SKY DIVERTM
POSTER AVAILABLE
fflakc the Excllcffl4nt Connodlon !
An exciting Sky Diver™ action photo
highlights this new poster available
from Atari. The thrilling action of the
game is dep icted by a full color photo
of a formation of jumpers defying the
skies. The poster will soon be placed in
each new game. If you did not receive
one with your game and would like
one, please write to the Atari Coin Con-
nection.
GAMES AT A
SCHOOL CARNIVAL
MANDI&
MIDDLE EARTH™
GO OVER 140 HOURS
ATARI TO NEW
INTERNATIONAL
MARKET
Mandi Martin, record producer and
songwriter, _played Atari's Middle
Earth™ pinball game for 140 hours
and 32 minutes. She passed the
previous world record of 138 hours on
Saturday, July 1, in Los Angeles at the
University of Sound Arts. Her high
score during the marathon was over
321,400 points.
There was extensive news coverage
of the six day marathon on radio and
television as well as national
newspaper reports on her success.
The strict rules enforced by the
famous Guinness organization were
followed. Witnesses and a notarized
log documenting Mandi's hours of
play are being submitted for inclusion
as the official world record.
Mandi, a long-time pinball en-
thusiast, said, ''The Middle Earth
game was a superb game to use in
achieving this record. It provided ex-
citing play action throughout the
event.'' Mandi mentioned that after
the record-breaking marathon and
about 12 hours of sleep, she returned
to play for a couple of hours the next
day. '' After playing Middle Earth for
so many hours, I find that I really
prefer Atari's wide playfield," Mandi
reported. ''The other games almost
seem too small now," she added.
Frank Ballouz, Atari's National
Sales Manager, was there for the
record breaking moment and reported
that Mandi was in good spirits. "She
was all smiles and seemed to be
thoroughly enjoying the game even
after six days of continual play," he
said. "Atari is pleased t hat she
selected Middle Earth as the game for
her record breaking achievement.''
Leisure & Allied Industries has been
appointed as Atari's exclusive
distributor for the Southeast Asian
area with the exception of the Philip-
pines. Headquartered in Perth, West
Australia, Leisure & Allied is the
largest distributor of coin-operated
equipment in the country. They have
their own production capabilities,
complete service, and a network of
branch offices throughout the coun-
try.
Leisure & Allied maintains superior
relations with their customers. Ser-
vice seminars are conducted on a
regular basis, and Atari technicians
visit their' offices once or twice a year
to lead service schools. A publication
is distributed monthly to keep local
operators informed of industry news.
''Excellent support for Atari pro-
ducts has been demonstrated by
Leisure & Allied in their market. We
are confident that they will provide the
same superior representation for Atari
in Southeast Asia,'' commented Sue
Elliott, International Administrator at
Atari. Their close proximity to their
new market area, along with the
outstanding services they provide
makes the Australian firm highly
qualified to support Atari product
sales in Southeast Asia.
I
Todd Erickson, an innovative
operator in St. Paul, Minnesota, re- ·
cently donated the use of three Atari
games for a carnival at Adams Elemen-
tary School. Enthusiastic and eager
players were lined up all day to play
the Super Bug, Starship 1 ™, and
Sprint 2™ games.
Erickson realizes that donating the
use of games is not only beneficial to
the community, but also to the
operator and the industry. It is a
valuable opportunity to attract many
new potential players.
''I would like to see other operators
making similar efforts to strengthen
public relations with their com-
munity," states Erickson. "It is an
excellent way to build business and
promote the coin-op industry."
© Atari Inc 1978
I
Frank Ballouz encourages Mandi to keep
playing through the record breaking hour.
JUNE 22, 1978
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Atari is 6 years
old. We want to thank all the Atari
distributors, operators, and other sup-
porting members of our family for
helping us reach the happy and
healthy age of 6 years.
PR FOR FUN
AND PROFIT
Public Relations (PR) is more than
giving to charity, sponsoring a local
softball team, or inviting a science
class to learn how a pinball game
works. PR is developing a good reputa-
tion and rapport in your community.
It is a very effective way to promote
your business overall.
Contributing to your community
and customers is part of PR. Another
important part is getting recognition
for doing these things.
Positive
publicity is one of the tools to get this
recognition.
Have you ever sent a press release to
the local community newspaper?
If you do something special, like
b,ave a party for a charity fund raising,
or donate a used game to a religious or
social organization, etc., it's NEWS.
Take pictures (black and white are
best), write the story, and send it to the
local papers. Or call to notify the
papers ahead of time; they may send a
reporter.
Games in a new location is NEWS
also. Send an announcement with pic-
tures to the local press.
Media
coverage helps to bring new customers
to any location.
Smaller community newspapers are
often looking for fun stories to interest
their readers. PR with games is fun
and the public should know about it.
Try sending press releases and talking
to the editors. You deserve recognition
for your PR efforts.