Variations on A Theme (1960s)

[Music] I'd like to announce a very special store event, our 20th anniversary sale, and you're all invited to help plan it. We'd like to make this a promotion that will really make people notice us. Now, as you know, our anniversary falls in November, so we'll have to get started right away. >> Well, Mr. Stewart, is that wise to schedule a big event in a month that's normally good anyway? >> Well, that's a good point, Betty. You know, a lot of people believe that sales promotion should be done in low volume months, but I'm convinced that in our business, we do well to promote at a time when women are more apt to be in a buying mood. What do you think, Mrs. Wy? >> Well, I'd say promotion helps anytime, but it's likely to do more good when people are ready to shop and are studying the ads. >> We've seen sales go up with sustained ads, even at the height of the Christmas buying. Now, officially the anniversary date is November 9. Uh, but we could slide the sale one way or another. >> Well, it would just be for a week. Couldn't we have it for a month? >> Well, advertising people believe that you can't generally sustain interest for more than a week or 10 days. >> Well, the night falls on a Saturday. Why not run the sale Tuesday through Saturday and catch the Saturday crowds? Then the following Monday, we could have an after sale clearance. >> Oh, good idea. >> Well, what will the theme be? >> Any ideas? What about a circus theme? The circus will be here in October. >> Well, if the circus isn't going to be here at the same time, wouldn't it be antilimatic to have that as a theme? >> Don't you think we could have something a little more in keeping with the anniversary idea? >> Well, now bear in mind the theme must be one that we can use everywhere. Ads, signs, displays, and in every department. >> What about a birthday theme? Oh, but then this is a little more important than a birthday. How about a then and now theme? That would be of interest to my age group and we sell a lot for the college crowd. Sure, we could show the oldtime fashions along with the new. Then and now. Please. It was only 20 years ago. You make me feel absolutely aged. >> I do like that idea though. It would help to emphasize how long the store has been serving fashionable ladies. >> Well, anybody disagree? >> You all like the then and now theme. Okay, let's do it. Well, that's how it all started. We were on our way. I was very pleased at everyone's enthusiasm. Well, practically everyone. Hazel, our cashier, isn't always so easy to win over >> kid games. H birthday party indeed. Hey, >> do I detect that you don't go along with the idea of sales promotion? >> Oh, it isn't really that, Mr. Stewart. I keep your book, so I know we've come out okay when we've advertised. >> What's the problem then? >> It's all the gimmicks. >> Gimmick? >> Oh, you know, a theme. Gimmicks. >> Well, I thought the then and now theme would attract interest. >> Women come into our store to buy clothes and accessories. Why do we need a theme? [Music] So you see, Hazel, the ads that pull in our interest are those that have a special attraction. In other words, a theme. >> Couldn't you do the same thing with just a good ad layout? >> Well, the advertising manual say that we have to have story interest. After all, you have to get a reader involved before you can get across a sales message. >> Don't a lot of customers look at the ad just for buying information. >> Yes, a lot of them do. But as long as they're competing ads, there's still the need to hook them with yours. >> Well, they still read the ad whether or not it had a theme. >> Hazel, when you read a magazine or a newspaper, do you read every word? >> Oh, no. I don't have the time. I just read what interests me. Exactly. But how do you know what will interest you? >> Oh, by the headline or the picture caption. I Oh, I see. They represent the theme. >> Yes. And a theme can be very simple as like this one here where your dollar makes sense. Now, even economy can be a theme. >> Do the big fashion stores have themes or is their name big enough? >> Well, most of them do. Here, look at these. The ad might be tied to style news from the World Design Centers, uh, latest fashion theme, or it might be prestige, appealing to pride and ownership, and many times a holiday is featured. Themes appeal to a customer's need or desire. In each case, a theme is important, especially for an anniversary event. >> Then why not get top professional help from agencies? >> Advertising agencies are probably the best all-around source for ideas, but uh most small stores can't afford them. >> That leaves the small stores up against it, doesn't it? >> Not necessarily. Oh, I'd advise anyone who can afford it to use an agency. But after all, creativity is not limited to the professional. I see no reason why a store like ours can't get along quite nicely on a do-it-yourself program. You know, after all, we know our business and our customers, and that's a great advantage. We apply a little ingenuity and common sense, we can compete effectively. Oh, 9:30 already. Time to open the store. >> Thanks, Mr. Stewart. I never dreamed I had so much to learn about advertising. With everyone, including Hazel, now enthusiastic about our store-wide anniversary event, we began turning our theme into promotions. My own assignment was the design and production of ads. The business of ad layout is an important step in carrying out a promotion. A good ad should make a smooth, flowing impression. The