Product Placement – One of Top Marketing Trends for 2012

Marketing trends in 2012: viral promotion, product placement, crowdsourcing

Traditional expensive advertising is no longer effective given all the clutter, says Olin Business School professor.

December 20, 2011

By Neil Schoenherr

Traditional product advertising — full-page magazine ads and 30-second television commercials — may be going the way of the rotary phone. Emerging concepts such as crowdsourcing, viral Internet campaigns, product placements and guerilla promotions will dominate the marketing and advertising landscape in 2012 and beyond, says a marketing expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

“Traditional expensive advertising is no longer effective given all the clutter, as well as the emergence of technologies, like digital video recorders, that block the ads from even being viewed, much less absorbed, by consumers,” says Seethu Seetharaman, PhD, the W. Patrick McGinnis Professor of Marketing at Olin Business School.

Seetharaman says the success of “ingeniously crafted” inexpensive viral ad campaigns, such as BlendTec’s “Will it Blend?” YouTube campaign for its blenders, indicates that such non-traditional, low-cost/high-impact promotional campaigns will be on the rise moving forward.

Product placements, though they’ve been around a long time, will continue to gain popularity as well in place of more traditional advertising, he says.

“The movie Transformers 3 created a record, even by Hollywood standards, in terms of the number of brands that were ‘product placed’ within the movie,” Seetharaman says. “This will catch on in the future, although the concept of product placements goes back to the times of the Marx Brothers.”

The reason for its reemergence, he says, is that there are very few opportunities these days to get consumers in a “captive” mode of having no choice but to take in the brand being advertised.

“One of those few opportunities is being stuck in a dark auditorium, consuming entertainment, having no choice of whitening out a brand on screen, or using a DVR to fast-forward,” Seetharaman says. “In fact, product placements are also on the rise in sitcoms, video games and other media for the same reason.

“In fact,” he says, “pre-movie advertising interspersed between movie trailers will increase as well.”

Social media will play a critical role in product development, as well as advertising.

“I think crowdsourcing is only going to increase,” Seetharaman says.

Crowdsourcing refers to the open innovation model, pioneered by sites like Threadless.com, where customers design and vote on new product designs.

This allows them to take active charge of the new product development process, rather than reacting to product concepts developed by firms, he says.

“This product development model has already moved to information markets like the Huffington Post, and is now moving to high-ticket products such as furniture and cars, albeit for limited target markets for now,” Seetharaman says.

Given the popularity of campaigns such as the T-Mobile Flash Mob, one is more likely to see non-traditional “grassroots” campaigns get more noticed than traditional billboard advertising in city streets.

“With the explosion of smartphones, these grassroots campaigns are swiftly recorded by people and then posted on YouTube in short order, which then makes these guerilla campaigns go viral in a big way,” Seetharaman says. “This ‘guerrilla promotion’ style of advertising will blossom in 2012 and beyond.”

Source: http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/23134.aspx

Budweiser Invests in Branded Entertainment

Having lived in St. Louis most of my life, I have grown up with Anheuser Busch. Here in the Lou, we call it A-B. We are still not ready to say “In-Bev”. It hurts too much.

As a marketing executive, I have marveled at the brand and its seeming integration with every facet of my life. The brand is EVERYWHERE. Lighted signs in every neighborhood bar. Billboards. TV spots. Empty cans blowing down the alley.

I live in Benton Park, which is across the highway from the brewing facility in downtown St. Louis.  Oftentimes I walk out of my house to smell the beer brewing. It smells like potato soup in the early stages, which gives the neighborhood a homey feeling.

Not being content with domination of traditional and out-of-home media, the marketing brain trust at A-B is ahead of the curve in immortalizing the Budweiser breand in customized entertainment content. A reality show no less!

Enjoy the following article while you grab a Bud.

-Beverly Nation, President of Hollywood Branding

Budweiser invests in branded entertainment to rebuild brand awareness

Published on December 14, 2011 by David Castillo

Budweiser is venturing into reality television to try to revive its brand image. The Anheuser-Busch-owned product will be backing a game show, “Bud United present: The Big Time.”

The reality show will feature amateurs competing in different events, including sports, music, and cooking. The winner of each segment will get a chance to meet a celebrity in their field. For instance, music winners can get to perform with Lady Gaga and Sting.

While there will be no beer drinking in the show, there will be product placements all over its episodes. The branded entertainment project aims to build brand awareness.

“Bud United present: The Big Time” will air Saturdays in ABC beginning January next year.

Original link: http://productplacement.biz/201112143820/branded-entertainment/budweiser-invests-in-branded-entertainment-to-rebuild-brand-awareness.html

Paramount Partners with Twitter for Super 8 Movie

Paramount Pictures on Thursday will hold a sneak-peek screening of its forthcoming theatrical release “Super 8.” While the screening is open to anyone who buys tickets and shows up at the theater, the idea is to tap social media and get Twitter users tweeting about the movie with the hashtag #super8secret. The movie is scheduled to open Friday.

While it’s a first for Twitter to host a movie, it also signals a change of heart for movie studio execs. Media mavens call it “The Twitter Effect” — the ability for Twitter to make or break a movie. That’s because users can get the word out about the movie in real-time. If they don’t like it, friends, family and followers know.

Paramount has also sponsored a Promoted Trend, allowing Twitter’s global user base a direct link to buy tickets to the advance previews. At select, participating U.S. theaters, Super 8 Sneak Preview moviegoers will eat free popcorn with a purchase at the concession stand. A Twitter page also supports the promotion.

This promotion continues a key partnership between Paramount and Twitter on “Super 8.” In March, the two companies released an exclusive trailer premiere on Twitter, another first for the site. IMAX theaters and multiplexes in about 325 locations will run the movie.

eMarketer Analyst Debra Aho Williamson points to the ecommerce portion of the deal as the most interesting, sending Twitter users to a site that allows them to purchase tickets. “We haven’t seen a whole lot of that,” she said. “We’ve seen companies like Dell sell products through their own Twitter handle, but this is one of the first times we’ve seen a company with an ad directing someone to buy something.”

Most Twitter ads direct users to a Web site to get more information about products and services. This partnership clearly takes Twitter one step further as an advertising medium, according to Williamson. “Advertisers are moving past experimentation and integrating the medium into their strategy,” she said.

See Super 8 Movie Trailer here -

 http://youtu.be/tCRQQCKS7go

Story source:

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=152036

 

Related articles

• Paramount Offers Twitter Users Advanced Tickets to Super 8 (mashable.com)
• Paramount And Twitter Team Up To Offer Sneak Previews And Free Popcorn To Moviegoers (techcrunch.com)
• ‘Super 8′ To Sneak Preview Thursday June 9; Brand New Illustrated Poster (slashfilm.com)
• Paramount Announces Twitter Team Up for Early SUPER 8 Screenings (geektyrant.com)
• Scramble on ‘Super 8′ (online.wsj.com)
• ‘Super 8′: Paramount using Twitter to build buzz for opening (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

Ford Tests 3-D Technology

3/10/11 – Cherryh Butler

www.DigitalSignageToday.com

Remember how cool we thought the future looked in “Minority Report”? We watched in awe as Tom Cruise, decked out in all-black, controlled rapidly moving 3-D images simply by waving his hands in the air. Unbelievable – at least it used to be.

Ford of Britain launched kiosks with similar technology this week in shopping malls to help introduce consumers to its seven-seat Grand C-Max car.

The campaign allows people to handle miniaturized 3-D virtual models of the cars in the palms of their hands via giant interactive screens.

“Using live interactive campaigns is a great way to really engage with the audience in a way that is not possible with static posters,” said Mark Simpson of Ford. “This has enabled us to create a targeted and tactical campaign that is relevant and fun to use.”

London-based Ogilvy & Mather partnered with Grand Visual, a digital-production company, to launch the campaign, allowing users to interact with the cars by simply holding their hands up to the screen. Virtual buttons allow the user to choose car colors, open doors, fold seats flat, rotate the car and watch demos of key features.

www.digitalsignagetoday.com

Rather than using a printed marker or symbol as a point of reference for interaction, the user interface is based on natural movement and hand gestures, allowing any passerby to immediately start interacting with the screen content.

“It’s eye catching, intrusive, groundbreaking and brings to life the idea of ‘Innovation in your hands,’” said Andy Dibb, associate creative partner with Ogilvy.

A Panasonic D-Imager camera accurately measures the users’ real-time spatial depth output and augmented reality software merges this real-life footage with the 3-D photo-real Grand C-MAX on screen.

“Digital (out-of-home) enables advertisers to get closer to consumers,” said Dan

Dawson, digital director at Grand Visual. “Ford’s clever use of the latest technology is a great fit for the next-generation C-MAX cars. Customers can get a real feel for the cars before stepping foot in a showroom.”

