Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 127 Sales Results Verdict on Ideas

BBDO's creative director, Miss Darcy Maguire, walked into the office early in the morning to join Ronald's as they awaited the results of sales tests in Cincinnati and Cleveland.

After the one-month launch period ended, Hershey got the sales results as quickly as possible, and the statistics were summarized and sent to BBDO advertisements. Today is the day to announce the results.

Ronald and Darcy sat outside the partner's office, waiting for the two partners to be summoned and announce who was the winner of this internal competition.

"Miss Maguire, Mr. Li, this way please." The secretary opened the door and came out, respectfully inviting them both into the highest-level office of BBDO's New York headquarters.

"Looking at the secretary's attitude, have we won?" Ronald asked.

"Not necessarily, the secretary may have seen the final result, but they will pretend not to know."

"Based on my directing experience, it's not like acting. Otherwise, she could go to Hollywood."

The two sat side by side at the side of the conference table, opposite their rival Dan, whose director, Hugh Hudson, was not present.

Dan looked at Darcy and Ronald triumphantly, and touched the red handkerchief in the left breast pocket of his suit. He was dressed very formally today and seemed to be full of confidence.

"You won't be able to laugh anytime soon," Ronald snickered.

After saying hello to the two groups of competitors, the two partners gave way, and finally opened the envelope containing the results based on the principle of "whose subordinate announces".

"It's kind of like the Oscars." Ronald laughed secretly.

"The sales data of Dan Group's advertisement in Cleveland is 69.7%" Dan's patron, one of the partners, opened an envelope and announced the sales results of Dan's advertisement.

After a month of airing in Cleveland, Dan's ad drove sales equal to about 70% of a distribution.

Darcy Maguire previously predicted that if he could achieve 60%, he would have a great chance of winning, but now it seems a bit too optimistic.

Darcy sat up straight involuntarily, raised his head, and waited for the release of Cincinnati's data.

Ronald looked at Dan's face, which was flushed.He is picking up the coffee on the table, hoping to slowly taste the taste of victory.

"Maybe he already knows the answer through insiders?" Ronald thought, "But it's impossible for him to lose to the other party in his advertisement. Could it be that he made a mistake in his judgment?"

"Did they do something wrong?" Ronald asked in Darcy's ear.

"There must be some tricks, but I have confidence in our creativity, and I have confidence in you, Ronald. We are not without chances of winning. Hershey's new products before have a pulling effect higher than 70%." Darcy Maguire feels that their creativity may break through 70%. Even if they are behind the other party, if the gap is within 3%, they may still be able to compete with Dan's off-the-market moves.

While thinking wildly, Darcy's protector, another partner tore open the envelope, glanced at the result, and read it out slowly.

"Darcy's sales figures. Sales figures in Cincinnati are 163%"

"what?"

The frightened Dan shook his hand holding the coffee, scalding his mouth, and then spilled more than half of the cup of coffee on his formal jacket, and the scarlet suit towel on his left chest turned brown.

"It seems that the dry cleaners can't do the cleaning either." Ronald thought gloatingly.

163% means that all the Chewels from the first restock were sold, as well as most of the second restock.So their version of the ad, Ronald won undisputed.

The partners who favored Darcy began to announce the official results of the competition:

"So Darcy Maguire won the sales test, Chewels sales in Cincinnati, Hershey is very excited. This broke their chewing gum product sales record for the month.

Their marketing director called me and asked you to continue to submit 10 advertising ideas, and then the series of advertisements for this new product will be strongly promoted on the national TV network. The partners announced the follow-up to Darcy Maguire.

"The last thing I want to say is: Good job! The Hershey client you won for the company, I will also win it for you at next year's junior partner promotion meeting." The partner who favored Darcy finally ordered said a word.

"Congratulations, Darcy." Ronald congratulated her after she finished talking with her partner.

"Congratulations, Ronald." Darcy came up and hugged Ronald.

"If you agree, I want to shoot Gerald Slater's daughter's version of the jazz diva idea as soon as possible. He supported us a lot in the early stage." Ronald made a request to Darcy Maguire.

"If there is such an opportunity, we must seize it. You plan the storyboard and the shooting location, and I will go with you to meet Gerald at that time." Darcy also knows that this kind of high-level relationship with the national television network is rare.

"Of course, we will go together when the time comes. Gerrard attaches great importance to his daughter's debut work." Ronald does not mind sharing this relationship with Darcy Maguire. They are partners and have no direct competition.

……

The next day, after making an appointment with Gerrard's secretary, Ronald came to the PBS New York headquarters with Darcy Maguire with a new storyboard drawing.