rough layout allows you to see how it's going to look while it's still possible to make changes inexpensively. The layout should be orderly, clean, uncomplicated. I always ask the key question, does it convey our store's fashion image? One source of ideas for ads and layouts is from out of town newspapers. I don't suggest copying another ad. That's not ethical. But layout compositions and style of art may be worth borrowing if they fit your store's image. A good economical shortcut is to use one of the commercial map services. Some of those ads were actually run by leading stores and rights sold to the service. One of the biggest mistakes is not allowing enough time. One way to see that all of the preparations are on schedule is to hold frequent short meetings to report on how things are coming. So, now we want to pick those special sales items to run in the weekday app. >> How should we choose the items? >> Well, the best rule I know of is to pick items we've successfully sold before. >> Well, we have a large stock of knits coming in now. They've always sold well in November. >> And don't forget the accessories. >> Will somebody please make a list? Hazel. Oh, good. Now, we'll want to boil it down to a special feature for every day. order sufficient stock and then the bonanza on Saturday, the big day. >> Mr. Stewart, wouldn't it be a good idea to run a big picture of you one day? You're the founder. >> What exactly did you have in mind, Jan? A picture of me then and now. >> No, I meant I meant now. Why not? >> Because I'm not for sale. Seriously, showing people is fine, but only if it ties in with your service image. Like, these are the people who know fashion. The next order of business was a report on progress. >> Mrs. Wy found some of the styles we were selling 20 years ago. She was going to use them with our current styles to carry out the then and now theme. She explained the ideas to attract attention for our new fashion. >> Then it was Don Phillips, our assistant manager's turn. >> Old treasures that I found. You know, these are the actual ads that the store used when it first opened. >> And what we've done, we've photographed some of the more interesting ones to feature on our signs. >> Do you mean these old ads really sold? >> Well, Betty, times and fashions change. >> I remember those dresses. They sold very well. Now, advertising design does and should change with the times. >> Of course, we made our share of mistakes when we first began sales promotion, but >> I think we learned something. >> Well, you know, having good advertising suppliers helped us a lot. For example, our sign banner was just full of ideas. In fact, it was his suggestion to use some of these old ads for promotion signs. >> These are great, Don. And with the outside signs you told us about before, we should have a good response. Well, I'm delighted to see that everyone's getting along so well. Now, keep up the good work and allow plenty of time >> cuz we get better service and lower costs if our promotions are done on time. >> Mr. Stewart, is it too late for ideas? Oh, >> I hope it never is. Uh, what exactly did you have in mind, Hazel? Well, I heard about a store that gave away cash prizes, and I wondered if we could offer $20 on Saturday to anyone who got a serial number ending in 20 on their sales slip. It would create interest. >> Wouldn't that cost a lot? >> Well, I figured it out. All right. Now, our average sale is just under $5, and there would be one winner per every hundred sales. So, that's about 20 cents a sale. >> Well, if it works, it would be worth it. Well, aren't we spending a lot anyway? >> A promotion for this event is going to cost more than our usual monthly budget, but not much more. Most of the signs, ads, and displays we'd be using anyway. The anniversary theme pulls it all together and focuses on our promotion. >> Wouldn't my idea fit into the promotion? >> Oh, I think so. The prospect of $20 as a prize would certainly attract my interest. I like the idea it's a prize for buyers, not just somebody who comes in only for a prize. >> It's wonderful to see people enthusiastic. >> This store-wide event had motivated our people to work and think together. >> With the addition of Hazel's idea, our planning was complete, >> but we still had the important work of production. >> I'd like to congratulate you on this whole campaign. I think it's going to be very effective. Oo, the ad looks just fine, but I want to double check it for prices and for copy. And uh I want to be sure the salespeople see it, too, so they'll be aware. >> You know, you've got the whole town wondering about these little mystery ads that ask, "What does Roman numeral XX equals $20 mean?" When this ad breaks, the newspaper is going to carry a front page story on this solved mystery. >> Well, by November the 1st, we should have everything set to go. >> Well, that's good. But I don't foresee any problems there. >> You did a beautiful job on it. >> Thank you. >> On the eve of the big event, November 4, we worked overtime getting ready for what we hoped would be our biggest sale of all. It was even a surprise for me. The ladies had decided to dress in the styles of 20 years ago, so that when people would ask about them, they'd show a current counterpart. I'll never know where they found all that stuff. But the biggest surprise of all was Hazel. Hazel, you look positively stunning. Really alluring. >> Why, thank you, Mr. Stewart. It is rather grand, isn't it? This really is a good theme we thought of. [Music]