Reel and Slide (Mar-Dec 1918)

40 REEL and SLIDE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SCREEN ADVERTISERS^ ASSOCIATION OF THE WORLD OFFICERS JOE BRANDT President New York R. R. HoIIUter 1st Vice-President Dayton, Ohio Tirey L. Ford 2nd Vice-President W. F. Herzberg Secretary and Treasurer Report of Proceedings of Screen Advertisers' Association (At Annual Convention of the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, San Francisco, July 7 to 11, 1918) The Screen Advertisers' Association, meeting as a departmental unit of the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, convened Monday afternoon in one of the halls of San Francisco's Exposition Auditorium. A telegram of regret was read from Harry Levey, manager of the Industrial Department of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, who was scheduled to act as chairman of the sessions, but stating that he was detained in Washington by important war work. Also, a wire from Joe Brandt, president of the Screen Advertisers' Association, who was detained at another convention in Chicago. Delegates were in attendance from California, Texas, Chicago, Montana, Hawaii, and an informal session was held, the formal meeting being delayed until Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock. TiVey L. Ford, head of the screen division of the San Francisco Advertising Club, presided at the formal session on July 9th. and opened the gathering with an illuminating address on the efficiency of the screen as an advertising medium. He declared that he could not definitely define advertising, that the authorities he consulted gave confusing answers, but that whatever it may be, it is a powerful force and one that lends itself peculiarly to the screen. He liked best to describe it as applied psychology, or mental appeal, involving a knowledge of mental processes and the art of directing their operation. He traced the history of advertising down to the present time, and declared that the first newspaper publishers had the same difficulty in interesting men to advertise their wares that screen advertisers have had. Ham Beall, representative of the Universal Film Company, from Universal City, Cal., delivered the message that was to have been brought to the convention by Harry Levey. He outlined in detail the work that had been done during the past year to promote Red Cross drives. Liberty Bond sales, and many other campaigns for funds through the medium of the screen, declaring that this had been supplemented in a manner possible in no other medium — that of showing in actual scenes the use to which the money subscribed was being put. Attention was directed to the value of the screen in encouraging enlistments and in showing the folks at home how carefully their boys are being cared for. He told of the great work, of the moving picture stars in selling Liberty Bonds and in collecting funds, of the large amounts received by the Government in taxes on films and admissions, and of the wide use being made by news weeklies of matters connected with war activities. B. O. Youngman, of the Kale-Alta Slide Company of San Francisco, spoke on "Slides and the War," and told of the thousands of slides that IV. F. Hcrsberg, Secretary and Treasurer were made on short order and furnished at cost to advertise many drives for funds made by the Government. James P. Simpson, of Dallas, delivered a splendid address on "The Fifth Estate," as he chose to call advertising films. He outlined the manner in which screen advertising had been developed in Texas, stating that his company operated a regular service in Fort Worth, Waco and Dallas and handled country business out of the latter city. In Dallas fourteen theaters are being served. Screen advertising there has come to be regarded as an established institution, the same as newspapers and billboards, and advertisers include it in their regular appropriations. No theaters in Dallas refrain from using this form of advertising, and it is kept interesting by weekly changes of subjects. In the country districts changes are made less frequently, but nothing is shown for more than two weeks at any theater. Mr. Simpson was originally in the theater program business and later tried curtain publicity work, finally taking up the screen end of the business, which he finds to be the most profitable of all for his clients. He considers the screen to be supreme in the advertising field for results, as it reaches the most people, a class of people who spend their money, and reaches them while they are in a receptive mood. He declared that moving pictures had already done great things, but that still greater things were in store for them, particularly in commercial lines. The doors of commerce with the world would soon be open, he said, and he felt that members of the Associated Advertising Clubs would be sure to make great use of them in promoting the business of the nation. * * . * The election of officers of this departmental takes place in January. The presiding officers are Joe Brandt, New York, president; R. R. Hollister. Dayton, Ohio, first vice-president; Tirey L. Ford, San Francisco, second vice-president; W. F. Herzberg, secretary and treasurer, and Harry Levey, New York, chairman of executive committee. Throughout the convention moving pictures of an advertising nature were shown in the city hall in one of the finest rooms ever given over to an exhibition of this kind. Through the courtesy of Mayor James Rolph, Jr., the use of the supervisors' chambers was secured, and a moving picture machine and booth was installed here by H. B. Parsons and Peter Boyle, of Moving Picture Operators' Union, No. 162. The arrangements for the display of advertising film were made by a committee of members of the screen department of the San Francisco Advertising Club, headed by W. D. Tarn, of the Tam Film Company. « « « George L. Fix, of the Fix Advertising Service, Cleveland, reports inroads have been made on his sales staff by the War. "Various men we have trained for salesmen have been called to the colors," says Mr. Fix. "This has compelled us to operate under low pressure for the time being." The Camel Film Company is now settled in its new plant at 950 Edgecomb Place, Chicago, and reports much business activity. The Camel studio is equipped with the most modern appliances, is light and airy and well arranged for the production of quality advertising films. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP Screen Advertisers' Association of the World Harry Levey, Cbalrman Executive Committee, Care of Universal Film Mfg. Co., 1600 Broadway, New York Kindly send me the Pledge of Standards of Practice and all particulars necessary for my becoming a member of the Screen Advertisers' Association of the World. Name Date. Firm Nature of Business.