Sponsor (Jan-Mar 1961)

Xtir Christian if huuii Al Worth • bora City, Cklahona r 111 Thank you very much for }»our accurate ther predictions during our junior high p at Texoraa the week of July 18-23. I was in Oklahoma City Friday of last k and came by the station to see you, but had just entered a staff conference. The next time you look at the camera, w that an ardent fan is watching you a Chandler. Sincerely yours, */&»*{ Rev. Harold N. Smith Ana 'eather-conscions Oklahoma viewers \ !• como lo depend on the accuracy KWTV's completely equipped atlier station, and the interprcft talents of KWTVs professional ctcorolopists Al Worth and Ha> ooker. These two experienced weathcasters draw their information from: KWTVs own on-camera radar installation. A facsimile weather map machine. A battery of high-speed weather teletypes. An on-camera Bendix Friez instrument panel which automatically registers outside weather conditions. R n s modern meteorological juipment, plus the interpretive tills of two professional meteorlogists make KWTV "Oklaoma's If eat her Eve." • nted hy The Original Station Represent. PONSOR • 6 FEBRIARY 1 9f ^ 1 INSTANT POTATOES [Continued from jxige 35) said account executive Thomas Flewharty), but it also knew thai three other brands had introduced their product this way. "We went in beavil) for magazine color, therefore, to show the housewife what the product reall) looked like, and to gel maximum appetite appeal," said lieu harts. "We wanted to make sure that the housewife knew exactl) m hat to look for." Hut Flew hart) explained that the current ratio has moved to 70-30 in Favor of print, and that as soon as the introduction phase is completed, the original 80-20 print to television ratio will probably be completely reversed. Scalloped and an ^ i at in potatoes were introduced nationally between spring and September, 1960. "I he more the product is recognized by shopper and store owner, the more we move away from magazines and into television." Betty Crocker has used all three networks, but at present participates in five NBC TV daytime shows and sponsors a five-minute newscast. Day Report, on that network. "We use spot national!) ." said Flewharty, "in the nighttime as well as in the daytime. This is a product, after all, that can make everybody's mouth water, and the others do have some influence with mother." What does a latecomer to a boom ing young industry do for recogni tion? Pillsbury's original idea was to introduce its instant potatoes without television as the major medium. Its opening campaign concentrated on print in large metropolitan markets and color in national women's magazines. This didn't work well enough, however, and within a few months Pillshury was on spot and network television. "It's tv that spurred sales for us." said Campbell-Mithun account executive William G. Weigold. "Also, being the fifth product introduced into a highly competitive market, we had some distribution problems. This. too, was solved In extensive television advertising which created interest and rapidl) got our product shelf -pace." Pillsbun i now a steady l\ user. Its last campaign was launched on spot and network tv in the spring of 1960 and is still running. "We expect to top all previous vears of spot .imi network i\ use in 1961, revealed \\ eigold. Pillsbui j bad introdui ed hasl brown potatoes simultaneous!) with it mashed potatoes instead of follow ing-up with the new product after the mashed had CBUghl on. "Being the newcomer, we had to have a fresh product," said the account ex« uti\< *'It was a success, and we have nov followed up with irisl.uit scalloped potatoes, with other types t" follow iii the future." The original product. French's, oh viousl) considers its introductory Stage complete, and thin month itagency released a new hatch of filmed commercials thai reflect what one spokesman called "the second stage." I he whole notion.'" revealed Marie l lordon. J. \\ alter Thompson pro ducer, "is to gel so close that tli< viewer can actuall) see the textun of the potatoes — as close or closet than a diner would he with a plate oi food in front of him or a spoon of whipped potatoes going past hi rin-e." The new -pots feature a rhythm ii sound track, a rhythmic comment an l>\ the announcer and rhythmic split second cuts from angle to angle. Even the potatoes are whipped in rhythm, although the butter is allowed to melt into the potatoes at its own "de licious" pace. "We are concentrating on appetite appeal now. said Miss Gordon. "The original commercials introducing the product demonstrated the ease of making potatoes this way and the convenience. Although the new com mercials retain the step-by-step prep aration of the potatoes, thev feature tight shots of the creamy, fluffy potatoes— really, thev are heaut\ shots,' she exclaimed, "show ing the flufT\ white qualities with high key liL'hl ing. no deep shadow "The concentration of the camera (like the concentration of the diner's eye on a plate of food i gives the full import of appetite-appeal," Mi— (n>r don declared. "If you like potatoes. you cant see these commercials with out going awa\ hungry." Miss Gordon said that a great deal of experimentation in JWT's film and tape workshop was conducted to find the best consistent to get the best appetite-appeal on film. "Hut the actual product was used and the actual directions on the package were followed." ^ 53