Front Cover
Movie pressbooks (or exhibitor's campaign books) are just terrific. They're promotion and merchandising guides sent out as part of a larger press kit package by a production company to theater owners. Coming across one of these vintage booklets is like having a window into the past. It usually contains artwork from the film, photographs, a synopsis, credits, articles, images of all the different posters available to theaters, and often plenty of other promotional materials from the movie campaign for that release.
This pressbook for the North American 1975 re-release of Snow White comprises 32 pages (including front and back covers) on the history of the film; TV and radio spots; promotions by laundry detergent companies, breakfast cereals, and commercial airlines; pages of purchasable signs, cards, buttons, shirts and plenty more. Also included was a separate ad pad insert with 11 pages of black and white examples of standard display ads ready for use in newspaper promotions. The pressbook measures 15" x 11".
Pages 2-3: Theatrical trailers, television spots, radio spots.
Page 4: Pressbook guidelines.
Page 5: Synopsis, articles, images.
Pages 6-7: Articles, images.
Pages 8-9: Articles, images.
Page 10: Exploitation.
Page 11: A merry mobile, door panel posters, character portraits.
Page 12: Decals, postcards, t-shirts.
Page 13: Cardboard standees.
Page 14-15: Exploitation--contests, promotions, film clips.
Page 16-17: Procter and Gamble free character mug giveaway.
Page 18: Cheerios tie-in with Snow White & Dopey decals.
Page 19: Eastern Airlines tie-in.
Page 20-21: Merchandise--character buttons, pendants and rings, ornaments, Hallmark cards, puzzles, and paper products.
Pages 22-23: Records and cassettes.
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Pages 24-25: Books.
Page 26: Coloring contest.
Page 27: Balloons and banners.
Page 28: Character contest.
Page 29: Merchandising.
Page 30: Maze promotion, Disney theme parks.
Page 31: No Deposit No Return promotion.
Back Cover: 1-sheet, half-sheet, lobby cards, insert, displays, 8x10s.
That was VERY cool!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Connie. It does give insight into the marketing of the film and the kinds of theatrical memorabilia that are produced.
ReplyDeleteWow, lots of wonderful stuff - especially in the records and cassettes department! Is that "Little LP" cover art for the original release? Particularly hilarious cover, because the one and only original Prince Charming has changed into Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty! If anyone has a colour scan of it, I'd be VERY interested! Also, on that same Disneyland Records brochure, the original soundtrack release is introduced as the Storyteller version, and the Storyteller is claimed to be the soundtrack, but with "Children's LP" as topic... I wonder how many people purchased the one while wanting the other? ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Rob!
Ken-- It's interesting that this same artwork of Prince Charming (or as you say Phillip) with SW can be seen in one of the British quad movie posters from around 1973. Same poster was also used in the then Yugoslavia '73 release.
ReplyDelete