In 1922, Paramount Pictures was celebrating its 10th Anniversary around the United States. Partnered with local theaters around across the U.S., Paramount promoted a nationwide celebration of its birth. The celebration was advertised to play Paramount Photoplays every day of March in every town in the United States. At the time Paramount was considered the World’s Greatest Photoplays, according to The Oregon Journal. The celebration of the company that made the first feature film in 1912 would’ve likely been considered a big deal to avid movie goers and even those who did not attend films regularly. The mere success of a film company would’ve been a spectacle to be had.
The Paramount ad tried to sell the idea of going to the theater as an exciting experience and a break from the dullness of life. The sheer allure of a change of pace and intrigue to get away from normal patterns is a common strategy most entertainment companies would use to bring in customers. Paramount does an excellent job of making experience a Paramount film an experience worth having and the act of going to theaters exciting. The ad focuses in on the big-name actors and actresses that are being featured in the film. Not only is there a listing in the text of the Ad but also along the borders of the text with character draws if the stars. Considering how largely scaled this celebration was, it makes sense that it would want to make this information stand out to readers. Although it was placed in the middle of the paper, the Ad took up almost half of the page including several eye-catch drawings to draw the attention of the reader.
However, the main appeal of the advertisement isn’t that is has famous actors or actresses, or even the vast array of Paramount movies that are being shown in the theaters, though they do play a part in the appeal. The main allurement of the advertisement is that the celebration is at local theaters. The Union Theater was one of the 32 theaters in Portland that were a part of the Paramount 10th anniversary celebration. Oregon alone had over 100 theaters in different cities across the state screening the different Paramount films. Being a part of this nation event and historical achievement was most likely a plus for the Union Theater and other theaters in Portland as well. Seeing as the event was largely advertised and the company was growing in popularity would’ve made it even more alluring to go.
Citation: Oregon Daily Journal. "Paramount Anniversary Celebration." March 5, 1922.
