The Creative Power Of The Silver Screen
Mike Hope-Milne, sales director at Pearl and Dean, explores the platform of cinema advertising, and how the medium is becoming increasingly creative, giving brands a unique boost…
Going to the cinema is a unique experience. As you and a friend settle down in comfy seats with your popcorn in anticipation of the film, you’ll consume various adverts and then trailers for new releases. This is all part and parcel of the cinema-going ritual and is vital to the way that the medium is sold to advertisers, as film viewers tend to be in a relaxed frame of mind, ready to be entertained, and receptive to the messages portrayed. No other audience is in such a receptive mood and environment to consume advertising as they are in the cinema.
Add to this unique environment the fact that last year delivered the fourth highest level of cinema admissions for the past 30 years, and it’s easy to see why the medium is gaining more presence on the planning schedule. But how can advertisers maximise value from the medium? At Pearl and Dean, we feel that it’s imperative for advertisers to deliver ads of cinematic proportions to an audience that’s staring at a ten feet tall screen in glorious Technicolor and digital surround sound. A truly creative cinema advert needs to utilise the power and scale of cinema while also relating to the cinematic experience and environment. For instance, the humour involved in the Orange Gold Spots, playing on the theme ‘don’t let a mobile phone ruin your movie’, really connects with the audience time and time again.
The standard of broadcast ads in the past year have been particularly exceptional. In recognition of this creativity, Pearl and Dean is now running ‘Creative Pearls’, our inaugural competition to find 2006’s most cinematic broadcast creative. The winning entry from an ad agency – judged by some of the industry’s most respected luminaries – will then be showcased for free in Pearl and Dean cinemas across the UK in early 2007. This will give advertisers the chance to see just how powerful their ad can be when on the big screen.
Many recent bright examples of creativity in cinema advertising come to mind, all of which are very different. Certain adverts have emulated famous films, such as Peroni’s campaign, which recounts scenes from Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. Others have embedded cinematic content into the advert, such as Virgin Trains’ recent campaign including scenes from North By Northwest, Some Like It Hot and The Railway Children inserted into shots of a modern-day train journey. Another example is VW’s acclaimed Singing In The Rain spot inserting Gene Kelly’s face onto a modern dancer with a re-mixed soundtrack of the iconic tune.
Some brands have taken this another stage further, creating mini movies and even employing top Hollywood talent. Examples include the Mercedes’ Lucky Star trailer, filmed by Michael Mann and starring Benicio Del Toro, which ran with real film trailers and fooled many into thinking it was an actual movie preview, and the four-minute advertisement for Chanel No. 5, directed by Baz Luhrmann with Nicole Kidman, which even included movie style credits. This synergy further integrates the ad reel with the movie, increasing engagement and ensuring cinema advertising is at the heart of the positive cinema-going experience.
However, creativity in cinema advertising doesn’t stop on the silver screen. Some of the most engaging campaigns this year have included innovations in experiential, product sampling and “live advertising” in the foyer. Actors behave in the style of the advert, extending the brand experience away from the screen and allowing consumers to interact and engage with the product. This can include Bluetooth phone downloads – again themed to film content for a seamless cinema experience – or even online or live action competitions such as Volvo’s Treasure Hunt for the summer blockbuster Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. In fact, Timotei is in the middle of one of the most creative integrated cinema campaigns with Pearl and Dean. As well as running a Silver Spot two-minute film on 800 screens across the country, there is foyer sampling activity from October until December during popular family films including Flushed Away, Open Season and Santa Claus 3. Additional foyer stand-out is being generated in 20 Vue Cinemas through Timotei-branded stands, free samples and scrapbooks and treasure hunt competitions. This interaction and engagement is invaluable for a brand that wants to drive awareness of its products among families.
These examples all point to brands, agencies, cinema advertisers and cinema owners being committed to seeking new and improved ways to engage with consumers. Just as cinema brings films to life, so too is it the ideal medium for brands to go much further than mere ‘opportunities to view’, and I’m looking forward to the Creative Pearls competition showcasing all that’s great about cinema advertising where it belongs – on the big screen.