January 11, 1986 - Tower Marks Anniversary of Album Art Murals Called an Effective and Esthetic Marketing Tool by Jack McDonough

SAN FRANCISCO As Tower Records celebrates its 25th anniversary, the chain also marks the 15th year of its most effective and esthetic point-of-purchase device -- six- by six-foot murals of album art on the walls outside its San Francisco and Hollywood stores.

George Mead, head of San Francisco's Wet Paint Studios, not only does the painting but also controls the space on Tower's behalf. He says that the best measure of the value of the murals is probably its cost-effectiveness for independent companies.

"A lot of the smaller labels," says Mead, "think you have to be a major in order to get an album up on the wall. That's not so. Tower makes the space available through us, and we'll put a board up for $400 a month.

"The locals who have tried it feel it's very worthwhile, and if they think it's profitable, then I believe it must be. I think we sold a lot of Eddie & the Tide albums, for instance, when they were on Spin."

Lee Housekeeper, who worked the Tide/Spin project, says, "We were very pleased with the results." And Ken Stocklove, Tower/San Francisco manager, says, "We are always able to sell a local record when it's on the wall."

Stocklove and Tower vice presicent Stan Goman, who was instrumental in developing the concept of murals on removable boards, say that it's not possible to track correlation between a mural and sales with precision, but that the effect can be measured in other ways.

"The number of tourists who take pictures in front of the boards probably says it all", notes Goman, "From that point of view it's a great sales tool". Adds Stocklove: "We can also tell from the number of people who come in to ask who painted the boards and to find out if they can buy them." Mead says that after they come down, the boards are available for sale to the public.

Mead, who estimates Wet Paint has done 800 murals in the last four years, oversees a staff of eight. In addition to cycling the dozen boards at the Fisherman's Wharf store, Mead does design work for tours and videos as well as department store windows for Macy's and Wilkes-Bashford.

Formerly a set painter for Warner and Paramount, Mead has worked on "Altered States" and "Fantasy Island" and designed stage sets for the Rolling Stones, the Who, Wham!, Journey and Night Ranger. He also recently did the design setup for the Starship video on the No. 1 single "We Built This City."