DESCRIPTION
CAPITOL RECORDS PRESIDENT ALAN LIVINGSTON'S COMMITMENT FOR CAPITOL TO SPEND $40,000 PROMOTING THE BEATLES FIRST SINGLE AND LP ALBUM MAY SOUND INSIGNIFICANT TODAY, BUT IN 1963 DOLLARS THAT WAS A CONSIDERABLE SUM. IT WAS ALSO WITHOUT PRECEDENT. PROMOTION IN THE EARLY SIXTIES CONSISTED PRIMARILY OF RUNNING ADVERTISEMENTS IN MUSIC INDUSTRY MAGAZINES SUCH AS BILLBOARD AND CASHBOX. RECORD COMPANIES DID NOT ADVERTISE SINGLES AND ALBUMS IN TEEN-ORIENTATED OR MUSIC-RELATED MAGAZINES. ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL EXPENDITURES WERE NOT AIMED DIRECTLY AT RECORD BUYERS. MONEY WAS SPENT TO GET THE SONGS ON THE RADIO AND THE RECORDS INTO STORES. THE STRATEGY WAS SIMPLE: GET RADIO AIRPLAY AND DISTRIBUTION; THE SALES WILL FOLLOW.

CAPITOL'S $40,000 PROMOTIONAL BUDGET FOR THE BEATLES GAVE THE COMPANY THE ABILITY TO EXPAND BEYOND TRADITIONAL MARKETING. IT ALSO INSPIRED CREATIVE THINKING. WHILE LIVINGSTON DOESN'T BELIEVE CAPITOL SPENT THE FULL $40,000, NO ONE REALLY KNOWS HOW MUCH MONEY CAPITOL ACTUALLY SPENT ON PROMOTING THE BEATLES FIRST SINGLE AND ALBUM. A DECEMBER 23, 1963 FROM PAUL RUSSELL, NATIONAL ALBUM MERCHANDISER MANAGER, DETAILED THE BEATLES CAMPAIGN TO CAPITOL EMPLOYEES. PICTURED BELOW IS THE COPY OF THE FIRST PAGE OF THE MEMO SENT TO CAPITOL PRESS RELATIONS MANAGER FRED MARTIN:

THE CAPITOL MEMO CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT A TWO-PAGE ADVERTISEMENT THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN BILLBOARD AND CASHBOX. CAPITOL THEN GOT ADDITIONAL MILEAGE OUT OF THAT TRADE ADVERTISEMENT BY PRODUCING A CARDBOARD EASEL-BACKED VARIATION (AS SEEN IN PARAGRAPH THREE) CONTAINING MINOR TEXT MODIFICATIONS TO MAKE THE AD MORE SUITABLE FOR RECORD STORE CUSTOMERS. SALESMEN WERE INSTRUCTED TO OBTAIN COUNTER SPACE IN ALL IMPORTANT ACCOUNTS FOR THESE EASEL-BACKED STANDEES.

FAB 4 COLLECTIBLES IS VERY PROUD TO OFFER THIS ORIGINAL 20½" X 14½" CAPITOL RECORDS "MEET THE BEATLES!" EASEL-BACKED CARDBOARD PROMOTIONAL STANDEE. THE DISPLAY HAS REFERENCES TO THE 'JACK PAAR SHOW' AND 'ED SULLIVAN' SHOW TELEVISION APPEARANCES AND THE MEDIA'S COVERAGE OF BEATLEMANIA. THIS IS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PROMOTIONAL TOOLS ISSUED BY CAPITOL DURING THE BEATLES ARRIVAL IN AMERICA, AND ONE OF THE VERY FEW THAT STILL EXIST. THESE STANDEES HIT RECORD STORES ON JANUARY 2, 1963 - SIX WEEKS PRIOR TO THE BEATLES LANDING IN AMERICA ON FEBRUARY 7TH. AS STATED IN THE MEMO IN REFERENCE TO THE TRADE AD AND THE EASEL-BACKED STANDEE: "WE'VE ASKED THAT BOTH OF THESE ITEMS ARRIVE AT B/D'S NO LATER THAN JANUARY 2, SO YOU CAN START OFF 'THE YEAR OF THE BEATLES' ON THE RIGHT FOOT".

THIS SURVIVING EXAMPLE REMAINS IN GORGEOUS AND SUPERB CONDITION, AND GRADED AS NEAR MINT MINUS. THE TONE OF THE FRONT DISPLAY REMAINS IN ITS ORIGINAL TONE OF A SHINY OFF-WHITE. THE LETTERING GRAPHICS REMAIN A VIBRANT 'RED' AND THE IMAGES ARE CRISP AND CLEAR THROUGHOUT. THERE IS A SMALL MARK ON THE "M" IN MEET, AND A 3" LINE ACROSS THE SECOND "E" IN "MEET". THESE TWO AREAS OF THESE MARKS ARE BARELY PERCEPTIBLE AND DO NOT HINDER THE BEAUTIFUL OVERALL APPEARANCE. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY RESTORATION PERFORMED ON THE FRONT OF THIS DISPLAY WHATSOEVER, AND IT REMAINS ALL AS ORIGINAL. THE BACK OF THE STANDEE HAD TWO AREAS OF WRITING IN PENCIL, WHICH HAVE BEEN PROFESSIONALLY REMOVED, AND THE RESULT IS PERFECT AS THE TONE OF THE CARDBOARD BACKING REMAINS ALL ORIGINAL. THIS IS THE EXTENT OF ANY RESTORATION PERFORMED ON THIS STANDEE. THE EASEL ON THE BACK IS FIRM, AND REMAINS STRONGLY ADHERED TO THE BACK. THERE A LINE OF AGING STAINS EVIDENT GOING ACROSS THE BOTTOM AREA OF THE EASEL.

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