As of now, this technology is only available in the UK. Emma Bergg, news manager of Ford, said she isn’t aware of any plans to bring it to the United States, which is too bad if you ask me. We Americans want to play, too. Come on, Ford USA. Bring it on.

DISCOUNTS ON POPCORN FROM SPRINT

Sprint Delivers Mobile Coupons For Movie Theaters

by Laurie Sullivan for Mediapost.com

Sprint has broadened a mobile marketing coupon campaign that delivers subscribers discounts on drinks and snacks at more than 500 movie theaters nationwide. Supported by Screenvision and bCode, the plan to create the world’s largest coupon redemption network will extend the service to 900 theaters in 2010.

Through bCODE‘s SMS-based mobile wallet platform, Sprint subscribers can text the keyword “Sprint” to “22633″ to receive on their phone a redeemable message for a concession stand discount coupon in participating movie theaters, such as Century, Carmike, and Galaxy, among others.

Cinema advertising company Screenvision partnered with bCODE to deliver the SMS-based mobile coupons. The text-message coupons are redeemable in the theater at a MediaPlane device, an interactive touchscreen kiosk in the theater that reads the bCODE’s technology and provides digital content, offers and entertainment.

The MediaPlane scans bCODEs from mobile phones, redeems the coupon and prints point-of-sale redemption tickets. Locations offering the discounts cut across New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Houston and Dallas.

Consumers select a specific offer, and the MediaPlane prints a barcode coupon they can take to the concession stand. bCODE also provides technology to support a loyalty-point program through digital content downloads, where consumers gain access to favorite music, trailers and games. The application also provides access to social networks to update status and leave comments in real-time.

Sprint’s strategy is based on retaining subscribers, according to Michael Mak, bCode CEO. “The network will allow us to keep track of what each person buys,” he says. “The mobile coupon information is tied to the person’s, but it’s an opt-in process, so privacy issues are not a concern. It also takes one link to opt out.”

The opt-in process will also allow Sprint to retarget consumers with other discounts even after they have left the theater. These offers could range from discounts on movie tickets and music to DVDs or items related to the movie titles.

A HipCricket study released Wednesday suggests that marketers miss opportunities to connect with consumers via mobile phones. The second annual HipCricket Mobile Marketing Survey reveals that of the consumers who receive mobile marketing offers and coupons, 47% recall the brand — and of those, 94% remember the specific action they are asked to take.

The September study, based on 511 email responses, also suggests that 41% of respondents have visited a retailer’s Web site from their mobile phone. Of those, 70% search for store locations, 51% search for store hours, 39% want directions, and 29% search for coupons and promotions.

 

OVER THE TOP CINEMA AD WITH LIVE DANCERS

 

Daffy’s Dancers First ‘Live’ in Cinema Ad

In New York, Retailer Puts on a Show Before the Movie

by Natalie Zmuda
Published: October 28, 2009

// <![CDATA[// [CDATA[
yahooBuzzArticleHeadline = "Daffy's Dancers First 'Live' in Cinema Ad";
yahooBuzzArticleSummary = "NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Moviegoers got more than they bargained for on Friday night, when dancers streamed onto the stage at New York City's Ziegfeld Theatre just prior to a showing of "Amelia." For three and a half minutes, ten dancers performed what Screenvision says is a first-of-its-kind live in-cinema ad. The "Fitting Dance" was accompanied by images on the movie screen behind the dancers. Only near the end was it revealed that patrons had been watching a lengthy ad for Daffy's.";
yahooBuzzArticleType = "text";

// ]]]]> // <![CDATA[//

 

Screenvision modified the pre-show program to fit in the ads, which ran Friday and Saturday night at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York and are slated to run again this coming Friday.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Moviegoers got more than they bargained for on Friday night, when dancers streamed onto the stage at New York City's Ziegfeld Theatre just prior to a showing of "Amelia." For three and a half minutes, 10 dancers performed what Screenvision says is a first-of-its-kind live in-cinema ad. The "Fitting Dance" was accompanied by images on the movie screen behind the dancers. Only near the end was it revealed that patrons had been watching a lengthy ad for Daffy's.

The dancers and images on screen show people piling on clothes, the idea being that you'll find such good deals at Daffy's that you'll have too many clothes to wear.

Screenvision modified the pre-show program to fit in the ads, which ran Friday and Saturday night at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York and are slated to run again this coming Friday. Patrons received 20% off coupons to Daffy's as part of the promotion. Of the choice not to reveal that the performance was, in fact, an ad for Daffy's until near the end of the time allotted, Mr. Bracker said the brand hoped to be "inventive and watchable."

Daffy's will use footage from the live ads, including the audience's reaction, to create a traditional 30-second spot that will run in select Screenvision theaters beginning around Thanksgiving.

"Marketing disruption has become incredibly popular," said Will Bracker, director-marketing at Daffy's. "We wanted to take that to a venue that hadn't been used before."

Mr. Bracker said the idea came from the retailer's agency of record, Johannes Leonardo, New York. "They came to us with a lot of unique opportunities to break through the clutter," Mr. Bracker said. "We need to do something different to make sure our message is heard loud and clear with the money we have."

Daffy's spent just over $1 million on measured media last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

Loren Venturi-Miller, senior VP-national and regional sales at Screenvision, said that live ads are more expensive than a generic out-of-home campaign, declining to specify the cost. The live ads, she said, were already a part of Screenvision's generic offering, though Daffy's is the first marketer to take advantage of the ads.

"It's not the easiest thing to execute," she said. "But with the positive feedback we've gotten, I definitely think it will build awareness that these types of things can take place in our space."

Mr. Bracker is hoping that in the coming weeks the ad will gain traction online, and perhaps even go viral. The retailer plans to post the footage to YouTube and its own web site this week. Though the live ad and the traditional ad that will be created are not specifically focused on the fast-approaching holiday season, Mr. Bracker said the timing is intentional.

"We're aligned to the holiday period," he said. "We're a small off-price retailer that needs to hit home runs."

Watch a video of the ad here:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1543292789?bctid=46774756001

NASCAR TAKES CINEMA ADVERTISING FOR A SPIN

Deal With Screenvision Will Bring Branded Content to 15,000 Screens

by Jeremy Mullman
Published: October 21, 2009

// <![CDATA[
// // <![CDATA[
//

The deal with Nascar will give Screenvision original, exclusive long-form content to spruce up its 'pre-show' in order to improve engagement for the rest of its paying advertisers.

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -->

The auto-racing behemoth has cut a three-year deal with cinema-ad network Screenvision to bring original branded content to 15,000 movie screens, the league's first play in a fast-growing format that has spotlighted the sport in movies such as "Talladega Nights" and "Days of Thunder."

The deal calls for Nascar to create 90-second pieces that could consist of race highlights, behind-the-scenes pieces and driver profiles at the behest of its sponsors. It could build a segment, for instance, around drivers backed by Coca-Cola-owned brands.

That added value for sponsors could be a useful sweetener at a time when some high-profile Nascar backers such as Jim Beam and Jack Daniel's have been walking away from the sport amid declining TV revenue and track attendance.

Jim O'Connell, Nascar's VP-corporate marketing, said the league was interested in the deal for three reasons: It wanted to expose the sport to new fans, it wanted additional benefits for its corporate partners and it wanted a new platform to help those partners activate against the sport.

Screenvision's 45 million monthly theatergoers, of course, are an attractive way to check all three boxes. "This is a great fit," Mr. O'Connell said. "Few things are going to look better on a 40-foot screen than Nascar racing."

Not a bad deal, considering Nascar didn't pay for the privilege beyond creating content and providing use of their logos.

So what's in it for Screenvision?

The theater network gets original, exclusive long-form content, something it had been seeking to spruce up its "pre-show" in order to improve engagement for the rest of its paying advertisers. And its member theaters get the use of Nascar's logos, which Screenvision's network of exhibitors can utilize in lobby promotions such as banners and drinking cups and popcorn bags.

Cinema advertising has been growing in recent years, driven by strong box-office trends and the struggles of traditional media in a digital world, where a captive audience that can't time-shift or block its way around viewing ads is a valuable commodity. According to the Cinema Advertising Council, cinema ad revenue climbed 5.7% in 2008.

"The No. 1 goal for us is that this is entertaining to our audience," said Screenvision Exec VP Mike Chico. "And there is a lift associated with Nascar's brand and marks that our exhibitors can take advantage of."

Mr. Chico said this would be the largest content deal ever for Screenvision, which has done large-scale theater deals with the likes of Verizon and MTV. The company made news earlier this year when it unveiled the first 3-D theater campaign for Skittles.

