Though life isn’t entirely back to being a box of chocolates just yet, at least we’re on track to good times being spent in the cinema once more. And with that comes the return of advertising on the big screen!
In 2021, marketers expected a Rocky-style comeback for silver-screen advertising, anticipating that cinema viewership will fully recover by 2025. We still have a few hurdles to jump through until we reach those glory days of cinema revenue, but we’re definitely on track.
Though most signs pointed to streaming and PVoD services bringing all the money in (and they definitely do), huge blockbusters screening exclusively in the cinema have made waves for ad revenue in the first quarter alone!
Chief Executive Officer of Digital Cinema Media, Karen Stacey, told The Drum:
“the cinema advertising firm is now on course to reach 95% of its 2019 revenues in Q1 alone.”
The Bondbusters
So, who do we have to thank for getting us back in the lobby? Bond, James Bond. In 2021, 007 brought in £96.5 million in box office revenue, which overall is an increase of 85% compared to 2020.
Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has also contributed to the box office comeback. Webbing in an insane £1.25 billion, No Way Home is now the sixth-highest grossing film of all time!
So, why is this? Asides from being exceptional movies (no spoilers!), both Universal Pictures and Disney took a huge risk having these films play exclusively in the cinema with everything going on right now. No Time To Die was the talk of the town across the whole of 2021, delaying its release several times so it could be shown safely on the big screen.
A large portion of this revenue has come from the younger generations. According to Simon Bevan, Chief Investment Officer of media buyer Havas Media Group, “Spiderman alone has already been watched by one-third of all 16-34-year-olds”.
Whether it’s because younger audiences feel safer attending in-person events or the pop-cultural impact these franchises have within the movie universe, the key takeaway here is the cinemas back kicking ass and chewing bubblegum.
With that, our desire to advertise on movie screens is rekindling, but since we’ve been away for so long, is there anything we need to consider before implementing our new advertising methods?
It’s All in the Advertising
The landscape of movie marketing is continuously changing. Take trailers as a prime example – older trailers tended to give away massive spoilers in their films, hoping it would spark interest, now trailers alter specific scenes to keep the big plot twists hidden.
The pandemic has changed the game regarding advertising, leading us to rethink how we present our ads to an audience whose eyes will be engaging with the big screen.
In the same discussion with Bevan, a noticeable prediction he discusses is longer-from ads striking back, with more upfront ads catering toward the younger demo. But with the younger generations being the money-bringer for cinema seats right now, the TikTok approach of engaging the audience fast and efficiently might be the best avenue to consider.
So what should we be showing in our ads? Perhaps we should leave the plot for the film playing after we’ve had our moment in the spotlight. Mark Alhadeff, a senior strategist at AMV BBDO, thinks data-led storytelling leads brands to build dry creative.
Looking at some of the most successful branded advertisements of the past – (meerkats and mustachioed 118 men spring to mind), traditional narrative comes second to the characteristics and overall tone of the ad.
If we’re trying to engage the audience emotionally, experimenting with our ad structure might be the best way forward. According to research conducted by System1, the annual John Lewis Christmas advert wasn’t “sad enough” to rank among its best with audiences – which relied on the classic structure of a short film. I didn’t shed a single tear, just saying.
What to do, what to do?
More than ever, it’s imperative we do all we can to keep the audience in their seats when our ads are playing, rather than making a quick trip to the concession stand or toilet.
After being stuck inside so long, we’re craving cinematic, shared experiences – ones that allow us to escape for a brief moment and immerse us entirely – that’s why cinema still stands strong.
Who better to take notes from than the cinema itself? Odeon Cinemas has recently revamped itself with the help of comms agency Elvis. Their Strategy Director, Camilla Yates, stated: “Communicating the positive effect that a cinema experience can have creates a purposeful lens with which to encourage people back into theatres.”
Perhaps the key takeaway here is to create adverts that emphasize the importance of being where the audience are in that exact moment; relaxed, immersed, and ready for a cinematic experience.
The question is, how are we going to achieve this? There’s no right or wrong answer; keeping to the solidified narrative structure in advertising isn’t necessarily bad – it just depends on your creative execution.
What is important is that you keep your audience engaged throughout. The lines of advertising have blurred since the rise of social media and the Gen Z takeover. However, if TikTok has shown us anything, it’s that people still desire distinct creative.
Go for the experience
The one thing cinema offers better than anywhere else is spectacle. The booming surround sound and crisp imagery, complemented by the total darkness of the room, create the perfect place to catch the audience’s interest.
We’ve seen a lot of changes to the cinema landscape throughout the pandemic (we have a blog covering it all you can read here), and we’re yet to see if these new predicted techniques are the best way forward.
But with the wise words of Arnie in our hearts, we’ll be back and shall keep you posted on all the changes we see to the cinema landscape as it unfolds throughout the year.
For now, if you’d like help supercharging your creative for the big screen or want further insights into the techniques that keep the audience engaged, contact our team of film fanatic experts now.
