Sponsor (Oct-Dec 1962)

Packaging interrelated programing over 52 weeks Chock Full O'Nuts Corp. bought public service shows over WCBS-TV, N. Y., including Eve on N. Y. (above). Scene from program dealing with unwed mother Offers a cooperative plan Peter Affe, WNBC-TV, N. Y., stn. mgr., has plan for selling five shows 10 companies to participate in a 52-week sponsorship of five established public affairs programs each week. The programs add up to three hours and 15 minutes of live informational shows. Institutional plugs. Affe explained that each of the companies would be visually identified at the beginning and end of each show. A "Pathways Rotation Plan" will permit for two 60-second institutional plugs in each of the five shows — one at the start, one at the finish. "In a period of 10 weeks, each subscriber's message will have appeared in both the open and close of each of the five programs," Affe said. The cost for a single company participation in this project would come to $25,000 per year. The five programs are Dorothy Gordon's Youth Forum, Direct Line, Open Mind, Dialogue, and Recital Hall. Jay J. Heitin, national sales manager for WNBC-TV, said the plan was being sold via special mailings both to clients and their agencies. At the client level, the offer was extended to chairmen of boards, presidents, and the vice presidents who look after advertising. At agencies, the deal was being proferred to vice presidents in charge of radio and tv, client account execs, and media directors. For national advertisers with localized problems, this was described as an ideal setup, according to Affe. He pointed out that a motor car maker, for example, might have an excellent national reputation but his standing in certain areas might be poor. Still other companies could improve relations "with the public, local governmental agencies, schools and other local institutions— to be 'good neighbors' in the communities where they do most of their business or have major plant facilities." Starts in 1963. "This is a marriage of quality programs with quality advertisers," Affe told sponsor. "That's what we hope to achieve in 'Pathways.' ' Affe said that "Pathways" should be rolling strongly by the first of the new year. He was aiming to fit in the project with advertiser fiscal budgets for the beginning of 1963. Affe also indicated that all commercials would be institutional in nature and designed to reflect a favorable public image on the advertiser. In other words, no hard sell copy would be permitted, he added. Favorable impressions. For all concerned, the sale of public service programs has been paying off in good will. To date, the majority of companies sponsoring local documentary schedules and allied features appear to be pleased with the results. Obviously, in terms of good will, the results have been, in many instances, nothing short of sensational. On a national network level, this has been amply illus trated time and again by the public service program buys of DuPont, Ford, Bell Be Howell, Corning Glass, Gulf, Purex, Westinghouse, Hallmark, Prudential, to name only a few. And it is proving equally true on the local level. When the client decided to go local on KNXT, a spokesman for Ogilvy, Benson & Mather explained the buy as follows: "The KNXT buy introduces a concept in sponsorship by regular Maxwell House coffee to gain local identification with programs that make a significant contribution to community life." The KNXT buy includes full sponsorship of two choice-time hour-long documentaries, the monthly KNXT Reports and alternate weeks of Viewpoint and Los Angeles Reports, two halfhour public affairs series. The coffee sponsor also bought spot announcements on the weekday early morning Odyssey classroom program. Also, along the same lines, First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Chicago, via Ladd, Wells and Southward, Inc., purchased a flock of public service features on WBBM-TV, Chicago, another CBSowned tv outlet. Still another sponsor for public service programs on WBBM-TV was Illinois Bell Telephone Co., via N. W. Ayer 8c Son, Inc. Great media buy. Commenting on the sale of the multiple public (Please turn to poge 57) 40 SPONSOR/26 November 1962