3D ADS AT MOVIE THEATERS – WILL THEY COST MORE?

by David Goetzl, Thursday, October 1, 2009, 6:06 PM

www.MediaPost.com

As movie releases in 3-D proliferate, opportunities for advertisers to run on-screen ads in the out-sized format would seem attractive. Still, the top executive at in-cinema sales group National CineMedia doubts whether marketers will pay a premium for the spots.

NCM has held talks with marketers about 3-D ads on the silver screen, but hasn’t run any.

“Whether we can charge more for it, I don’t know,” CEO Kurt Hall said Thursday at an investor event. “I’m a little skeptical because the offset is the production costs are going to be higher for the advertiser.”

NCM has held back even as competitor Screenvision ran the first on-screen 3-D spot in May for Skittles. NCM has had concerns that the “infrastructure (is) in place to really deliver a meaningful campaign to a client,” Hall said.

But Hall said a year from now, the pipes should be primed for wide use — particularly as Digital Cinema Implementation Partners ramps up its operations. DCIP was formed two years ago by three theater operators to finance the rollout of digital projection technology that can allow for 3-D.

“There will be a significant enough 3-D platform out there to make advertising something that makes sense [for marketers] … but I don’t see it as a huge panacea [as far as driving NCM revenues],” he said.

Through August, there were 2,744 screens that could offer 3-D films, 7% of all U.S. screens. Only a dozen 3-D films are slated for release this year, with the same amount expected in 2010.

Screenvision sold the breakthrough 3-D spot to Wrigley for the Skittles brand; it ran for five weeks starting May 1 on 762 screens in 461 theaters. The spot had been shot in the traditional format and was converted into 3-D.

Screenvision vice president, marketing Tim Contado said the rep firm is in negotiations with several advertisers to run 3-D spots attached to releases later this year. Advertisers are interested in producing spots using 3-D technology, he said.

For the Wrigley effort, pricing was based on a per-screen, per-week basis. Screenvision uses a CPM as currency normally.

Contado said as long as 3-D films are special events, “there would still be a premium for 3-D ads because of the enhanced impact.”

The Wrigley ad ran several months after DreamWorks Animation and PepsiCo partnered on a stunt to run 3-D ads in the Super Bowl with a trailer for film “Monsters vs. Aliens” and spot for SoBe drinks. NCM sells ads on nearly 17,000 screens, with Screenvision on over 15,000.

Even as NCM’s Hall has questions about 3-D ad sales, theater owners are counting on 3-D films to drive their business. (They they charge several dollars extra per showing.)

“It’s not a fad in our mind,” Carmike Cinemas COO Fred Van Noy said at the same event. “We think that this is a true business model.” Carmike operates 2,285 screens, with 499 capable of running 3-D films. The company said 3-D films helped boost attendance in the second quarter.

Carmike is the country’s fourth-largest theater owner behind Regal, AMC and Cinemark. Screenvision sells for Carmike, NCM for the other three.

Theaters have run stunts, such as a special 3-D simulcast of TNT’s coverage of the NBA slam dunk contest in February, in about 80 theaters. Ads in the broadcast, however, ran as they did on TV in 2-D.

“Live 3-D simulcast seems to me to be a logical place to experiment with advertising,” Ken Kerschbaumer, editorial director for New York-based Sports Video Group, told Media magazine. “The ads run in the program. The audience cannot TiVo or skip the spots. And, at least anecdotally, we have seen some good retention for commercials in the theaters during games.”

Studios have been increasingly releasing films in 3-D, with the high-profile “Avatar” from director James Cameron set for this holiday season and “A Christmas Carol” readied for November.

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

HOLLYWOOD HITS THE BOOKS THIS FALL

By LAUREN A. E. SCHUKER

This fall, Warner Bros. is trying to reinvent Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. starring as the fictional sleuth. Spike Jonze, who directed “Being John Malkovich,” will put a modern twist on the storybook classic “Where the Wild Things Are.” And some recent best sellers, including Walter Kirn’s “Up in the Air” and Alice Sebold’s “The Lovely Bones” (in an adaptation from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson) will hit the big screen.

Hollywood is racing to adapt novels, comics, and children’s stories, as the ability of movie stars to draw audiences wanes. Popular books, with built-in fan bases, pose less risk for Hollywood studios trying to eke out a profit in a tough economic climate. One of the most-anticipated adaptations is the November sequel to “Twilight,” based on the best-selling book series by Stephenie Meyer.

A wave of animated films based on children’s stories are scheduled for release over the next several months, including Disney’s revision of the age-old fairy tale, “The Princess and the Frog”; Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” a mostly stop-motion animation version of the Roald Dahl novella; and “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” a 3-D take on the popular children’s book.

One giant exception: Oscar-winning director James Cameron returns to feature filmmaking for the first time since “Titanic” with his new movie “Avatar,” a sci-fi epic with an original story that’s not based on a book. The 3-D movie follows a war veteran (played by Sam Worthington) on his journey to an alien planet.

After a summer that saw box office revenues soar ahead of old records, there are far fewer films coming out in the U.S. this fall and winter season, with just 135 films currently planned for release through the end of the 2009. That’s down 32% from 2008, when 199 films were released during the same period, according to data compiled by Jeff Bock, an analyst at box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. That number could climb slightly higher after the studios acquire films at fall festivals, but it’s still a significant drop from previous years, when as many as 240 films were released during the period.

For years, Wall Street poured billions into the film industry, creating a glut of films as the Hollywood studios used the extra cash to ramp up production. As that money dried up last fall in the wake of the credit crunch, the studios are now producing less.

The cutback does have some positive consequences, say studio executives. “With fewer films, there won’t be as much cannibalization, and each film will have a better shot at finding its audiences,” notes Mike Vollman, who runs marketing for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, home of the James Bond franchise.

In “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” a crafty chicken thief—voiced by George Clooney—strives to outwit three farmers who wage war against him for stealing their prized goods. In an unusual move for an animated feature, Mr. Anderson, best known for offbeat comedies shot in subdued tones like “The Royal Tenenbaums,” made all the actors record the audio tracks together and act out some of the motions in the film, says Jason Schwartzman, who performs the voice of Ash, Mr. Fox’s runty son. “George and I are having an intense emotional scene,” he recalls, “and we weren’t in costume or makeup, but I was really on the ground digging for dirt.”

In “Avatar,” which opens in December, Mr. Cameron employs computer-generated imagery to animate some of the characters, who look like blue oversized humanoids. The director says that even though the film is in 3-D, intricate special effects are not at its emotional center. “This movie is about people running around in the rain forest, it’s not about technology,” he says.

Also coming back to the multiplex: Buzz Lightyear and teenage heartthrob Robert Pattinson. Disney will debut “Toy Story 3″ next year and in preparation, the studio will rekindle the franchise by releasing new 3-D versions of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2.” Just a year after the teen vampire romance, “Twilight,” directed by Catherine Hardwicke, became a cultural sensation, Summit Entertainment has a sequel, “New Moon“—featuring werewolves and a bevy of new special effects—set to hit theaters the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Summit hired a new director to make “New Moon,” which has “a totally different look,” according to the studio’s chief executive and co-chairman Rob Friedman, and “offers a lot more for the guys than the first movie did.” Werewolves (including Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner) emerge in the sequel as protectors, shielding Bella (actress Kristen Stewart) from the menacing vampires that prey on her after Edward (Mr. Pattinson) departs. The film focuses in part on that breakup—and its resolution—but it also features more computer-generated effects to render the wolves. “New Moon” director Chris Weitz says the new werewolf element forced filmmakers to ramp up the special effects. “We weren’t going to just use a guy in a wolf suit,” he says.

Hollywood’s fall line-up features two movie musicals: “Fame,” a loose remake of the 1980 hit film of the same name set at a New York high school for performing arts, and “Nine,” director Rob Marshall’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning film “Chicago.” “Nine” was inspired in part by Federico Fellini’s film “8½” and features a star-studded cast including Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Penélope Cruz.

A grittier take on the high school musical genre, “Fame” follows a group of students—dancers, singers, actors—as they try to achieve fame for their artistic pursuits. The original music for “Fame,” which won Academy Awards for original core and riginal song, has been supplemented and updated to sound more contemporary.

Emmy-winner Megan Mullally, who plays one of the “Fame” teachers, says that the new movie is more like a regular film than a musical. “The musical numbers are integrated in a seamless and organic way,” she says.

The fall’s comedic fare includes a new Coen brothers movie “A Serious Man,” about a physics professor (played by Michael Stuhlbarg) who struggles to raise his family in a middle-class Jewish neighborhood in the Midwest when his wife threatens to leave him. “It’s Complicated,” a Nancy Meyers film, follows a woman (played by Meryl Streep) who is pursued by two men (Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin).

