing a noticeable decrease. Record-breaking weeks have been charted since, for the new circuit of Publix-Balaban & Katz Theatres. iber Band 9 sad Novem! Se pene eT: THIS SELLS THEATRE! An attractive 8x10 booklet was prepared and mailed out by the Chamber of Commerce of Lakeland, Florida, advertising the advantages.of the community. Bolivar Hyde, manager of the Publix Polk Theatre there, had the below insert sheet printed and mailed with each of the booklets gratis. A nifty piece of institutional exploitation, — which might be duplicated anywhere. akeland’s .Polk Theatre Brings the Same Shows that are Shown on Broadway, in a Theatre That Rivals the Finest Theatres in the Country in Beauty. Lakeland’s | Polk One of the Publix Theatres Theatre I— a Within the sinews of stone and steel that safely bind the enduring beauties and luxuries of Lakeland’s Polk. Theatre the management have endeavored to give to this growing city the same shows that 1 York Nowhere in the South is there a theatre to surpass or equal the Lakeland Polk. Everything the finest theatre can boast of is included to make the entertainment the best that money can provide. TALKING PICTURES The most expensive and finest Western Electric equipment Has been installed so that the reproduc H tion of your favorite moving picture star is as clear as a bell. REFRIGERATION A complete refrigerating system costing $75,000.00 is but another feature of this de luxe theatre. With this latest feat of science the temperature of the Polk is kept at 72 degrees at all timés, regardless of the fact that it may be 91 or over on the street. SERVICE The excellent service and courtesy that have made Publix Theatres Corporation famous is but another of the exclusive features of the Pride of Polk County. . : These are but a few of the appointments and features that have made the Polk Theatre the center jj of attraction; and every night of the week people come from miles around to enjoy a good show plus f the exclusive Polk innovatiens. _ : No wonder the slogan THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR POLK ENTERTAINMENT has become a byword. : We are sure that when you are in Lakeland you will visit the Polk Theatre and we know that after , the first visit you will become a regular patron, as so many other people have.. : THE MANAGEMENT