keithl@tekcad.UUCP (06/27/83)
A few weeks ago, I flamed about a Portland theater chain showing cigarette
ads among the previews, and proposed some measures to stop it. Well,
Tom Moyer "Luxury" theaters will stop showing the commercials on July 7th
due to overwhelming negative response. If they ever try this in your town,
get vocal! Businesses do make mistakes, but they usually listen if the
customers scream loud enough.
To all of you locals who took time to write, or went out of your way to
go elsewhere, thank you!
--
Keith Lofstrom
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CSnet: keithl@tek
ARPAnet:keithl.tek@rand-relaychris@grkermit.UUCP (Chris Hibbert) (07/01/83)
A week ago I saw a movie at a local non-affiliated theater (the Brookline cinema) for those of you local to Boston). Their prices are normally about $1.75. They had raised the prices to $2.25 for Flashdance, but I didn't object to that. Until, that is ... The lights dimmed, and the movie started, ... wait this isn't the movie, it must be a commercial. But what's it for? (It isn't 'till the end of the commercial that you find out that it's for cigarettes.) There was some hissing (which I admit to starting) and booing. After the movie I went to complain to the Manager. He said that lots of other people had already complained, and that the next day would be the end of the experiment and thanked me for my comments. Apparently they do listen.
dewan@uwvax.UUCP (07/04/83)
In India too most shows are preceded by ~20 minutes of commercials and a
news documentary. This is very effective in a country where television
has yet to reach everyone.
Prasun Dewan, UW-Madisonmsc@qubix.UUCP (07/04/83)
Cinemas in Britain have shown commercials for as long as I can remember
(i.e. all my life). I've never met anyone who objected to them. Maybe
it's because we are not subjected to an overload of "messages" on tv.
The commercial network in Britain is limited to 6 minutes/hour of ads.
These must be clearly delimited from the show. This is usually achieved
by saying "end of part x" then after the ads. "part x+1". (For me the
most objectionable aspect of tv ads. in the U.S. is the cutting from a
scene in the show directly into an ad.
The ads. in the cinema are typically of higher quality than those on
tv. In latter years they tend to be for products which can't be
advertised on tv. (i.e. cigarettes). They also show government
produced anti-smoking and anti-drunk-driving ads. which are surprisingly
well produced.
There are 2 companies that make their livelihood distributing ads.
to cinemas: Pearl & Dean and Rank Advertising Films Division.
Having been brought up with ads in the cinema, I have a hard time
understanding the fuss that they cause here in the U.S.
--
Mark
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decwrl!qubix!msc@Berkeley.ARPAbarmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (07/09/83)
I saw a movie in London a few weeks ago. Before the movie there were about 15 minutes of commercials (they were pretty high quality commercials, though). My guess is that this is necessary because there are only two commercial TV stations. -- Barry Margolin ARPA: barmar@MIT-Multics UUCP: ..!genrad!mit-eddie!barmar