Sponsor (Apr-June 1962)

each one was localized for spot markets, i Hie total cost, excluding star talent, was $15,000, and the customer. who used his tapes for spot markets. is now a repeal user of video tape It i (lifiicult for most people to realize that the earlv live t\ limitations of video tape have long since disappeared. Editing, \ and B roll mixes, location shooting all over the country, optical effects, pop-ons, creative lighting and mood and atmosphere are all professionally and skillfull) utilized every day in today's \ ideo tape medium. Editing and A & R Roll mixes combined into a new technique called Intersync, ready films quickly for broadcast use. This electronic device has now been in use for eighteen months and permits scene-by-scene shooting in the same fashion as film with o?ie or more cameras. It is probable that 50$ of all video tape production utilizes this technique in one form or another, not only for studio work, hut in order to optically mix location shooting on its own or with studio work. The greatest advantage of Intersync from the creative viewpoint is that these optical mixes are made in a period of hours following final shooting in the studio. As a result, a complicated commercial shot on video tape can be ready for broadcast immediately, whereas similar optical work on film would take a period of weeks. One particular^ outstanding use of Intersync recently was a commercial produced for the Beech-Nut Gum Co., wherein all scenes were shot as "wild" footage without relationship to sound track. and this "wild" footage was then edited and mixed to audio tracks for the final commercial. We have stopped trying to prove we can do what film can do— rather We are demonstrating what video tape can do that film cannot. Indeed, in recent months exhaustive experimental production sessions have been done on a partnership basis with several major clients and agencies. The purpose of these tests has been not onlj to confirm the inherent superior picture qualitj of video tape as compared to film when shown through the television system, but to demonstrate in what situations that picture quality, combined with creative lightmi;, mood and atmosphere, could better show off a sponsor's product, ap plication and use of his product. Among the many advantages of video tape is the ability to see as you create. Many creative people feel iliis is an asset that far outweighs any other asset of film or tape. More than one copywriter has said that rather than (imsider there are limitations in writing for tape, there is actually more flexibility in creating for tape than there is for film. It is this flexibility of seeing what you are doing, improving as you go along and changing as necessary that makes video tape a dramatic new opportunity in the whole field of up-grading tv commercials. As more and more creative people realize this and approach tape with completely open minds there not only will be more "interesting and imaginative" commercials on video tape, but there will be more "interesting and imaginative" sales messages on the television screen. ^ LATE-NIGHT TV ^Continued from page 37) built and licensed during the '50s.) For a few months the show continued with various hosts including Paar. America after Dark followed, with Jack Lescoulie as host. The program featured night life throughout the counlrv and columnists who covered the beats. It flopped. Paar took over Tonight 29 July 1957 when it was being carried bj 70 stations. When he left 29 March, it was on 181 stations. Carson will begin with about 185. Just as Paar now begins a weekly nighttime show, so did Allen after he left Tonight. He was with NRC TV Sunday, then Monday nights, and ARC TV Wednesdav nights. ^ HIDDEN CAMERAS {Continued from page 39) form once thev had learned that the interview had been filmed as well as audio taped. In addition, more white-coated stake-outs were planted flanking the end-aisle Heinz display. These men tailed shoppers who were "on-camera while interviews were in progress. They obtained photo releases once thev were out of sight of \ldred and the interviewees. Following the interviews. Maxon capitalized on the pictures' publicit) value and absolved its feeling of debt to interviewees by posting photographs of all interview respondents evenluallv selected for use in commercials on a large board in each supermarket. I nder a sign entitled "Do you see yourself?" the offer of $25 worth of free groceries was made to each interviewee whose picture was shown. Food stores reported liking the excitement engendered by the promotion, as well as by the original inten iews. Out of the 150 interviews. 28 oneminute commercials were developed and used. Some commercials remained with the same interviewee for the whole minute, some gave two inten iewees 30 seconds each, and others "flipped" between three or more interviewees within the minute. The maximum number of interviews used in one commercial was eight. In this case, it was important to end with an interview that effectively capped the preceding interviews. Without purporting to give a final answer on the effectiveness of "hidden cameras" testimonial-type commercials, Heinz reports that it still seems safe to say that they represent an economical marketing technique with significant advantages to the television advertiser who believes it will he to his gain to "let the consumer speak." ^ LICENSE PLATES {Continued from page 41) to the individual currency exchange? "On the average," says Surgal, "each sold 100 more plates than the previous year. This figures out to about a. six-to-one return on each exchange s dollar investment in the campaign. ' And Surgal points out a residual benefit of the campaign : "Since sales actually continue throughout the year, thev are still ahead of last year." As a result of the success in their first television venture, the advertising committee of the Chicago Currency Exchange Association has approached its membership about a year-round advertising budget to promote the many other services performed by exchange-. And right now, Surgal feels that it is the Association's inclination to stick with television, if such a budget were approved. ^ SPONSOR 11 junf. 1962