And Action! Advertising at the movies

Going to the cinema is a type of escapism. You switch off your phone (required) and sit back, eat some popcorn and absorb yourself in another world to watch a story being told. However, before this happens, you are given a build-up of commercial adverts.

This week, I was that person; sat in the Dulwich Picture House after I paid my dues to watch the Nice Guys. I did become curious about the whole media aspect of cinema advertising. Unlike TV advertising there is an engagement between the viewer and the advert which cannot be replicated. This comes from the size of the screen, the sound and the environment. You are fundamentally paying to be entertained and the advertising forms a part of this.

Some people love watching the adverts, others risk the time to arrive a couple of moments before the movie is about to begin. But research has shown that cinema advertising is processed by the brain more consciously. Whether this is because we aren’t watching the commercial with being distracted by the infamous ‘dual screens’ and this perhaps explains why cinema is such a powerful, emotionally engaging medium for brands in today’s changing media landscape.

Creatively however, there is more to work with in this large format. The people are larger than life (instead of how they site on a computer screen and a TV screen), the pixilation is greater and therefore the visibility and detail is more apparent and the sound is more encapsulating. All of this combined helps elevate the creative to the next level. Yet, what further this is creative that relates to the cinematic experience.

Car brands are renowned for accomplishing this and it is rare to see a movie in the cinema without at least one car advert. Volkswagen and their commercial ‘Made for real life- Chase’ is a fantastic example of this. It not only showcases the USP of the car (with the Anti Skidding Technology) but has a cinematic and theatrical aspect to it.

It goes a long way, particularly when you’re absorbed in the cinema experience, to have a commercial that is relevant to the environment you’re in. But, what I was curious about was that it isn’t just members of the advertising world that are engaged with this form of advertising but the general public who enjoy watching them.

The post And Action! Advertising at the movies appeared first on VCCP.