Sponsor (Jan-Mar 1961)

The Original Brand Is Still Number One MAJOR members of R. T. French Co. team that introduced instant potato products to the U.S. and kept their brand on top with 'relentless use of spot and network tv' are (above) Robert P. Driggs, marketing manager and (below) G. Buell Culver, advertising manager around 82.250.000 for both network .mil spol when final figures arc tallied. Each new type of instant potato, each new packaging improvement, each new convenience has been brought to the housewife's attention via television. "By not letting; down on t\ expenditures." a French's executive put it. "we kept our products in the limelight ever) step ol the way. You see, the housewife first learned of instant mashed potatoes through French's. B\ staying on l\. we are letting her know thai it is we who are being imitated." Also for French's chiei competitin-, television was the major factor in introducing the new products and 14 reaching the housewife — as well as reaching and interesting the entire faniilv . • General Foods (Minute) devoted about $1 million to tv in 1960. more than 85' < of that outlay going to the spot medium. Most of the spots were placed in late morning and afternoon hours — through Foote. Cone & Belding, N. Y. • General Mills (Betty Crocker) increased its television expenditures more than 50% in 1960, and now devotes about a half-million dollars i three to one in favor of spot I to the tv media — through Knox Reeves. Minneapolis. • Pillsbury, which was a latecomer among the instant potatoes, tried big-city newspapers and national women's magazines at first. That was in early 1959. By the fall of that \ ear, however. Pillshurv and its agency (Camphell-Mithun, Minneapolis! switched its major effort to television and reports that "it proved the major success in spurring sales because of its third dimension and its reach." Advertising managers of all these major brands credit television with solving "one of the most unusual marketing problems we'd ever faced," as one of them put it. The problem was that although this was a new product, it was heir to the liabilities of an inferior ancestor — those gluelike powdered mashed potatoes inflicted on the U.S. serviceman. "Women's magazines and newspapers wouldn't work for us," he continued, "because the Mrs. was frank-] ly a little shak\ about serving instant mashed potatoes to her husband after having heard his stories of thej Arm\ version. By using appetiteappealing, demonstration commercials on tv, we gave her a chance to savJ 'Doesn't that look good?' to her family— and at least try it out on Junior. She was all in favor of it in the first place, you see. because of its terrific work-saving qualities and convenience." One major competitor is a partia exception to the tv users. Borden's instant potatoes were introduced in late 1958-early 1959. On a market] to-market and ultimately national basis, spot tv was used in big cities, along with newspapers and supplements. In 1959. Borden's I through its agency. Young & Rubicam) spent $ 1 .1 li M 1.500 in spot tv alone. In 1960j however, after this successful introduction, all money was pulled off tv and put into four-color ads in national magazines. "We made u-e of the flexibility of l\ to introduce the product," said a Borden spokesman. "The demonstrJ tion value had worn off by the time we came into the picture, but the • reach and flexibility of spot tv was perfect for us, especially in the big metro areas. "But we lelt that the use of coloi • |ltllllllllllill!lllllllllllllllllll!!ll!lllllllll French's Gets a New Copy, Visual Concept HOUSEWIVES were introduced to French's via tv and the line, "You'll never peel another spud as long as you live." Now that the product has caught on, J. Walter Thompson is stressing appetite-appeal in its filmed spots. Employing a rhythmic sound track and commentary, with quick angle-to-angle changes in closeup shots of the potatoes, Thompson's cameras are brought so close that the texture of the whipped potatoes is clear. The idea is to get as close as a diner gets to his plate. «* I 'M ■ ■ it Hi illl!;!llllllllllllllllllllllllll!ll!!!lllll!lllll!ll!lllll!v SPONSOR • 6 FEBRUARY 196 kit • .VL