Jason Reitman’s comedy “Up in the Air,” featuring actor George Clooney, tells the story of a corporate-downsizing consultant whose nomadic existence—and impressive frequent flier mileage—is placed in peril, making him question his lifestyle.

“The movie is about the examination of a philosophy—what if you decided to live hub to hub, with nothing, with nobody?” says Mr. Reitman, who spent six years writing the film and, in that time, got married, had a baby and directed the hit movie “Juno.”

Mr. Reitman says this film, which was only loosely based on Mr. Kirn’s novel, was a more deeply personal effort than his first two feature films, “Thank You for Smoking” and “Juno.” “The main character was written very much from my own heart,” he says.

—Jamin Brophy-Warren contributed to this article

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204731804574390600167135462.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Related articles by Zemanta

• Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack Streaming Free Online
• New ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Pics (screenrant.com)
• Watch the Trailer for James Cameron’s Avatar (pastemagazine.com)

CINEMA ADVERTISING’S EXCITING GROWTH CONTINUES

Cinema advertising advantage: Council reports growth and continued innovation

Sept 22, 2009

-By Andreas Fuchs

“One of the most exciting things [about] the cinema is that the growth curve continues, despite the fact that the media economy has really hit the skids,” attests Dave Kupiec on behalf of the Cinema Advertising Council (CAC). “We’ve been very pleased.”

When we conduct our annual state-of-the-industry conversation with the reigning chairman and president of that trade association, better business is something that we have come to expect. And indeed, since the CAC first began tracking ad revenue in and from movie theatres back in 2002, the average annual growth rate has been a remarkable 21.5% (for details, please refer to our table). Coming in at 208% higher than six years ago, 2008 is no exception to that rule of success.

Even better, the economically challenged immediate 2009 past and present have not been hurting as they have other media. “There are more deals being written than there were a year ago, but for smaller amounts of money.” In other words, “it takes a few more deals for the same level of revenue,” Kupiec assures. “I see that as a very positive sign because that means more and more advertisers are interested in our medium as their overall budgets have been slashed. They don’t have as much money to put in.”

According to the independently collected 2008 report, total cinema-advertising industry revenues of CAC members, who account for more than 82% of U.S. movie screens, grew by 5.8% over 2007. Kupiec further notes that “was higher than for any other medium, even higher growth than the Internet experienced… When times are tough and dollars are tough, advertisers are spending less and thinking even more carefully about where they are spending their budgets. They have clearly turned to the cinema medium and said, ‘OK, this is a place to get big impact and to have people really remember and pay attention to my message.’”

Among the top cinema-advertising categories looking for that big bang were Associations & Causes, Automotive, Broadcast & Cable Television, Consumer Electronics, Consumer Packaged Goods/Health & Beauty, Credit Cards, Fashion, Military, Movie Studios, Retail, Telecommunications and Wireless. Activity increased across a wider range of new groups as well, including Retail, Electronics, Leisure/Tourism and Financial Institutions. “Reinforcement means a lot more when the economy is down,” Kupiec feels. “It’s always easier to be up when everybody is up.”

Another strong sign is the latest quarter’s 11.6% increase from $74.8 to $83.5 million in revenue at National Cinema Media (NCM), where Kupiec is the executive VP of sales and marketing. “We were up double-digit numbers for the second quarter 2009 over 2008,” he reports, changing his hat for a moment and citing independent press reports. “There are only two other media companies among those that are tracked that showed growth… One was Google and the other was Discovery, both of which were single-digit. Again, there you have cinema bucking the trend in a very, very down time. That’s good.”

The reasons are partly that the industry still has inventory that is not fully sold out, while key flights during major moviegoing months are booked well in advance. “Secondly, the awareness level of advertisers has grown tremendously over the past three, four years,” Kupiec reviews. “While television is still the Big Kahuna and gets the lion’s share of the budget by far,” he has noticed, “there is a replacement strategy going on with some of our clients looking for other sight, sound and motion vehicles to either make up some of the audience they have lost with television or they feel that they are not reaching as effectively as they used to.” Examples, he says, include digital out-of-home networks at fitness centers, convenience stores and gas stations, though none show quite the same power as at the cinema.

In fact, a recent study conducted by Integrated Media Measurement on behalf of the CAC demonstrated that “combining television and cinema in an ad campaign more than doubled the consumer conversion rate as compared to television alone.” While that also doubles “the lift and extending incremental reach,” advertisers are “targeting key demographics including ad-avoiders” at the same time. “These are the results media agencies and their clients crave,” Kupiec asserts. “We just didn’t want to talk about recall and awareness alone—we know [cinema] has all the properties of the 40-foot screen and great sound along with an engaged audience to do so—but were specifically looking to prove ROI movement.”

What about the cravings of those attentive moviegoers? Are they finally accepting advertising in a pre-show? “We still conduct an annual study,” he confirms. “However, it is no longer about resistance because it has been all but eliminated. It’s more to gauge how we have gone from a neutral reaction to our various pre-shows to a decidedly positive one. Consumers have gone from not liking advertising on a very small level, to a passive and neutral response, to what is now very positive. While the much older moviegoers are generally the last holdout, who prefer not to have any advertising in movie theatres…the vast majority of people across all age groups say they’d much prefer to have an entertaining pre-show with content and ads while they’re waiting for the movie to start. Now, our research is all about how to make the entertainment better and better.”

In addition to establishing the high-quality digital network, which he calls “the major innovation,” Kupiec says the industry is “working closely with advertisers and content partners to make sure that we are really telling an engaging story at the cinema in a way it is meant to be used.”
With that kept top-of-mind by the creatives in this industry, in addition to continued innovation in theatre lobbies—Kupiec mentions holograms, interactive kiosks and 3D displays in addition to “the old standbys” of posters, standees and popcorn bags—Film Journal International has no doubt that we will again be talking about growth with the CAC in next year’s edition.

Editor’s note: Dave Kupiec will be participating in a panel discussion at “Advertising Week 2009,” hosted by USA Today and taking place Sept. 25 at 4 p.m. the Nokia Theatre in New York City. The session is titled “Hollywood: The Crossroads of Advertising and Movie Marketing.” For more information, visit www.advertisingweek.com.

U.S. Cinema Advertising Revenue

Year            CAC Member Revenue        % Growth
2002             $185,800,000
2003             $273,000,000                        47%
2004             $367,456,000                        35%
2005             $394,830,000                         7%
2006             $455,661,000                        15%
2007             $539,946,000                      18.5%
2008             $571,421,000                       5.8%
Source: CAC

On-screen revenues accounted for over 90% of total cinema-advertising revenues, with the balance going to off-screen sources such as audio programming, sampling, special events, concession- and lobby-based promotions. Additionally, approximately 76.53% is from national or regional advertisers (versus 23.47% from local sales).

In 2008, CAC members accounted for more than 82% of 38,794 U.S. movie screens. In an effort to provide data that is as accurate as possible, the CAC no longer estimates revenue for non-members or for beverage-category advertising (www.cinemadcouncil.org).

http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/features/cinemas/e3i7c69fb437bbee15ea73076966075a440

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

Bad Economy Good for Movies

All this dire economic news could be good for Hollywood. Box office grosses for the weekend are projected to range between $130 million and $140 million, up from $102 million last year, estimates Stifel Nicolaus analyst Drew Crum.

The reason? No doubt the release of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” might have something to do with it. (We can’t wait.)

Another possible explanation: When the economy hits the skids, people watch more movies. In five of the last seven recessions since 1965, box office grosses increased, according to the National Association of Theater Owners.

BOX OFFICE TOTALS 2008 vs. 2007

By Phil Contrino

From www.boxoffice.com

2008 vs. 2007 Figures

As 2008 nears an end, it looks as though the year as a whole has a decent shot at topping 2007′s record-setting box office haul of $9.62 billion.

As long as this weekend’s estimates don’t fluctuate too much, 2008′s box office haul of $8.154 billion is currently around 1% higher than 2007′s haul at the same point in the year.

2008 achieved early success in January with films like Cloverfield ($80 million domestically) and 27 Dresses ($76.8 million). February boasted strong grosses from Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds ($65.3 million) and Fool’s Gold ($70.2 million). In addition, March featured 10,000 B.C. ($94.7 million), Horton Hears a Who! ($154.5 million) and 21 ($81.2 million). Plus, April and May produced two strong comedies, Forgetting Sarah Marshall ($63.2 million) and Baby Mama ($60 million), respectively.

Then came the summer.

