Advertising by Motion Pictures
9781465679222
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
In spite of the versatility of the intrepid motion picture as an advertising medium, it has its limitations. This, after all, is but natural, for all forms of publicity are supposed to be links in the chain, and not one is strong enough to take the place of the whole. It is clearly obvious, of course, that when adopting motion-picture advertising, everything has to be visualized by means of animated photographs, so, therefore, the appeal is presented through the eye. As for the printed work, this takes a back seat. Since everything is intended to be absorbed by the eye, a whole mass of explanatory matter tagged on to the film would rather hinder the ad. instead of adding further enlightenment as intended. And the short time a sentence remains on the screen does not allow lengthy statements to sink in. Subtitles are weak devices to help a photoplay story over stumbling-blocks, and the less and shorter they are, the better the picture will be. There are plenty of other mediums in which to display how well you can weave words, so why drag them into a place where they do not fit? Besides, it is what the spectator sees, not reads, that leaves the lasting impression, which is the paramount point to be reached in advertising by motion pictures. And there is another important matter to be weighed and considered. If you overload your film with titles, you will befog a good number of foreigners who have not been long enough in our country to master the English language, so that their probable patronage is lost just because the international language of the film has been abused. There has already arisen a select few writers who have made a specialty of combining advertising with motion pictures and laying out campaigns for their clients to the best possible advantage. Motion-picture advertising, as a direct-appeal proposition, is ineffective. You may, for instance, have to get out a catalogue in order to list the goods you make, and you may also plan to get this over on the screen by filming each article as you would if you had a still photograph taken and precede each with an insert, giving prices and other particulars of same. Apart from the fact that the film would be voted deadly dull by audiences, it would also fall flat as a business bringer. You simply can’t do without advertising literature, for the motion picture ends at getting interested, and the old stand-bys must clinch the deal at the right time. Where the film excels is that your ad. comes on the screen without competing with any others for attention, and although the spectator may not respond easily to press advertising, he feels he has to view the picture because he can not “turn over a page,” or, in other words, there is nothing else interesting for him to turn his attention to. He will, if approached, admit that the motion picture is the most entertaining publicity channel yet. You also reach him at his leisure, and, therefore, approach him in the right mood.
