Sponsor (Nov 1948-June 1949)

Uuylime seriate make listeners love thosv premiums A penniless girl in "David Harum" receives a shipment of stone from the famous Blarney Castle. Her father, who has ordered the stone, has disappeared. David suggests that she make bracelets from the stone. Bab-O found it one of its greatest promotions When Barry ("Barry Cameron") returned from World War II, he brought with him, to symbolize end of an unhappy past and hope of a happy future, a miniature of the sword that London presented to Eisenhower. Reproduction caused serial fans to buy Sweetheart Soap Evelyn Winters ("Evelyn Winters") finds an orchid pin in a jeweler's window that reminds her of the man (Garry Bennett) she loves. Buying it, jhe has a memory of the orchid he gave her with her always. Thousands bought Sweetheart Soap to get a replica of the pin which it is to be broadcast. The copy writer is totally ignorant of the script with which any commercial is to be aired. So the commercial comes crashing harshly into the listener's day dream. It may bear little or no relation to emotions the listener has been immersed in; it may. in fact, brutally contradict them. A psychological approach to this situation worked out by Attitudes would direct the commercial along the same emotional lines as the entertainment it follows. The familiar practice of integrating the commercial into the action of a program does not necessarily ensure that the sales talk will blend with the emotional pattern of the action, the psychiatiist points out. The pleasurable fantasy of the entertainment should not be connected with the commonplaces of everyday life at all. But commercials can be written that stress the same emotions of the program. This will increase rather than destroy pleasant feelings about program and product. A broadcast episode of the highrating General Foods serial. Portia Faces Life (selected at random), will serve to illustrate the Attitudes approach. In this episode Portia goes with two of her friends, Bill and Kathie, who have just returned from their honeymoon, to look at their new house. Kathie's little sister Joan is expecting a baby and is living with Portia until the babv arrives. She is left at home. Her husband is away. Joan starts to cry miserably because she feels deserted, and because she is secretly in love with Bill. Kathie's husband, and envies her sister's happiness. Portia's son Dickie tries to comfort Joan. He also defends Portia's husband Walter who has gone to Ankara without any explanation. Joan thinks Portia is making a fool of herself over a man who apparently does not want her, but realizes she herself may be even more foolish about the man who has just married her sister. Meanwhile. Portia, who is looking over the new house with Kathie, says she will be tolerant and reserve judgment about Bill until she hears from him. They talk about Joan, and Kathie attributes the fact that Joan seems panicky at times to her delicate condition. She decides Joan should come to live with her and Bill immediately so Joan can have better care. The announcer reminds the audience that Kathie and Portia don't know of Joan's feeling for Bill, and that they may insist on Joan's moving in with Kathie and perhaps causing a tragedy. After reviewing the situation as outlined, the announcer declares that the story is taken from the heart of every woman who ever loved completely. Those who follow the storv know that Joan's loving completely has re sulted in her having a baby with her husband away. Portias loving completely has resulted in her husband leaving her for some unspecified, mysterious reason. The listener can identify herself either with the young expectant mother, or with Portia in feeling she is a noble, admirable person, but that her love has been repaid by ill treatment. Female psychology literature shows this to be a favorite viewpoint of the cold woman who is unable to love fully, who feels any7 unselfish effort is a sacrifice, who feels that suffering in itself has merit. The substance of the first commercial following the announcer's summary of the above plot situation ran like this: "You eat some foods because they taste so good . . . good for you . . . America's favorite bran flakes . . . enough bran to help prevent irregularity due to lack of bulk . . . 'ounce of prevention' . . ."' To the psychiatrist, the psychological implications of such a commercial are ridiculous in this circumstance. He feels that suggesting that happiness can be based upon eating bran flakes can only be irritating to listeners who a moment before were identifying themselves with noble suffering and hysterical panic. As the commercial goes on exulting over the joyous, nutritious break fast everyone is eating ("Life is swell when [Please turn to page 38) 6 JUNE 1949 27