Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1947)

Participating KILROY A campaign for six Salt Lake Cny, Utah, advertisers that was biiih on a schedule of spot announcements daily and a morning quarter-hour program put all of Salt Lake City on their toes. Kilroy began his adventures carrying $25 in cash, and listeners were told that Kilroy would visit certain locations in the downtown area. The person who identified him would receive the cash, and each day he was not identified, an additional five dollars would be added. Teasers, utilizing a portion of the Showboat tune proclaimed that Kilroy ^vas coming. Newspaper advertisements also built up his arrival. AVhat was in the offing was 12 spot annoiuicements and a Kilroy Kalling program, with sponsorship by a chain drugstore, a market, a jc^veler, a bookstore, an optician and a furniture store. Each sponsor "owns Kilroy" for one day each week purchasing 12 spot annoiuicements scattered through the broadcast day, plus the progiam which includes the Kilroy musical spot announcements as theme music. Announcement is made on the program as to Kilroy 's wearing apparel, complexion, haircut, etc., in the manner of a police description, and listeners are told the locations Kilroy will \ isit that day and the approximate time. A location near that day's sponsor's place of business is naturally selected. Spot announcements give a Kilroy identification clue and password. \V4ien properly identified, Kilroy demands that the person asking for the swag-bag show him a Kilroy cut-out from the shop of the merchant sponsoring the deal on that particular day. Each sponsor received at the outset a supply of printed Kilroy Knt-Outs and sponsors are kept busy supplying them to customers intent on identifying Kilroy. At the end of the first month, with interest still unabated, KALL reported the campaign its most successful promotion, sales and audience building plan in years. Spot series was transcribed by Harry S. Goodman, and 30 are now available for local and regional sponsorship. Designed for one minute spots, 30 seconds are transcribed, with 30 seconds live commercial. PROOF 0' THE PUDDING Results based on sales, mails, surveys, long runs and the growth of the business itself. Bakeries MUSIC In Bozeman, Mont., the Bridges Downyflake Donut Shop considers music a good entertainment format for its broadcast advertising, but to appeal to every possible listener group and musical taste, it uses a different type of music on each of its five weekly quarter-hour broadcasts. Tuesday's broadcast features Hawaiian music, hymns are featured on AVednesday, melodious music for easy listening is the offering for Thursday and Friday, and cowboy ballads are aired on Saturday. What launched Bridges on its radio campaign March 1 was a one-month test period just preceding Christmas 1946. As the result of participation on a program of organ music donut sales took an upward turn and at the end of the 30 days, additional work hours were needed to handle the increased volume. In addition, two new grocery outlets were added for the product, giving it 100*^o distribution in local retail outlets. Statistics show that the week before going on KXLQ, the total output of Bridges doughnuts was 1100 dozen. During the week of May 19, 1947, the output was 1600 dozen. Additional vital statistics: the output for the week of February 27, 1943 was 424 dozen. The output for one day, May 19, 1947, was 501 dozen . . . more in one day than for entire Aveek four years ago. What makes the record all the more remarkable is the fact that what started as a small business 20 years ago has now grown into a real industry. Mr. and Mrs. }. A. Bridges, owners, have made their AUGUST, 1947 • 281 •