The Billboard 1913-03-22: Vol 25 Iss 12 (1913-03-22)

} = wa ce Beep ? 80 The Billboard MARCH 22, 1913. By WATTERSON THE FILM AS AN ADVERTISING MEDIUM R. ROTHACKER “What is your circulation?’ ‘“‘What class of people do you reach?’ One or beth of these questions are fired at the advertising solicitor every time he gets close enuf to bis “‘prospect”’ to engage in conversation. If the answers are satisfactory, then comes the question, ‘‘What’s your rate?’ Then, if the rate is right the deal is arranged and the matter of ‘‘copy’’ is in order ‘Copy’’ is just as important in advertising as shot is in a shell. The best gun in the world, aimed by the most expert marksman at the most closely buncht fluck of game birds, will not bring down the desired results if putty instead of lead is fired And so it is in moving picture advertising. When you talk moving pictures as an advertising medium and the circulation comes up, you can give figures veritably astonishing. For instance, several experts have stated in print that the daily attendance at moving picture theaters in the United States is approximately 5,000,000, while in an issue of the Akron Journal, recently publisht, the editor states that while there are less than one thousand moving picture establishments in the State of Ohio, yet in that state alone 1,600,000 persons daily see the “‘movies.’" The Journal Editor then goes on to say: “Figuring this patronage at the very low average of five cents per person, it is apparent that Ohio people are paying more than $80,000 a day, over a quarter of million dollars a week. more than $13,000,000 a year, for this kind of entertainment.’’ If this editor is right, the moving picture houses in Ohio average better than 1,600 visitors a day. As a matter of fact, there are in the United States alone at least 16,000 places offering moving pictures for entertainment, and at a reasonable estimate the daily attendance will averace 500 per theater; the most common estimate is a round thousand for each theater, which, probably, is a bit high. At this figure, one-tenth of the entire population of the United States visits moving picture houses eyery day. This one-tenth is recruited from ali classes. At the picture show the grocery boy will see bis employer, the employer will see his landlord, the landlord will see his banker, his minister, his doctor, his dentist, and al! these will see their friends, their tradesmen and their patrons Women, men and children—the mis tress of the house and the maid of the house, the classes as well as the masses, al! are film fans, and why? Because moving pictures are conveniently entertaining and offer a novel entertainment, appealins to every eye, under stood by all, regardless of difference in age, station or language Is it any wonder that, with the value of illustrations in advertising firmly establisht, with the superiority of moving pictures as an illustrativ force unquestioned, and with their world-wide popularity vrowing by leaps and bounds, is it any wonder that we now hear much about moving picture advertising ’ ° The big stumbling block is encountered when the prospectiv advertiser finds that he is wrong in believing that when he has a film made he can put it on view before al! the millions of people represented by the statistics. This is obviously impossible, and can not be done if for no other reason than the divisional political contro! exercised by the Motion Picture Patents Company, the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, the Mutual, and the Film Supply factions. However, a good advertising film can be exhibited so that it will influence sales, advertise, and be on view before millions of thinking American people. This circulation must be directed and governed with the same care and with the same object in view as the ordinary advertising campaign involving newspapers, trade journals, magazines and billboards. The trick being to portray your advertising story so that it will appeal to logical buyers, and then to place the advertising so that it will reach the class of people most likely to respond. This can be done by ‘‘zone’’ and ‘‘class’’ exhibitions of movinz pictures made to carry an advertising message, and these campaigns can be engineered and conducted so that they in no way conflict with film politics. Ad-copy on film requires thoughtful arrangement and production such as is true in ordinary advertising. The campaign will lack potency, no matter how broad and direct the circulating avenue may be, if the people when reacht are not imprest with a message sufficiently strong to arouse the buying instinct and cause