Gerald Slater was wearing a light-colored suit, and when he saw Ronald walking in, he showed a slight smile, "I heard you won, Ronald?"

"A big win. We sold twice as much chewing gum as each other." Ronald said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "This is my partner, BBDO's advertising creative director, Darcy Marquette Miss Er."

"Hello, Mr. Slater. You can just call me Darcy." Darcy opened the folder, and took out the advertising idea for Helen Slater, and a few real photos of the shooting location.

This time it won beautifully, no one from BBDO dared to hold back, the shooting location and the creative plan were all given the green light.Hershey was also satisfied with several series of advertising proposals submitted by Darcy, and immediately spent a larger budget than expected.

The sales performance this time may have broken some records of Hershey's internal new product launches, which made several managers of the chewing gum business department very excited.The highest shooting budget was given.

"Drink something?" Gerald Slater lowered his body and took out a bottle of wine from the wine cabinet below. There was still half a bottle left in it.The bottle has a blue band that runs from the front of the bottle to the cap, and the word "Martell" is written on the bottle's label.

Uncorked the bottle, poured some into three glasses, handed it to Ronald and Darcy, and picked up a glass himself, "Congratulations."

"Thank you", Gerald's brandy tastes good, and Ronald wants to continue reporting on the shooting of the commercial.

Gerald raised his hand, signaling that the two of them needn't continue talking, "The market is a much harsher judge than I am. Since you have already been recognized by the market, I can safely let Helen shoot her first commercial."

Ronald and Darcy glanced at each other, both felt the convenience of beating their opponents hard again, so they raised their brandy: "I wish Helen a successful shoot!"

……

"Helen, have you finished your makeup?" Ronald said to Helen Slater who came out of the dressing room at the shooting scene of the second chewing gum commercial.

"Yes, the makeup artist said that I am suitable for painting as an older person, not exactly a high school student. Does my performance need to be adjusted accordingly?" Helen walked over excitedly, looking at Ronald with a pair of big blue eyes.

Seeing Ronald, she almost lost his mind, as if everything around him was far away from him, and only he and Helen's beautiful big eyes remained in the whole universe. The beauty of this girl is irresistible.

"Ronald? Ronald? Is there something wrong with my thinking?" Helen wondered why the director didn't speak.

"Oh, I was thinking about other things." Ronald came back to his senses and hurriedly answered Helen's question.

"No, we can all trust your acting skills, but the role of this ad is close to you, as long as you play the piano and sing jazz at ordinary times." Ronald hoped that Helen would act in her true colors, just like the gymnast girl Elizabeth Sue That's fine.

"Okay, director." Helen gave him an OK gesture, and sat in front of the piano. A melody sounded, and Helen began to sing a piece of jazz that Ronald had never heard before.

Helen's voice was very clear, more "immortal" than a church choir.

"It's really great, Helen, you sing really well." Ronald clapped his hands twice, indicating that the photographer can take a photo like this.

"Recording? Camera? Action!"

……

"Cut, let's take a break, 10 minutes." Ronald stopped the sixth shot.

"Director, is there a problem with my acting?" Helen is a very smart girl, she keenly saw some signs on the faces of the photographer and the assistant director.

For this shoot, Ronald once again brought in Spike Lee and his black photographer partner Dixon.

The budget given by Hershey was sufficient, Ronald paid enough, and the two black buddies also worked hard.Cooperate with the filming over and over again, without any complaints.

The environment is also good. I found Lincoln Center, the best music venue in New York, and a small hall where the New York Jazz Orchestra often rehearses. Everything is authentic.

It's just that the shooting is always wrong. Ronald has shot it six times, but still can't find the right feeling.

Even Darcy, who came to hold the lineup, also found the problem, "Ronald, what's the problem? Why did you take six consecutive shots, last time Elizabeth Sue, you took three shots and then called it a day."

Ronald looked at Helen who came over, and said loudly on purpose, "No problem, I just raised the standard a bit because of the bigger budget, just like the last time we shot, we're done now."

Helen smiled again when she heard this, and ran into the dressing room to rest and touch up her makeup.

"What's wrong?" Darcy asked Ronald gently as Helen ran away.

"The performance problem, Helen's singing always feels wrong, and I can't find out where the problem is." Ronald was a little anxious. They only applied for two days of shooting time at the Lincoln Center, 3 hours a day.If she doesn't find the right performance feeling today, then tomorrow she can only pray to God that Helen can find the state.

Thinking of this, Ronald turned his head to look at the assistant director Spike Lee, "What do you think is the problem, Spike?"

　Helen Slater is indeed a singer herself, and has also played and sung two albums by herself.It can be heard in NetEase Cloud Music.

　
(End of this chapter)