U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

KjjagfA Jet Age Radio Air France switches to hard-sell spot approach Air France is currently flying high on the wings of the most extensive advertising campaign in its 40-year history— a campaign which has been precisiontooled to power the inauguration late this month of the airline's regularly scheduled transatlantic jet service. The company's $6 million-plus budget for 1'960 in the U. S. continues to provide— as it did throughout the 1950's— for radio support in 10 major markets across the country. What's ne^v for the sound medium is the doubling of its dollar share of the budget in the last two to three years, declares Paul Burrows, advertising manager for the firm's North American division, ^vhich has headquarters in New York. With this increase, Air France and its American agency, BBDO, New York, have revamped their entire radio strategy, changing over from sponsored good music programming to spot announcements in all markets. "While we are still primarily on good music stations," Mr. Burrows explains, "the switch from program to spot seemed to be in keeping for several reasons with the airline's major move from conventional engines to jets. "We felt that a jolt in our radio maneuvers, which had remained largelv unchanged for eight or nine years, would make our listening public sit up and take notice. We needed a new method to announce a new product." In addition, Mr. Burrows points out, both the airline and agency were convinced that spot commercials could hit harder and generate greater immediate impact than institutional-type announcements between musical selections by a good emcee. One factor in Air France's operations which has not changed is its cooperative relationship with the French Government Tourist Bureau, Ne\v York, with whom the airline co-sponsors all radio activities. U. S. RADIO January 1960 3S