Even if Summer 2008 hadn’t produced the second highest grossing film of all time with The Dark Knight ($528.6 million domestically), the industry as a whole would still be able to brag about the success of Iron Man ($318.3 million), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($317 million), Kung Fu Panda ($215.4 million), WALL-E ($223.1 million) and Hancock ($227.9).

The month of November has already proven to be incredibly successful thanks to the likes of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Quantum of Solace.

Looking forward, 2008′s box office still has to face strong 2007 results. The third weekend of November 2007 posted very solid numbers. Enchanted finished #1 with $34 million and a total of six films grossed more than $10 million that weekend. Still, next weekend should only help to boost 2008′s lead with the emergence of Twilight and Bolt. Twilight will bring in crucial teenage demographics, while Bolt will grab younger audiences and their adult chaperons. Plus, Solace and Madagascar 2 will continue to perform well.

Although, 2008 could lose out to 2007 if December produces mediocre results. Major December releases such as Frost/Nixon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Seven Pounds are all plagued by commercial question marks.

Trend 2009 – 3D Advertising on Movie Screens

3D Ads

By PATRICK FRATER

–>HONG KONG – Hollywood’s heavy hitters gathered Wednesday to talk up the future of 3D movie making and exhibition.”Within the next five to seven years, I expect all movies out of Hollywood to be in 3-D,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, head of Dreamworks Animation. He was speaking at the inaugural 3DX, the 3D Film and Entertainment Technology Festival in Singapore (Nov 19-23.)

“We can tell stories differently, engage the audience better (with 3D). They can’t get this at home,” Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group prexy Mark Zoradi, said. “This is a wonderful incentive for theater owners to install digital cinema (equipment). For Asia there is an additional benefit in that this is a deterrent to piracy.”

Dan Glickman, prexy of the Motion Picture Association of America, described 3D film-making as a “genuine revolution” in the way that movies are watched. “(3D) is confirmation of the dawn of a new era, an era filled with possibility, fuelled by innovation and which will advance the timeless and global art of storytelling through the unique and profound medium of film,” said Glickman. “The extraordinary innovation we have seen here on display barely scratches the surface of the innovation that lies before us.”

Fest, which comprises a business forum, film festival, public screenings and a gala red carpet event, is backed by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) with support from the Singapore Tourism Board, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and Singapore Economic Development Board.

Movie Attendance up 60% for 3D Films

2009 Industry Outlook: The Rise Of 3D Movies

December 2nd, 2008 Posted in Consumer, Media And Entertainment | Discuss

Nielsen Consumer Insight has issued its 2009 Industry Outlook, covering everything from book sales to mobile phones. Up first is a look at how 3D movies are likely to fare as families are likely to keep a tight reign on their budgets in 2009. Movie theaters may prove to be the exception. Why? Consumers appear to love 3D films. In fact, gross sales increased over 60% for films exhibited in 3D as compared to traditional film, and this increase is due to higher prices and higher attendance. With over a 1,000 3D theaters already in the U.S. and with studios helping to fund the transition from 35MM to 3D, 2009 is looking particularly good. In fact, with as many as 11 major movie releases expected to hit the screens in 2009, including James Cameron’s Avatar this is bound to have the cinemas seeing green.

Buying Cinema Media Based on Demographics

Cinema advertising continues to garner the support and respect of savvy marketers who see the value of a captive audience.  Just released is a new Nielsen Preview analysis on purchasing cinema based on specific demographics.   Full reports are available for purchase at:http://www.nielsenpreview.com/member/study_detail.php?id=1087

Here is an excerpt of the report:

Earlier this year, the Nielsen Preview analysis of Cinema Advertising generated a
significant amount of interest. In particular, many readers wanted to learn more
about best practices in purchasing cinema – either on a genre or consumer segmentation
basis.
The following research contains insights on which movies might be good targets for
various brands and advertisers, based on specific demographics. Included in this
research:
• How many movie consumer segments are there in the industry
• The frequency and size of these segments  in the last two years
• How to predict the relevancy for a brand for two of the key movie segments

Interested, in the full study? Consider purchasing and get an in-depth analysis on
each of the movie segments, including:
• Demographics by segment
• Examples of movies in each of the eleven movie consumer segment
• Most predictive genre elements of each segment
• Average box office results for each segment

Full reports are available for purchase at:http://www.nielsenpreview.com/member/study_detail.php?id=1087

The Basics
About the Content
When discussing films, it is all too common to describe a film in terms of a very broad genre versus a description of more detailed
content. Most speak about action, G, PG or summer blockbusters when discussing films, but genre content goes deeper than this.
For example, while comedies and family films are known to generate some of the top dollars, it is little discussed that Road films
and Sports have been strong contributor to overall film dollars as well.

Genre/Theme Sum of Box Office

ANIMATED                   $2,534,726,980
LIVE ACTION               $1,585,796,387
ROAD FILM                   $1,045,761,395
SCIENCE FICTION      $1,016,902,688
SPORTS                                $846,883,242
Quads (as defined by Men <25, Women <25, Men >25, and Women >25) for each movie were calculated.
The key metrics were calculated on an absolute basis, as a percent of the movie going population of moviegoer, with values ranging
from zero to 100.
Next, using the four quads as the basis of segmentation, the almost 400 films were grouped together into naturally occurring
segments in order to understand the different types of films in the industry and their relative appeal to particular demographic
groups.
Once the groups were segmented, each segment could be defined based on the type of moviegoers interested in the film as well as
the types of genres appealing to these particular demos.
Note: Nielsen defines the movie-going universe as consumers 12+.

Under 25
Over 25
Males Under 25
Males Over 25
Females Under 25
Females Over 25
When we consider the movies over the last two years, eleven natural groups explain most consumer film preferences. These groups
have varying degrees of appeal to the various quad demographics, ranging from niche appeal all the way to broad appeal across all
demographics tested.
What can be termed, Under the Radar Female oriented films makes up the broadest number of wide-release films over the last two
years – almost 25%. While Tent Poles, appealing to over 60% of all demos, are quite rare – amounting to no more than 2% of all
films.

Segment M<25 M>25 F<25 F>25 % of Films
Low Profile Chick Flick                  14.9
Young Fluff                                         14.1
Chick Flick                                           12.2
Female Teen Flick                           + 1.6
Under the Radar – Female            24.3
Under the Radar – Male                    9.5
Crowd Pleaser                                       5.9
Guns ‘n’ Guts                                   + + 3.5
Male Teen Flick                               + 11.1
Men’s Tent pole                             + + 1.1
Tent Pole                                  + + + + 1.9
Note: A plus sign (+) indicates over 50% of this demo group had strong interest in the movie segment.

Key Insight:
Not all films are created equal in reaching your targeted audience, and advertising
across all films can prove inefficient.
About MPAA Ratings : While each of these segments represents a unique relationship based on demographic preferences, this has very little relation to
MPAA Ratings.
About the Segments:   Except for Female Teen Flicks, each of the segments draws from more than one MPAA rating, with many drawing from PG, PG-
and R.

Key Insight:
MPAA ratings are inefficient at predicting which types of consumers will arrive at the
theatre. A deeper look is required for targeting.
The Segments – by rating distribution
Segment                                                G %                                    PG %                                         PG-13 %                                             R %
Low Profile Chick Flick                       4                                         35                                                  29                                                        33
Chick Flick                                               4                                         20                                                  67                                                          9
Under the Radar – Female                7                                          22                                                  32                                                         39
Under the Radar – Male                     0                                          14                                                   20                                                        66
Young Fluff                                             2                                            2                                                   58                                                        38
Female Teen Flick                                0                                           0                                                  100                                                         0
Crowd Pleaser                                        9                                         23                                                    50                                                       18
Guns ‘n’ Guts                                           0                                           0                                                     54                                                       46
Male Teen Flick                                     0                                         10                                                    44                                                        46
Tent Pole                                                  0                                         29                                                    71                                                          0
Men’s Tent pole                                     0                                            0                                                    75                                                        25

—End of excerpt—

Hollywood Branding International was started in 2001 as a boutique ad agency specializing in cinema media.  We provide valuable and time saving information on finding movie theaters that make sense for your brand.  Demographics are cross referenced with census polls and the demographic segments for upcoming movies to ensure your campaign is shown at the best theatre during the release of strategic movies attracting your target audience.

No other agency or marketing company in the U.S. provides such detailed planning to ensure your campaign is a success.  We are not a “rep” firm and do not suggest theaters based on certain circuits.  We look to our proprietary database of every movie theater in the U.S. along with demographics to find the key cinema locations for your brand.

For more information on integrating this research into a cinema media campaign for your brand contact Beverly Nation at 636-485-5832 or by email  hollywoodbranding@gmail.com.

