Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1962)

with a faithful sponsor, Prince Matchabelli, Inc. — a division of Ghesebrough-Pond's — via the J. Walter Thompson Agency. When Hills was on WNBC-TV, one of its charter advertisers was Polyderm Face Cream, made by Prince Matchabelli. When a trial size jar of Polyderm for 25 cents was offered to viewers, more than 2,000 requests were received. Minimum of effort. Hills, who has a university (Ohio State) background, was athletic director of the Columbus Athletic Club for many years. He made his tv debut in 1955 on a Columbus station. In 1958 he moved his program to KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh, when it was seen every clay. In 1961, he shifted his program to WIIC (TV), NBC TV's affiliate in Pittsburgh; it can still be seen daily on tape. Attacks sit-itis. Another persistent flogger of tv "sit-itis" and "spectator-ids," two common maladies of 20th Century Man, is Bonnie Pruclden. Miss Prudden is in her middle forties and as winsome (5'3i/2", 3323-34, 125 pounds) as a Vassar lass on a daisy chain. She claims to have been the first of her sex to have promoted the idea of pushups as a means of well-being for tv viewers. It was on the old NBC TV Home show with Arlene Francis that Miss Prudden introduced the theme of physical fitness. Subsequently she was seen on the Today show with Dave Garroway and in guest appearances on radio/tv programs with Arthur Godfrey. Miss Prudden has written many authoritative books and articles and was an active member of President Eisenhower's Citizens Advisory Committee on the Fitness of American Youth. New tv show in works. Miss Prudden said that she is readying a new physical fitness program for tv called The Bonnie Prudden Fitness Show. The pilot of this Monday-through-Friday 15-minute series will soon be shown to potential clients. Meanwhile, she is convinced that tv is about 65% responsible for the poor physical condition that Americans find themselves in. The automobile contributes the other 35% to man's flabbiness, she thought. She also believes that tv could do a big job in reducing heart attacks and many other ailments. She is determined that tv shall do all it can to lift the fitness level of American children who, according to medical findings, are below European children. "What we are doing now on tv is throwing the public a few reducing exercises, none of which work unless the viewer understands that proper diet must go with it," she asserted. Tv, she is convinced, could do much to harden the mushy underbelly of viewers, if they would dedicate time to family exercises. Without moving muscle. Bearing in mind what President Kennedy recently said about the importance of physical fitness, many local stations are launching special exercise segments in an effort to improve the situation. In the New York area, for example, Vic Obeck, director of athletics and physical education for New York University, recently started physical fitness exercises during half-times on WABCTV's High School Sports presentation of the "Scholastic Football Game of the Week." Obeck recently produced a record, "Isometric Exercising — How to Exercise Without Moving a Muscle." Obeck invites both tv viewers and spectators at each game to do a bit of it. Meanwhile, gymnasium owners and makers of electronic vibrating gadgets for reducing weight, appear to be momentarily cutting down on their broadcast advertising. With few exceptions they have pruned their radio/tv budgets considerably. Tanney promises return. One of the biggest buyers of spot tv until recently was Vic Tanney. Currently the Tanney gymnasiums are going through a franchise-holding re-organization and consequently are cutting back on their video acb vertising which at one-time reportedly reached nearly $2 million annually. Its New York agency is Kastor, Hilton, Chesley, Clifford & Atherton, its West Coast agency, Stahl, Lewis 8c Patton. Vic Tanney is reportedly doing some limited tv advertising on the West Coast and some newspaper advertising in the East but no tv advertising of any consequence. Its New York agency said there would be a considerable spurt in tv advertising as soon as the Tanney re-organization problems are squared away. Niagara to go on tv. Niagara Therapy Mfg. Corp., maker of the Cyclo-Massage, is currently spending some $100,000 in a radio campaign in San Francisco, Cincinnati, Boston, Cleveland, and Columbus, according to Maxwell SackheimFranklin Bruck, its agency. Niagara is also conducting a $50,000 tv drive in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Boston. The agency said it was contemplating the expenditure of approximately $100,000 starting the first of next year, perhaps on NBC TV's Today. A drive to increase sales of the Relax-A-Cizor is under way, according to Metlis and Lebow, the agency on the account. The agency said last week that "over the past 10 years we have utilized participating announcements in both radio/tv 'personality' shows." "We have found that this recommendation and endorsement method of advertising is extremely effective," Stevens P. Jackson, v. p. of the agency, said. "During the past year we have used such personalities as Doroth\ Dick (WOR, New York) , Ron Mc Coy (KFI, Los Angeles) and Jack Spector (WMCA, New York) . We plan to expand this 'personality' radio and tv advertising this fall in both large and small markets throughout the country." i REP PRO (Continued from page 45) "wouldn't recognize a creative or unique method for furthering th campaign if he fell over it." He also the guy who doesn't know ho to service the buy, before or after Amateur isn't hep to changes Another sign of a rank amateur according to some, is the salesmai (specifically the radio salesman who fails to understand the change in the broadcast advertising busi ness and act accordingly. "On the shoulders of a sale^ man," says a well-known buyei "rests the very image of the re| shop." If he is sloppy and ineffi cient, or antiquated in his think ing, the buyer is apt to relate thi image to the entire shop. "That' why," he adds, "former timebuyei make the best salesmen. The know what a buyer is looking fo in a seller." ^ 56 SPONSOR 8 October 196