U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

Radio Strategies 14 Mary Ellen's Inc. Agency: Guild, Bascom & Bonfigli Inc., San Francisco Product: Mary Ellen's Jams & Jellies Marketing Objective: Provide an effective advertising and merchandising program to get results at point of sale. Radio Solution: 8,500 spots in 39 weeks on 19 sta tions. (Digested from U.S. RADIO, September I960, p. 32) GR.\NDMA may have spent long hours laboring in the kitchen making goodies for the family. She never came up with delicacies, however, that compare with jams and jellies her gianddaughtcr can pick right from supermarket shelves. As grandma would say . . . "easier than pickin' berries." That's the theory behind the major plank in the copy platform that Guild, liascom &; Bonfigli Inc., San Francisco, followed to prepare its near-exclusive spot radio campaign for Mary Ellen's Jams & Jellies, one of GB&rlVs several food accounts. The regional saturation radio drive employed high frequency of 8,500 spots in a 39-week drive on 19 stations in six western cities, five days a week. Mary Ellen's Inc., Berkeley, Calif., manufactures 33 varieties of preserves, distributed in 1 1 states by 20 jobbers. Although the company has used spot television and radio conjunctively in the past, the agency decided early in 1960 to spend 98 percent of its six-figure budget in spot radio on an exclusive basis. The remaining two percent was allocated to local newspaper promotion and shelf-talkers that promote the radio advertising rather than the product. "We felt," said Robert Whitehead, account executive, "that the selection of spot radio in combination with entertaining — and at the same time selling — commercials and related point-of-sale material would produce effective sales results for Mary Ellen's. No other jam and jelly packed throughout the country had an advertising and merchandising program of this magnitude." After a thorough analysis of all media, GB&B reconmiended that Mary Ellen's use radio almost exclusively. In making the decision, the media department took into consideration radio's audience selectivity, flexibility and economy. ■\\'c believe that radio offered Mary Ellen's the highest degree of saturation pointed towards our best jjotential customer — Mrs. Housewife," Mr. ^Vhitehead said. To reach her, the schedule of 8,500 spots for '59 weeks, Monday through Friday, was in these primary markets: San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Denver. The spots were scheduled on lop "personality" prograrris in these cities. The spot radio campaign started in June and will run through April 1961. The agency was planning to continue the campaign after that date was reached, possiljly Ijeginning another 39-week contract. Mr. Whitehead saw no reason to halt a campaign that seemed to be a "natural" for the client, distributor and retailer. The spots — there were five cuts using different copy, but all holding to three key phrases — were 55 seconds for a rotating retail store tag. The commercials themselves were humorous and original. They centered around the "Masked Grandma," a new name and radio personality created especially for the campaign. The "Masked Grandma's" exploits were told on imaginary police broadcasts and interviews between policeiuen and grocers. In each commercial, the grocer had just been re lieved, gratis, of all his Mary Ellen's Jam by the quick-fingered, nimble Grandma. "Masked Grandma's" trade mark is a polka dot mask and each commedcial closed with this Mary Ellen slogan: "Mary Ellen's — in the jar with the polka dot top." The polka dot trademark was carried over in the client's in-store promotions. For example, the shelftalkers, which advertised both the product and the radio commercials, pictured the "Masked Grandma" alongside a Mary Ellen's Jam jar with a polka dot lid. The copy read: "Be on the listen for Mary Ellen's 'Masked Grandma' . . . radio's funniest mystery minute." The sainc copy was used in Mary Ellen's newspaper ad teasers which the agency offei ed to stations for local promotion. No copy reference was made to the product. Only the client's logo appeared, together with the call letters and dial locations of the station. GB&B feels that the tremendous coverage afforded by leading radio personalities on stations was the major reason why radio was selected, especially in light of the client's desire to penetrate the housewife audience in scattered regional markets. "Combining this coverage," said Mr. Whitehead, "with the use of retail tags at the end of each spot helped to give us the best campaign we could get. Add to that the complete merchandising and promotion cooperation from the stations, and Mary Ellen's was afforded a completely unitized program at both consumer and trade levels." • • • 78 U. S. RADIO • AIRFAX 1961