Rave Motion Pictures to Show Live Sports in 3D Locally

Dallas, TX. — Rave Motion Pictures, the nation’s largest all digital projection theater circuit, announces two stellar LIVE 3D broadcast events:

January 8, 2009 BCS College Football Championship Game
Featuring the Florida Gators & the Oklahoma Sooners (8 PM EST)

February 14, 2009 NBA All Star Saturday Night Live
Featuring the 3 Point, Slam Dunk & Skills Contests (8 PM EST)

Fox Sports and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. will team up to broadcast the FedEx BCS National Championship Game in LIVE 3D to select digitally-equipped theaters across the United States. The announcement represents the first ever sporting event broadcasted to the public in LIVE 3D on a nationwide basis.

College football fans will be able to experience the game as if they were on the field as the country’s top collegiate teams compete for the coveted National Title.

Just last week, the NFL broadcast of its Thursday night game in live 3D was in only 3 theaters in NY, LA and Boston and made national news. Now Rave is proud to host 18 of only 81 such events in the country.

Ticket prices for the BCS Bowl Game range by market from $20 to $25. Meanwhile, ticket prices for the NBA Event range by market from $15 to $20.

How Marley Won Over Purina

Movie Deal Is Dog-Food Brand’s First Branded-Entertainment Effort

by Jeremy Mullman

Published: December 18, 2008

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) — He’s been called the world’s worst dog, but Purina couldn’t say no to Marley.

‘Marley & Me,’ which hits theaters Christmas Day, is Purina’s first major branded-entertainment play.

Purina has, of course, been selling dog food for eons, and has passed on many canine-featuring flicks. But “Marley & Me,” the film from 20th Century Fox starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, has inspired the pet-food marketer to dig into its first major branded-entertainment play.

The company’s director of marketing, Pat Mullen, said the “known quantity” of working with a best-selling book, an A-list cast and an accomplished director (David Frankel, who directed “The Devils Wears Prada” and has numerous TV credits) made this project too good to pass up.

History with ‘rascally’ dogs
Marley’s likeness to the rambunctious pooches the Chow brand has spotlighted in its long-running “Long live your dog” campaign also helped. The premise of the campaign is to keep dogs “rascally” for longer. In one early scene in the film, Marley tips over a giant bag of Puppy Chow and begins Hoovering its contents. “The takeaways there are that Marley was a voracious eater, and that Marley really loves his food,” Mr. Mullen said. “Those are very positive for us.”

The deal goes well beyond product placement and includes integrations in nearly every communication for the brands.

The deal includes integrations in nearly every communication for the brands, including a contest in which consumers can get videos of their own rascally dogs included on the ‘Marley & Me’ DVD, which comes out this spring.

“Pretty much everything we’re doing is Marley-centered right now,” said Duane Johnson, a creative director on the brand at its longtime agency, Fallon. “All of our communications are focused there.”

User-generated videos
The deal also includes a number of contests and giveaways — including a Willy Wonka-esque “Golden Bone” giveaway of tickets to the Hollywood premiere — and major retail displays, such as a contest in which consumers can get their videos of their own rascally dogs included on the DVD, which comes out this spring. Finalist videos got an airing earlier this year in co-branded TV spots during the National Dog Show.

“That’s the first time user-generated content has ever ended up as branded content on a DVD release,” said Bryan Thoensen of William Morris & Associates, which helped shape the deal and, according to Purina executives, served as a guide through the unfamiliar Hollywood landscape. “That’s groundbreaking.”

Other aspects of the campaign include Chow-branded Marley calendars and holiday ornaments, created by agencies Checkmark and William Morris and Fallon. The consumer-generated-video finalists can be found on longliveyourdog.com.

The film will hit theaters Christmas Day.

AMC Goes IMAX on 100 New Screens in 33 Markets

AMC theaters go IMAX

By LOU GAUL
phillyBurbs.com

Film fanatics in the suburbs can now enjoy an IMAX experience that will rock their world.

AMC Entertainment and IMAX Corp. have entered a partnership to retrofit 100 auditoriums over 33 markets containing AMC theaters. The work has been completed on three theaters – the AMC Neshaminy 24, the AMC Cherry Hill 24 and the AMC Hamilton 24 – in our area.

Executives at both companies believe going to the movies will never be the same.

“The point of our IMAX partnership is that the format is so immersive that you cannot replicate the experience at home or with any other form of entertainment,” said the Kansas City-based Justin Scott, director of corporate communications for AMC.  “When people are choosing how to spend their entertainment dollars, they want the best experiences, and IMAX provides one that’s second to none.

“You feel like you are in the movie.”

For Jackson Myers, a company spokesperson for the Toronto-based IMAX (Image MAXimum), witnessing people discover the sights and sounds of the large-screen format is rewarding.

“It’s always fun watching someone watch an IMAX movie for the first time,” Myers said. “A lot of times, people are in disbelief at how great the experience is and their jaws drop.”

Through the joint venture, IMAX transforms one of the theaters in an AMC multiplex into a newly designed digital auditorium with 25-percent larger screen and laser-aligned sound capable of rattling a viewer’s rib cage.

“One thing we do when tuning the sound is to make sure every seat offers a good listening experience,” Myers said. “The most important element is the theater geometry, which is the position of the screen in the auditorium.

“When you combine the digital sound and image, you get IMAX.”

“The Day the Earth Stood Still,” a PG-13 sci-fi remake, recently received an IMAX makeover. The digitally rendered result is a picture that’s a joy to behold and hear.

AMC charges a $3 premium above the per-ticket cost for the IMAX experience.

According to AMC and IMAX, other titles coming soon to IMAX theaters include:

“The Dark Knight” re-release (January 2009) with Christian Bale, “Monsters vs. Aliens 3-D” (March 2009) with the voice of Reese Witherspoon, “Watchmen” (2009) with Patrick Wilson, “Star Trek” (May 2009) with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto (as Kirk and Spock, respectively), “Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian” (May 2009) with Ben Stiller, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (June 2009) with Shia LaBeouf, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 3-D” (July 2009) with Daniel Radcliffe, “A Christmas Carol 3-D” (November 2009) with Jim Carrey, “Avatar 3-D” with Sigourney Weaver (December 2009), “How to Train Your Dragon” (March 2010) with the voice of America Ferrera and “Shrek Goes Fourth 3-D” (May 2010) with the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy.

The three Philadelphia-region AMC theaters offer IMAX Digital, a new system that can show either normal or 3-D content. The less-bulky system does not require heavy film reels and relies on digitized images and sounds supplied via computer.

According to Myers, IMAX has more than 320 theaters in 42 countries and with “more and more locations opening up the IMAX experience is going mainstream.”

“From an AMC standpoint, it (IMAX) is about delivering options to our guests,” Scott said. “People are blown away by the auditoriums.”

E-MAIL: lgaul@phillyburbs.com
December 16, 2008 8:05 AM

Stephen King’s Top 10 Movies of 2008

Courtesy www.aintitcool.com  12/18/08

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE & WALL-E Emerging As The Critics’ 2008 Movies To Beat!!

<!—->

How the  critics awards are tallying up!Among the regional critics associations, “Slumdog Millionaire” tops the most lists I’ve seen, though WALL-E is getting plenty of love as well:

Regional critics’ associations:
New York Film Critics: Milk
Los Angeles Film Critics: WALL-E
Chicago Film Critics: WALL-E
London Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
D.C. Area Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Boston Film Critics: (tie) Slumdog Millionaire & WALL-E
San Francisco Film Critics: Milk
Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Florida Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Las Vegas Film Critics: Frost/Nixon
Detroit Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
St. Louis Film Critics: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Austin Film Critics: The Dark Knight

International Press Academy:
DRAMA: Slumdog Millionaire
COMEDY: Happy-Go-Lucky

Critics Choice Awards nominees:
The Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millioniare
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Roger Ebert’s top 20, as published in The Chicago Sun-Times:
Ballast
The Band’s Visit
Che
Chop Shop
The Dark Knight
Doubt
The Fall
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
Iron Man
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Shotgun Stories
Slumdog Millionaire
Synecdoche, New York
W
WALL-E

Kenneth Turan’s top picks, as published in the Los Angeles Times:
Ballast
A Christmas Tale
The Class
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gomorrah
Happy-Go-Lucky
Rachel Getting Married
Slumdog Millionaire
Tell No One
WALL-E
Waltz With Bashir
Plus four Sundance documentaries (“Man on Wire,” ” Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” “Stranded” and “Trouble the Water”)

Richard Corliss’ top 10, as published in Time Magazine:
1. WALL-E
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. My Winnipeg
4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
5. Milk
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Slumdog Millionaire
8. Iron Man
9. Speed Racer
10. Encounters At The End of the World

Stephen King’s top 10, as published in Entertainment Weekly:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. Tropic Thunder
5. Funny Games
6. The Bank Job
7. Lakeview Terrace
8. The Ruins
9. Redbelt
10. Death Race

Lisa Schwarzbaum’s Top 10, as published in Entertainment Weekly:
1. WALL-E
2. Milk
3. The Dark Knight
4. Waltz With Bashir
5. Gomorra
6. Wendy and Lucy
7. Trouble The Water
8. Happy-Go-Lucky
9. Man On Wire
10. Tropic Thunder

Owen Glieberman’s Top 10, as published in Entertainment Weekly:
1. The Wrestler
2. The Dark Knight
3. Rachel Getting Married
4. WALL-E
5. Momma’s Man
6. The Edge of Heaven
7. Burn After Reading
8. The Class
9. Milk
10. Tell No One

The American Film Institute’s picks:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gran Torino
Iron Man
Milk
WALL-E
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler

Campbell’s Soup Co-Brands with Hollywood

Campbell’s Soup Partners with Tale of Despereaux

Despereaux, pushing cheese

Campbell Soup Company entered into its first-ever major movie partnership — with Universal Pictures’ animated adventure film The Tale of Despereaux — for its condensed soup brands, reports Retailer Daily.

