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Marilyn D. Leaver, Lawrence, Massachusetts, first to be chosen as "Bride of the Week" in the WLAW series sponsored by Michael J. Sulliven Company, furniture establishment. With her is Hush Webster Babb, master of ceremonies. Winner is shov\n with $125 in gifts awarded each week on the program
life and the home, backed by recorded music and comment upon the types of merchandise available at the sponsor's establishment. Further boosting sales is achieved by moving microphones from WLAW each Friday right down to the Sullivan store and broadcasting the bridal tinted tales right from the store itself. This gets a good-sized audience entrenched right at the scene of the happy -homemaking campaign.
Promotion before the debut of the show consisted of a series of spot announcements directing their cupid-minded darts at brides-to-be, their relatives and friends. The fact that the "Bride of the Week" would be chosen by letters mailed to WLAW was emphasized. As a follow-up, station-sponsored advertisements were published in the local newspapers.
Promotion plus an award of $125.00 each week to the lucky bride hit the center of the target for the new program. The future wives, their friends and relatives didn't let the grass grow under their feet in the race for the thrill of being chosen.
Emcee Hugh Babb interviews the winning bride, getting all the details regarding her wedding plans, the name of her bridegroom, best man, bridesmaids and others participating in the nuptials. Where she is getting married, facts about her honeymoon plans, home or apartment, and the extent of her trousseau are also discussed. She is then presented with her array of gifts, a hope chest topping the assortment each week. As master of ceremonies, Babb displays a particularly effective adaptability to this type of program as he combines his deep bass voice, excellent diction, and knowledge of poetry into a harmonious combination.
Radio is not new in the advertising
schedule of the Michael J. Sullivan Company. This firm was one of the first to sponsor programs on WLAW shortly after it went on the air for the first time in December, 1937. At that time, the Sullivan Furniture Company sponsored a sidewalk participation show in which prizes were awarded for correct answers to a series of questions.
During the past few years, the firm has concentrated its advertising expenditures on newspaper advertising, centering principally in publishing daily ads of size in local papers. The apparent success of their previous radio advertising policies was indicated when the overture to the firm to sponsor "Bride of the Week" was favored with a quick and enthusiastic response. So now "something old, something new" began getting an additional dressing-up as a result of the program.
On the air for the first time on December 6, 1948, the program is now broadcast over WLAW-FM, 50,000 and 20,000 watt stations respectively. Although the Sullivan Company is located at 225 Essex Street in Lawrence with display windows surpassing those of any other establishment in length, it does not direct its selling (Continued on Page 29)
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