the advertised name to be favorably remembered. Moving picture advertising up to date has been uniformly successful in every instance where advertising sense has been combined with film knowledge in the actual production and the circulation guided intelligently. Such discerning advertisers as the Du Pont Powder Company, Northern Pacific Railway Company, Pacific Coast Borax Company, M. Rumely Company, Holt Caterpillar Company, International Harvester Company, Mayer Brotuers, and scores of other big ones, have secured splendid advertising by means of moving pictures, while at the present moment at least fifty important business organizations are having made motographic stories intended to actuate sales and keep alive a trade name. Schools everywhere are throwing open their doors to educational films—-ministers are en dorsing their use, and al! along the line the in dustrial, educational and advertising fases of moving pictures are being discust and utilized. A new era in filmdom is here, and here to stay. It doesn't signalize a fad, a mere theory or a profecy, it heralds the moving picture as an advertising and educational factor that has “made good’’ by actual achiewment as well as logical arguments. Moving picture advertising no lonver is pure assertion—it has been tried and found wanted by reputable and establisht commercial institutions that know by exper‘ence what's what in advertising. » |ROCK BOTTOM BARGAINS USED MACHINES OF ALL MAKES FOR SALE. WE BUY—WE SELL—WE TRADE WHY NOT TRADE YOUR OLD, WORN-OUT MACHINE ON THE PURCHASE OF NEW ONE Send for our list of USED machine BARGAINS. WE SELL NEW MACHINES of all the standard makes and carry a stock both of machines for immediate delivery and of GENUINE parts for same. _ DO YOU USE DISINFECTINE ? Kills all poisonous germs and odors. Send for sample. Sells $2.50 per gallon with sprayer. WE SELL A DANDY ECONOMICAL TICKET DISPENSER at only $18.00 and you use just the ordinary roll ticket. your tickets. AMUSEMENT Save money—use up IT CAN’T BE BEAT and YOU CAN’T BE BEAT. SUPPLY CO. AND THE CHICAGO PROJECTING CO. 107 B No. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois. | The Majestic Film Service Co. R. C. SEERY, Mer. 216 N. Fifth Ave. Is now in position to furnish its customers with a variety of 28 reels, including four features, weekly. MAJESTIC FILM SERVICE CO.. CHICAGO, ILL. FOR SALE—FEATURE FILM Dr. Jeckyl and Hyde, $9.00; Edison Moving Picture Machine. complete, $30.00; Viascopes and Selig Heads, $16.00; Large Concert Regina Slot, for saloon, cost $425.00; sell cheap or exchange. ESSER, 1640 Larrabee Street, Chicago if you see it in The Billboard, tell them so. MAKE xw BLACKBOARD SLIDES You can easily make them, without the aid of a Camera, or any other expensive tools. I will send you the complete Guaranteed Instructions for making the Slides. Directions for Coloring, ete., postpaid for = cents WILLIAM A. TEMPLE, 126 North First Street, Ft. Dodge, ltowa. ST THESE PICTURES SHOW THE A. C. AND D.C. Fort Wayne Compensarcs HE greatest money savers ever Whether you use alternating or direct current, your lamp does not require as high voltage as your lighting company supplies. If you use a rheostat to step down your current you actually lose twothirds of the “juice” you pay for. These compensarcs do not get hot. They lessen your fire risk and lower your insurance; give a better, clearer, whiter, steadier light, and are adjustable for different intensities of light, without breaking the circuit between adjustments. A.C. MACHINE You can not get all these features in any other device. Will you have anything less than the best when the best costs no more ? Remember, we do not claim it will save anything on your house lights, but we guarantee it will Reduce Your Bills 663% on your picture machine lamps. This may sound like we were stretching it, but we are not, and just to show you, we will ship you one on 30 Days Free Trial and you can prove it for yourself. If it does not do all we claim for it, ship it back at our expense, and it won't cost you a cent. We have been selling these machines to thousands of theatre managers under the same conditions for the last three years. Do you think we could afford to do this if the compensares did not make good ? Write Today for our proposition, prices and a copy] of our R thirty two page illustrated booklet, Rheostat,” and find out the “Compensare — vs. particulars. You are paying * the lighting company half your profits every day you wait. D.C. MACHINE Fort Wayne Electric Works of General Electric Company 1601 Broadway, FORT WAYNE, IND. built for moving picture theatres. ~