Sponsor (July-Dec 1951)

I»i; BOB I OKI M \\ It was my privilege, the other day, to spend several hours with the sales manager of a large drug company. I'm always somewhat in awe of sales managers since these are the chaps who actually get the cash in return for the product — in other words, who are in the front lines as contrasted with those of us who hask in the comparative comfort and safety of rear-echelons. Mr. Sales Manager was saying he had just returned from a three-month sales journey into the Southern territory so I listened attentively to his words of wisdom and woe. "Why," he called, looking right at me, '"do our radio commercials sound so different from those broadcast by the off-brands and the local products? I'd catch 'em all as I drove from whistle-stop to whistle-stop with my car radio blaring away. As a matter of fact, why do they sound so different?" radio review SPONSOR: Ass'n of American Railroads AGENCY Benton & Bowles, New York PROGRAM: "The Railroad Hour," NBC Tli i pleasant musical, on 9 July, presented a most diverting light operatic rendition of that cornball classic — Casey at the Bat. This Casey, you'll recall, is no relation of the better-known (thanks to radio! crime photographer. The middle break in the program was what interested me as much as the vocalizing of the principals, for it was about a one-minute 30-second straight harangue regarding how the price of rail transportation has not paralleled that of most other commodities. Although of vital concern to all ol us, this subject is not fraught with interest. The ungarnished presentation, written as well us delivered in a clear, irrefutable fashion did admirably to prove that "recent rail increases are a result, nol a cause of inflation." I wondered, as the announcer's last word was washed awaj l>> a razzmatazz musical play-off of at least three dozen energetic arti-ts. how much more forbidding this same message would have looked in print. Wheth I was about to make a dynamic virtue of this point stating that this difference was really a freshness and originality that stemmed from the unusual creative ingenuity of the folks who prepared his advertising. Luckily I hadn't launched this thought when he added : "By the way, all these so-called offbrands and local products outsell us by miles." From here on I decided to listen close-mouthed as he continued at great length, coming to the following intelligent conclusion: too much advertising is prepared within a one-mile radius of Grand Central Station in New York which would be all right if said advertising were not, like the spotted newt, colored by its immediate surroundings. In the land of hillbilly paeans and cow-hands' laments, we've been shipping in drayma. And our an( Please turn to page 61) er or not it should have been tricked up a bit, with perhaps a dialogue lead-in or two voices or orchestral punctuation also crossed my mind — but I decided to agree with the Benton and Bowles-fellers because of the added sincerity, believability, and conviction the straight voice conveys. Those who must be sold with the tricks. I figured were lost souls anyway. And those who listened must believe and nod in assent. So, I said to myself. "A tough job well done." radio review SPONSOR: William Wrigley, Jr. Co. AGENCY: Arthur Meyerhoff, Chicago PROGRAM: "Pursuit," CBS Summertime, and the living is easy, 'cepl for the writers of whodunits. This one ("Pursuit in which man hunts man") being as slick as patent leather. It's well written, directed, cast, and the music effects are great. The Scotland Yard twist isn't ovei played so that the Britishers lapse into buffoonet \ . But the commercial copy is what amazes me. Delivered in a nicely informal style by Bob Stevenson, it's as straight as a carpen ter's level. In fact, as straight as the aforementioned railroad announcement — yet for a nickel's worth of Spearmint. Despite what Mr. Wrigley must feel, the purchase of the right brand of gum is not of epochal import. Hence every trick in the book might well be employed to fix the name and its virtues in our (the listeners') minds. But, no — with restraint that could only be born of an advertiser's blind and hide-bound insistence on talk rather than jingle or sound effect, the announcer dwells three times briefly about the gum. And here I sit, only five minutes later, trying for the life of me to recall one single thing he said — and I can't. Why not a ditty, folks? Or a Willie the Spearmint Penguin or a Chiclet Chicken or a Chugging Spearmint Train or something. Add it to your copy — start off that way and reprise the device sandwiching as much straight talk between as you wish. But. shucks, give me something to remember you by — and make it cute, catchy, light and fun. Seriously now, is gum that grim a subject? radio review SPONSOR: ABC Co-op PROGRAM: "Rogues Gallery," ABC TIME: Wednesday, 9-9:30 p.m. This program is intelligently utilized by the network to plug its own shows — but I would like to devote a word or two to ABC's handling of the closing announcement on the 25 July program. This effort, about one minute in length, was an attempt to whet interest in a forthcoming program — Barbara Stanwyck premiering in Hollywood Star Playhouse which had just moved over from another network. For some reason, the drama of this announcement escaped the copy writer and resulted in an uninspired piece of copy delivered in a most unengrossing way. Here was real news, for a high-rating CBS show had just switched its allegiance. Personally, I had more than normal interest in the event since I had worked on Hollywood Star Playhouse when Bromo-Seltzer was sponsoring it on CBS. But I felt no excitement in hearing that the change had been made — no roll of drums or trumpets, no exultation made the point that a featured player of the calibre of Barbara Stanwyck I as g I a name as any we ever had on CBS) was in the premiere; no dramatized (and teasing) capsule from the first show itself; no excerpt by Barbara in her own voice. And why — when a little editing of the show (which is recorded), plus a little ingenuity would have made this rather important event sound rather important? Potentially and inherenlly. a radio show that stars Barbara Stanwyck offers opportunity for far better copy than, say, a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of beer. Hence, there's no excuse for such a story ever being presented in a pedestrian way. 50 SPONSOR