Based on an award-winning book by Philadelphia’s Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux takes place in the mythical Kingdom of Dor, once world renowned for its great soups, but where soup has now become a rare treat. The film hit theaters nationwide on Friday (Dec. 19).

Campbell’s marketing plan includes online promotion (including a website for kids), on-pack promotion on 50 million labels of participating Campbell’s Chicken Noodle and Tomato soup cans, employee and community involvement, sponsorship of the New York premiere, and support of a nonprofit serving children.

The company also launched a vigorous ad campaign against rival Progresso Light soups, after the General Mills product won endorsement from Weight Watchers. Part of Campbell’s marketing effort included a coupon offer to younger consumers.

The new marketing effort includes an interactive site for kids at myslurp.com and support for the Lollipop Theater Network, a nonprofit “dedicated to bringing movie magic to hospitalized children nationwide,” Campbell’s said.

myslurp.com features clips from the movie, photos, games and downloads, as well as the Royal Adventure Sweepstakes and Royal Spoon Instant Win Game.

Campbell’s Chicken Noodle and Tomato soup cans have undergone a makeover and now feature the film’s virtuous hero, Despereaux, holding a golden spoon.

Campbell also cosponsored the New York premiere of “The Tale of Despereaux.” Several of the film’s vocal talents–Matthew Broderick (Despereaux), Kevin Kline (Chef Andre) and “The Narrator” Sigourney Weaver–took to the spirit of the holidays and signed special Andy Warhol-designed Campbell’s soup bowls to be auctioned off to benefit the Lollipop Theater Network.

As part of its charity efforts, Campbell’s also made a 1,000-can donation of the specially labeled “Despereaux” cans to the Food Bank of New York City.

Finally, Camden, NJ elementary school students enjoyed a helping of soup and storytelling at Campbell World Headquarters when the company celebrated Royal Soup Day on December 12, featuring a reading of “The Tale of Despereaux” by author DiCamillo, a visit from Despereaux himself, as well as Royal Soup Day crafts and activities.

Story courtesy www.marketingvox.com

Brand Spot Shot Partners with Marley & Me

Spot Shot Stain Remover Partners with ‘Marley & Me’ Film

Dec 22, 2008 6:03 AM, PROMO Xtra By Patricia Odell

Print ads play up a new offer for Spot Shot in a partnership with “Marley & Me.”

It seems a perfect match. A cute little puppy and a product that removes pet stains.

That’s why the WD-40 Co. has partnered with Fox Films and its upcoming movie “Marley & Me,” which stars a Labrador puppy, that, as they do, grows up. The lengthy, integrated campaign promotes the company’s new Spot Shot, an instant carpet stain and odor eliminator marketed as environmentally friendly.

The campaign revolves around an offer for consumers to save $5 on a ticket to the movie with the purchase of Spot Shot.

The promotion work, developed by the Alcone Marketing office in Irvine, CA, plays out over nine months. It kicked off at the recent premiere of the film, with special invites to local buyers.

“’Marley & Me’ stood out [because] it complemented our target audience and was coming out around the holiday timing, which was the same timing as our distribution in the marketplace,” Patricia Olsem, the marketing director at WD-40 said. “During the holidays, there is a big uptick in pet purchases and adoption, and this product does remove pet stains.”

The film, taken from a best-selling nonfiction memoir by John Grogan and starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, relays the tale of the Labrador named Marley that takes over their lives.

Print ads run in a number of publications fitted to the products’ core demographic, including Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, People, and Prevention. An FSI drops around the opening of the film on Christmas Day. The target audience is environmentally conscious moms, 56% of whom own a pet.

At grocery stores across the country, customers will learn about the special offer through P-O-P and by promos on their cash register receipts. Anyone who buys the product will get a coupon at checkout that tells them where to redeem the offer.

“The household cleaning category has typically promoted via traditional vehicles such as FSI and coupon/discounts,” said Heather L. Eichele, an account director at Alcone. “A partnership with a film provided a way for Spot Shot to differentiate itself among its competitors and create a promotion with appeal for our retailers and our consumers.”

At www.SpotShot.com a promotion plays up the $5 offer and a links to a microsite where visitors can learn about the product and watch a movie trailer.

A public relations effort includes ticket giveaways through local radio promos and some blogging.

The campaign also ties to a sponsorship of Fox Film’s tour with Marley trainer Mark Forbes that will include product giveaways. And sponsorship of the latest versions of the book, “Marley and Me,” includes incorporating the Spot Shot logo on the books.

The WD-40 Co. markets a group of household brands and lubricating oils, including its popular namesake product, WD-40, as well as 3 In One, Lava Soap, Carpet Fresh, 12,000 Flushes and X14

Forecast 2009 for Out of Home Media – It Looks Good!

Forecast 2009: Out of Home

Sector will eke out growth, as digital leads the way

Jan 5, 2009

-By Katy Bachman

Ad revenue from in-store networks is adding up

It’s unclear how much out-of-home advertising will be down, if at all, in 2009. Certain segments, which are helping to grow the scope of the business, are poised for healthy growth, including all digital components, led by cinema advertising and in-store networks, digital billboards and other alternative displays.

Traditional out of home—led by the nation’s largest outdoor companies (Clear Channel, CBS Outdoor and Lamar Advertising) and still the largest segment of the industry—is facing some of the same challenges as other traditional media. Like other media, it’s a buyer’s market for OOH inventory, and companies such as Lamar have been open about cutting rates. But unlike other media, there still seems to be plenty of activity from advertisers.

“Even though all our clients are facing challenging environments, there’s a steady commitment to the space,” said Chris Gagen, senior vp and managing director for Posterscope. “At a time when people are trying to gain efficiencies, the low cost for high reach is a great proposition.”

Estimates put the business at flat to up 1 or 2 percent, which isn’t bad compared to other media, but it’s far below the medium’s high single-digit growth of the last few years. PQ Media forecast total out of home to be up 3 percent to $8.5 billion. Growing at a much faster pace, digital OOH is forecast to be up 9.1 percent to $2.65 billion. With digital outpacing traditional outdoor, it’s expected to account for more than 27 percent of total revenue in 2009, up from 15.8 percent in 2008. “The trends in the out-of-home business are better than the other mass-media segments, especially on the digital alternative side,” said Patrick Quinn, president and CEO, PQ Media. “Digital has been a plus for this business, whereas it’s been an interrupter in other businesses.”

Still, a bad economy is expected to take its toll on how quickly the nascent digital business matures, since conditions are unlikely to improve in ’09. The credit crisis makes it harder for digital OOH startups to receive financing and for companies to merge. Only one merger of note was completed early last fall before credit markets seized up, when Fuelcast (a digital network at gas pumps) and Bhootan (a digital network at a variety of retail locations) merged to form Outcast. It’s a testament to the appeal of digital OOH that only one player, Reactrix, went under last year.

And even though digital boards are a moneymaker for traditional companies, it still costs much-needed capital to build them out. To save money, Lamar Advertising temporarily suspended its digital rollout in ’09 and will convert only 100 next year versus a planned 400.

In the absence of significant mergers, aggregators such as SeeSaw Networks and Adcentricity have made it easier to plan and buy inventory across scores of networks. And with the Traffic Audit Bureau’s “eyes on ratings” for traditional out of home poised to be issued in the coming weeks, there is plenty of optimism that out of home will outperform most other media.

