Sponsor (Apr-June 1964)

COMMERCIAL CRITIQUE Why does everyone pick on tv? H\ Thomas Knitch, I >te, ( one ^ Belding ■often find myself defending teleI vision advertising, even though I agree thai it could and should be improved. Alter all, advertising is much like that in an) other medium: some good, some bad, and a hellovalot inbetween. I e \ ision commercials li a \ e made tremendous strides in the last ten or twelve years. From the standup, on-camera pitchman (which is still hard to beat in some instances) \se have arrived at an exciting era of creative innovations on film and videotape. Videotape started as a mere imitation of live commercial techniques, with an added safet) factor — make an error and you can re-do it. again and again it necessary lodav techniques in tape lave greatly advanced. Tape can now be edited, can be used on location shooting, can even be used to create a form of animation This taped animation panes another point in television's emerging influence. No longer is animation limited to funnj little cartoon pharacters who sing and dance Now |WC can blend graphics, still photos, md live action for interesting new fleets. Phis is strictly a product if t\. yel you'll find this same ipproach being used today in other ireas Motion pictures, for example, ire using it for fresh, new title e\e'utions And if you've seen the reent splendid film lorn Jones. I'm tun you recognized some technical ighlights that are television-bred. I took special care one night to nonitor t\ commercials. Perhaps was .in exceptionally good evenis. for I saw little that was disisteful. In the span of about three ours 1 viewed these commercials: Four airlines commercials. All s'll done, all with a strong sales message. In fact, one oi the tour. extolling the beauties ol Britain. was downright marvelous! Fine photograph) and a good musical score created a mood and atmosphere that I hated to see end /u<< soft drink commercials. Both handsome!) finished, both ated an exciting visual mi yel the) were distinguished <. full) from each other. One automobile commercial. 1 disagreed with the advertising ap proach, found il pretentious, extremel) loud, and lacking in an) real sales message. But it was beautifully photographed and professionall) executed. Perhaps it did reach the audience for which it was intended. I'm not that audience One cigarette commercial. An interesting blend of graphics, tight close-ups. and live photography, P^BM^fl PV • \M tB 1 / 1 mas Kmii h. groui tor at i I tie » entered the advertisim animation in I95i l m, mnl Lars Call ilm UOOS II X It in ' I tV nrl it. both in Philadelphia ■ II. .. * J n joined 1 ( \li -■ 1961. t J paintii x ) Lot i //■•;■■ // u man / i x A / h,l art Beldi ■ throu ' /• i wort ) -rk. II ha i x • X J. 1 > 20, 1964 plus a pleasant mu N little "sell " involved, but th was pleasant and a OJCC rcmin ol the product One lix'il i \ tually, this was lor a foil wrap It was m formative, but not very visuall) citing I was disappointed because I have recent!) seen some i mouth-watering food photograph) foi television. Iv can be used to ite a powerful appetite apj through the use ol tight close-ups. combined with food preparation. serving suggestions, i i ommerx ial. Bright, taste appealing, and memorable \| j be it was an unusuall) . night. But I did see a lot ol qua a lot ol creative thinking, and ( tainl) a lot oi effort thai does nol deserve the criticism tv advertising has been getting \v for the amount ol advertising on t\. I thai it should be cut down. I agree that it could be more careful!) positioned But, altho I have not been as. immenl on print advertising, how about those magazines? How man) I' you looked at latch that weren't three-quarters (<r more advertisil Vnd newspapers how main really \:^od ads have \ou seen the-, from the classifu S \ can't afford commercials Vcn't you glad '" my answ N I'm not!" I like working «>n tv I like combining sight and sound and mo' personal impact on the buying public \ lium can give us all thi ith I v offers us a un q i< i pp for product lv lei ence an unpra involvement with our pi I V ■ you sup; Kv ! \ ' ■ 15