TELEVISION TO PROMOTE SALES OF WOOL IN U.S.A.

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 38, 7 January 1949, Page 5

TELEVISION TO PROMOTE SALES OF WOOL IN U.S.A.

Television will be used soon in the United States to promote the sale of wool piece goods. The New Zealand Wool Board states that arrangements are being completed by the North American branch of the International Wool Secretariat, with headquarters in New York, to televise the wool piece goods story through the medium of instruction and information regarding home sewing. Recent trade surveys, including one by a leading pattern service firm, have shown that home sewing in U.S.A. has increased by 300 per cent in 1947 over 1946, because of the constantly rising costs of ready-to-wear garments. Latest figures indicate that nearly 29 million women over the age of 13 are sewing at home, and it is expected that 150 million clothing patterns will be sold this year, with the sale of patterns, from 1941 to 1947, showing an. increase of more than 400 per cent. It is further estimated that 25 per cent of all women’s and children’s clothing in the United States are now made at home. : Coupling this data with the amazing results achieved by television—the response of audieces being far greater to television than to any ether .medium—the New York office of the Secretariat is. itiow arranging for the production of 13 films on the subject which will be .sent to television stations in selected cities in which the local department stores carry wool piece goods and patterns. Each film will be in colour and sound and will run for IS minutes. At present there are 39 television stations in U.S.A. covering 22 cities in 19 States. There are now 87 stations in process of construction and there are 400,000 television set owners with an expectation of 1,500,000 by mid-1949. Television set owners cover all income groups in almost equal proportion. The series of films will not follow a how-to-sew pattern. They will be devoted to tricks in Sewing-how to sew a lapel so that it lies flat, how to make ties, patch pocket®, etc. The central character in the series will be a home sewing instructress who, with a model, will make up the cast.