XIII.INTRODUCING COMPETITIONS IN AD. MOTION PICTURES
The one element in motion-picture advertising films I have found lacking is enterprise. I do not mean to say that this is the case of the pictures themselves, but in the principle of the whole proposition. Compare the printed matter gotten out by the big advertisers. What do you discover? Why, numerous devices to attract readers. A photographic firm offers several hundred dollars in prizes for the best photographs taken with their camera. A food manufacturer wants to know of new receipts for his standard line, so he pays liberally for such suggestions. Another food concern will give an attractive present for a certain number of labels taken from the packages oftheir goods. These are but a few examples of what, in my mind, constitute enterprise.
All this attracts the interest of the public and acts as a direct booster for the goods thus brought into prominence, but just because you can obtain the attention of motion-picture audiences with little effort, that is no reason why you should let ENTERPRISE go by the board. Your constant aim should be to go one better than your competitors and, at the same time, arouse the most sluggard to action. There is a certain glamor about an article being offered free and money to be had for a little effort, and the opportunity to strike out along new lines at the movie theater is awaiting your prompt attention. No advertiser has attempted what I am going to propose. Neither would you attempt what you have done before through the press and dealers for the simple fact that thisnew publicity medium possesses a technique of its own. This, you can see, necessitates a different proposition altogether.
One way of gauging the precise lines you should pursue is by keeping track of what the ordinary motion-picture producing concerns are doing. This is why I advise frequent visits to the theaters, in which you can combine pleasure with business. If these producers have experienced the fact that enterprise pays, after long and diligent study of what the fickle public wants, it only goes to bear out my assertion that users of motion-picture advertising should emulate their example.
It also carries much weight in establishing friendly relations with the exhibitor, for the average one is no great lover of advertising films unless offered a fee, and even then his enthusiasm is of the watery kind. But, however, if offereda photoplay of the nature which forms the basis of this article, gratis, he knows that the joint boosting of him and the advertiser is a sure tonic for a full house. He, therefore, may be relied upon not to let the chance go begging and have it snapped up by his rival a few blocks away.
The $10,000 offered for the solving of “The Million Dollar Mystery” film serial caused a furore throughout the country. Briefly, the plan was this: Through the installments, each getting more complicated than its predecessor, a million dollars disappears, and the thief and his hiding-place can not be located, although spectators are led to suspect certain characters and places. The mystery is only known to those higher up, the correct solution capturing the big money prize. The extra installment, which was put out after the judging was finished, informed competitors whether they were successfulor not. Now, can not you detect the possibilities of the idea? Supposing somebody hides something in your advertised goods and you have all the action revolve around that situation.
The Universal Company recently experienced great difficulty in selecting an appropriate name for a certain feature film drama, so they released it devoid of a title and launched an advertising campaign announcing their intention of paying $50 for the one accepted.
A no small amount of enthusiasm was created by the Cines Company in their plan to remunerate the best scenario with a thousand dollars, with several smaller prizes for the ones next best in merit. Almost everybody is writing photoplays nowadays, and it would be a dandy idea if you were to launch an extensive advertising campaign linking press, dealer, film and exhibitor. You could then offer a substantial cash prize for the bestphotoplays written around your products. The interest can be sustained when the films are put out, by inviting criticisms with the bait of additional prizes. The latter was done with excellent results in the Cines contest.