Tru-Vue Sales & Advertising Tools

The Tru-Vue team was clearly skilled at sales & marketing. We’ve admired their investment in packaging design but compared to other 3D products, their sales and advertising materials were top-notch.

In assimilating our vast Tru-Vue collection, we’ve obtained a number of these materials. All of the pieces you see here are original items in our collection, not reproductions or downloaded images.

Tru-Vue Door-to-Door Sales

One of the prized Tru-Vue items in our collection is this original salesman’s briefcase.

By the end of 1933, Tru-Vue had gone from producing 300 stereoscopes a month to 50,000 per month, with orders coming in from all corners of the country. That kind of demand required 30 men working 6 days a week, 50 salesmen selling nationwide.

A classified ad in the March 25, 1934 issue of the Chicago Tribune put the call out for salesmen:

Salesman - Represent old est. co.: new product of proven acceptance: World’s Fair tie-in: perm. conn., protected terr., lib. comm.: must have car. Tru-Vue Picture Viewer. 1531 Merchandise Mart.

This briefcase was likely carried by one of those salesmen. It contained filmstrips in early blue film boxes, an Art Deco viewer, an early case, early film lists, and a reproduction of a Food Field Reporter article from June of 1934.

Tru-Vue Mail Order Sales

Besides door-to-door sales, mail order was a big source of sales for Tru-Vue. They took advantage of that postal access with enticing brochures that combined pictorial advertising with film list and order form. Sometimes there would be specially printed enclosures showing the latest library — typically sent in specially printed envelopes and with equally nice reply envelopes.

Sometimes, letters personalized to the recipient would be enclosed. Occasionally, the letter would be signed by a Tru-Vue executive.

1930s Silver-and-Black Tru-Vue Film Brochure

This early 4-panel brochure (Form B-33-5) has a demonstration of operating the early Art-Deco Tru-Vue viewer, an order list with 22 film subjects (34 films total), and an order form for the monthly subscription to “Tru-Vues from Everywhere.” The films are 35 cents each, except for “The World A Million Years Ago” which was 40 cents. At the time of printing, there were already branch offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and London.

1930s Pink-and-Black Tru-Vue Film Brochure

This early pink-and-black film brochure features the Art Deco viewer, “See the World!” globe design, and the “positively life-like” slogan. While the film list has grown significantly, many of the earliest films are no longer listed — for example, Tru-Vues from Everywhere, the Century of Progress series, and the Pacific Southwest Tennis Championship filmstrips. In fact, they make a point of saying that this is a complete list of current stock and “there are no other films available.” Another big change is the introduction of “Tru-Vue, Inc.” — Tru-Vue is an incorporated company, no longer advertised as a division of Rock Island Bridge & Iron Works. The films are still 35 cents each, and the viewer can be purchased for 65 cents.

1930s Red-Black-White Tru-Vue Film Brochure

This early film brochure was included in wooden library cases. It continues to show the Art Deco viewer, the “See the World!” globe design, and “positively life-like” slogan. They also continue to say that no other film subjects are available but additionally state that “films in natural color” are not available. This brochure introduces filmstrips for Canada.

1940s Promotional Brochure

This 5-panel brochure appears to show actual letters from happy Tru-Vue customers as well as an article reproduced from The Christian Science Monitor.

1940s Red-White-Blue Tru-Vue Film Brochure

The biggest change in this brochure is the viewer pictured: the new single-color streamlined Tru-Vue. Interestingly, the standard Tru-Vue logo is missing.

June 1941 Supplementary Film List

This enclosure promotes new film titles that hadn’t yet made it to the official film list brochure.

The Stage and Screen category had the most new additions.

Design-wise, it’s plain with the standard Tru-Vue logo.

Updated 1940s Red, White, & Blue Tru-Vue Film Brochure

This updated brochure still shows the single-color streamlined Tru-Vue viewer, but now promotes “The New Tru-Vue.” The biggest changes in this more modern-looking film brochure are the addition of filmstrip numbers, an updated “See the World” globe design and font, and real photos of people using the Tru-Vue. And note the inclusion of the inlaid wooden library case.

“The New 1942 Tru-Vue” Gold Film List

This order form shows the single-color streamlined viewer while promoting that it’s “a distinctive gift for everyone.” They also would like for you to “destroy all previous lists.”

Supplementary Film List

This supplementary list promotes 4 new films that hadn’t yet made it to the official film brochure.

Updated Gold Film List

This gold-colored film list continues the promotion that Tru-Vue is “a distinctive gift for everyone” but has more design to it than the previous gold-colored list. It asks that you “destroy all previous unnumbered lists.”

September 1947 Promotional Enclosure

This special enclosure announces the “stunning duo-tone” Tru-Vue viewer in antique ivory and cocoa brown. The patent is no longer pending.

Plastic Library Case Promotional Enclosure

This promotion says it’s only good “for the next ten days only!”

Late 1940s Correspondence Set

This correspondence set brings together several of the items shown above: the gold film list, the duo-tone viewer promotion, and the plastic library case promotion. Additionally, it has a generic “Dear Friend” letter and an unused, flattened film box — all mailed in a non-standard side-opening, metal-clip envelope.

1940s Tru-Vue Film Brochure

June 1950 Color Film List Brochure

This brochure continues the use of the 2-tone Tru-Vue viewer and the design style of the above list but this list is only color films. These films are more expensive at 50 cents each but the viewers are still $2.00. A 75 cent price is now listed for the library cases. This brochure includes an actual image from one of the filmstrips.