Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

tar Appeal Outpulls Visual Stimulus 111 appeal sells millinery and \ t broadcast, Julianas eising budget to radio omplete confidence in radio advertising )i accessories. Indicating a dozen or so eather handbags in his show-case, priced rom 115.00 up, he predicted: "I'm going o describe those purses on my program his evening, and I'm willing to wager hat by this time tomorrow, at least half )f them will have been sold!" When Mr. Wolf first contacted WACO or time on the air he wanted a popular urogram, not station breaks or tie-ins. However, since this was a first trial at iiillinery advertising on radio, the budget was to be kept to shoe-string proportions. A five-minute, Monday through Friday, purely local interest program was prescribed. The feature was aired from 6:20 to 6:25 p.m. There were no magic words or formulas employed in the short commercials. No gimmicks were used. Julian's merely displayed hats and other accessories, aurally instead of visually. The sketching of mental pictures entailed, naturally, a very close cooperation between WACO's copywriter and the client. The young lady visited Julian's shop daily to see the new hats in stock and to get detailed information about materials, trim, and design. Good taste was the watchword in constructing mental hat pictures. The name of the exclusive brand, the designer, the price— all pertinent facts that a window shopper wants to know— were subject matter. "Hard selling" angles were avoided; there were no pleas to buy every hat at Julian's ... no warnings of impending domestic strife if ladies did not heed the advice of the sponsor. The hospitality theme was intruded into the picture occasionally; there were veiled assurances that everyone was welcome to come into the shop to look around. Replacing the urgent admonition that often rounds off a commercial, however, was a short, choppy slogan . . . "At Julian's, of course." Julian's feel sure the slogan is contagious as it is heard on the lips of countless customers. The advertising plan originally called for a series of commercials, all plugging one type of accessory, to be run in succession. Since there were only a few seconds of radio time daily, each commercial was designed to describe one specific hat. For example, one day's display might feature a Yaegar straw hat, shown from every angle— from that of design, color, trim, and even cost! Following the series of ads plugging straws, a new group might follow, describing pastel felts. Occasional newspaper ads were run for tie-in purposes to carry out the theme of the radio commercials and supplement them. What has Mr. Wolf to say about this successful venture into radio? "Never in my career as a retail merchant have I had such results from any advertising medium," he says. "Through my program on WACO, our slogan, 'At Julian's, of course/ is not only on the lips of our local women, but several of our competitors have begun to use similar slogans." by V. McCOLLUM, Southwest Advertising Agency, Waco, Texas JULY, 1947 • 225 •