GETTING THE FIRE PREVENTION MESSAGE OUT YEAR-ROUND WITH THEATER ADVERTISING
BY CRAIG GOSS
Fire prevention messages should be presented to the public throughout the year–not just during Fire Prevention Week in October. In these times of reduced budgets, the Morris Township (NJ) Fire Department was looking for ways to get the fire prevention message to the public in a cost-effective manner.
We looked to private industry for ideas for advertising in the most effective and efficient manner, since this sector carefully assesses the cost of advertising in relation to the return it generates. We discovered that small businesses in our area use the movie theater as one form of advertising. Most theaters now are projecting 35-mm slides on the screen about 20 minutes before showing previews and the featured film. The system employs a continuous loop of slides, each of which is shown for approximately 15 seconds. Since the system is looped, the slides are shown repeatedly. The theater makes money by selling “loop space” to advertisers.
Our local movie theater has 10 theaters, each of which features the slide-advertising service. We approached the theater manager and explained our objectives. We arranged to feature one series of slides per month in each theater, free of charge. Each month, we bring a different series of slides to the theater and pick up the slides shown the previous month. Each series covers a topic related to fire prevention.
We used the Microsoft PowerPoint program to create the slides on the department`s computers. The program is compatible with that used by the graphic arts company we chose to produce the slides. If the need arises, we can design and produce new slides and deliver them to the movie theater within 24 hours.
Some guidelines apply when developing the slides for this form of advertising. Most theaters use some form of cropping, which prevents the projected image from extending beyond the screen and serves as a guide for keeping the message-image within the stipulated boundaries. The message should be short and self-explanatory. Keep in mind that the message must be read within the viewing period of about 15 seconds. Graphics such as bullets and arrows can be used, but too many graphics may take away from the message.
We created 11 series of 15-slide sets. Each set presents a message related to fire prevention; one message is repeated during the year to complete the 12-month cycle. Each set includes one slide for each of the 10 theater screens and five spares for the movie house to use as replacements should any of the slides be damaged. The spares ensure that the message will be shown without interruption during its scheduled run.
The theater slide presentation gives us an opportunity to show fire prevention messages to a continuously changing audience throughout the year. At a cost of $204.45 for a full year of advertising, we are well within our budget, especially since the slides can be used year after year–representing a reusable instead of a consumable resource for our fire department. n
CRAIG GOSS is a 17-year veteran and captain of the Morris Township (NJ) Fire Department. He is certified and licensed by the state of New Jersey as a fire official and Fire Subcode HHS, Construction Official. He has a bachelor`s degree in fire science, has a certificate in public management (graduate level), and is working toward a master`s degree in public administration. He is currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy`s Executive Fire Officer Program.
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The black-bordered area on these slides, which are part of our current program, is the area cropped by the projector and not shown on the screen. Remember, messages must be clear, short, and within the boundaries established by the projector. (Photos by author.)
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This 35-mm slide was created before we became aware of the movie theater`s projector specifications. It is very busy with graphics, which we subsequently learned took away from the message and increased reading time.