Reach Families at the Movies in 2009 – The Lineup

Discuss: The Family Films of 2009

by Eric D. Snider Jan 4th 2009 // 9:03PM

Filed under: Animation, Comedy, New Releases, Family Films, Remakes and Sequels, Lists

Of course, “family film” usually translates into “kiddie film,” with the parents and older siblings left to grit their teeth and endure while the tykes laugh at the singing chipmunks. Rare is the film that is truly entertaining for the entire family — which is why I’m always excited about a new Pixar project, since they’re the only ones who pull it off regularly.

Pixar’s Up (due May 29) is this year’s entry, and there’s no reason to suspect it will be any less admirable than the company’s previous work. Coraline (Feb. 6), from the director of Nightmare Before Christmas, looks like it could be an imaginatively macabre treat for grown-ups and kids. There’s also a Harry Potter movie due in July, though that series becomes darker and less kid-oriented as it progresses, so you might want to leave certain younger family members at home.

Here’s as complete a list as I can muster for what family-oriented flicks are coming in 2009, including live-action, animation, and whatever the Jonas Brothers are.

January: Hotel for Dogs, Inkheart.
February: Coraline, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.
March: Race to Witch Mountain (Disney + The Rock = $$$), Monsters vs. Aliens.
April: Hannah Montana: The Movie.
May: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Up.
June: Imagine That (warning: contains Eddie Murphy).
July: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (is this a prequel? How are the dinosaurs dawning after the mammals?), G-Force, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
August: None, unless you count G.I. Joe, which is based on a line of children’s dolls.
September: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
October: Toy Story (3D re-release), Where the Wild Things Are, Astro Boy.
November: A Christmas Carol (one of those crazy 3D motion-capture things, like Polar Express), The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Old Dogs (aka John Travolta and Robin Williams remake Daddy Day Care).
December: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel (GET IT?!!!?!?!?), The Princess and the Frog.

Network TV Audience Continues to Erode by Double Digits

TV Watch
Wayne Friedman
www.mediapost.com

In just the last two years, 25% of network TV’s prime-time viewers have departed, and, odds are, they aren’t coming back. At the same time TV program costs have skyrocketed.

Wonder why NBC is going with Leno every day at 10 p.m.?

The future of network TV is actually the future of TV syndication. There’s good news there: “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy” and “Oprah Winfrey” have been on the air for just about three decades each. So network TV has a lot to look forward to: plenty of constancy, but also plenty of boredom.

Network TV is not turning to cable or to the Internet for its near-term financial model. The new digital TV world isn’t growing fast enough for NBC’s Jeff Zucker. Those digital pennies he talks about will still be digital pennies — and not TV dollars — for quite some time.

The cable model?  Network TV stations have yet to garner that full-scale dual revenue stream the cable networks have — although CBS‘ Les Moonves says retransmission fees are making some inroads.

New TV estimates say prime time will see a major contraction in advertising dollars — some 7% to 8% overall — this year. At last year’s $9.2 billion dollar upfront broadcast prime-time level, that could come to a disappearance of some $732 million dollars.

Where will those dollars go? To YouTube, Canoe Ventures, Screenvision, MobiTV, ESPN, or CBS Television Distribution?

The big slap on the head comes from the fact that even former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan says he blew it by letting the nation’s banking system go fairly unregulated over the last few decades. The bigger slap was that virtually no one saw this coming.

Many have made entire careers out of predicting network television’s demise — or if not the medium itself, then its upfront advertising process. Yet TV advertisers continue to grumble but move in predictable fashion.  Where else can anyone go but network TV? Stick with what still has scale and efficiency, say media analysts.

But someday that scale may not be scale. If erosion of network TV viewership continues its double-digit percentage pace, this becomes just an easy math problem.

Mark Cuban Buys a Stake in Out of Home Media

Coming on the heels of an announcement that the upcoming NBA All Star Game will be aired in 3-D on movie screens across the country, Mark Cuban has taken a greater interest in the cinema industry. Cuban sees great potential for the movie theater market, undoubtedly stoked by the endless opportunities for bringing major live events to the big screen.

Internet/media mogul and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has accumulated a 9.4% stake in Carmike Cinemas (CKEK), the no. 4 U.S. movie chain. Why? Think less Sunday matinée, more 3D NBA All-Star games.

Cuban, reached by email, declined to comment specifically on his investment. But he gave us a clue as to why he is betting roughly $3 million in what’s supposed to be a declining industry. (He also co-owns Landmark Theatres with Todd Wagner.) Cuban, via email:

“What i can say is that I think Out of Home entertainment is becoming about far more than movies. HDNet was the first to do a live 3D broadcast to a theater, and we will continuing trying to expand that business, along with 2D out of home. Bits are bits, and just like you can make them smaller, you can make them a lot bigger and more interesting.”

What does that mean? Probably more events like the NBA All-Star game, which will be broadcast in 3D to 160 theater screens in the U.S. on Feb. 14, 2009, including some Carmike theaters.

This makes sense. While there’s plenty of movies that are nice to watch on a 50-inch HDTV at home, there’s still nothing like projecting video on a screen the size of a house. We’d happily pay money and travel to see stuff like “Planet Earth” or some out-of-town concerts/playoff games in a movie theater, for instance. (Especially if there is a bar on premises.)

And while we’re at it, how about some more interactive use cases? Maybe a Nintendo Wii bowling competition on a 100-foot screen? (via: Silicon Alley Insider)

Interactivity in movie theaters….hhhhmmmm. There are a number of companies that are poised to grab a chunk of this market (Brand Experience Lab, Snaptell, Locamoda, MegaPhone).

From gesture-based interactivity (Advergames) to linking mobile phones and cinema screens, I promise that movie theaters will be a major venue for this type of experiential marketing.

Mark Cuban

GET 40% OFF YOUR NEXT MOVIE

Image via Wikipedia

By Rick Aristotle Munarriz
January 21, 2009

http://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2009/01/21/get-40-off-your-next-movie.aspx

There are two ways to shave 40% off a night at the movies.

The easy way is to go see the matinee. Shorter lines, lighter (and quieter), the exact same movie — what’s not to love?

The harder way to get the markdown is to buy shares of Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC). The movie exhibitor is slashing its quarterly dividend by 40%, from $0.30 a share to $0.18 a share.

“Regal is not under stress from debt commitments or loan maturities, our balance sheet is strong, and we are optimistic regarding the 2009 film slate,” CEO Mike Campbell explains in this morning’s press release. “But we believe that the current environment requires a more conservative capital strategy, and that these combined actions allow the Company to retain more capital for de-leveraging its balance sheet and other opportunities.”

Campbell should have simply said, “Sorry investors, we can’t keep spoiling you with a 12.5% yield.”

The new yield of 7.5%, based on last night’s close, is probably still too good to be true. Sure, the new payout is less than the $0.93 a share that analysts see the multiplex giant earning this year, but Regal has $2 billion in long-term debt on its balance sheet worth tackling.

As for “other opportunities,” there are naturally plenty of attractive acquisition targets out there. Buying up smaller exhibitors like Cinemark (Nasdaq: CNK), Carmike (Nasdaq: CKEC), and Marcus (NYSE: MCS) make a lot of sense in a fragmented industry that is ripe for consolidations. However, better advice may be to diversify into related areas by snapping up companies like IMAX (Nasdaq: IMAX), in-theater advertising network National CineMedia (Nasdaq: NCMI), or Hollywood.com parent Hollywood Media (Nasdaq: HOLL). The moves would allow give the company the opportunity to spread its risk around, without straying from its celluloid stronghold.

Either way, I’ll stick to my first tip about just going to the matinee instead. At least then I know I’m getting a good deal.

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30  marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

www.hollywoodbranding.com

Call Beverly Nation at 636-485-5832

ANIME SCREENING AT 360 THEATERS FEB. 5TH

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

http://comicswait.blogspot.com/2009/01/u.html

THE U.S. DEBUT OF SWORD OF THE STRANGER – A ROUSING SAMURAI ANIME EPIC – HITS MOVIE THEATRES NATIONWIDE
FOR A ONE NIGHT EVENT

Tickets Now on Sale for Exclusive In-Theatre Anime Event

Appearing in More than 360 Movie Theatres on February 5th

Centennial, Colo. ? Jan. 6, 2009 ? NCM Fathom and Bandai Entertainment presents Sword of the Stranger, an exhilarating samurai anime tale straight from Japan, on the big screen in a special one-night event on Thursday, Feb. 5th at 7:30 p.m. local time. This unique theatre event (English dubbed) that brings the story of a nameless samurai to movie theatres will feature an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Sword of the Stranger at studio BONES as well as never-before-seen interviews with the English voice actors, director Masahiro Ando, and legendary producer Mashiko Minami.

Tickets for this special event are available at www.FathomEvents.com and presenting theatre box offices. For a complete list of theatre locations and prices, visit the website (theatres are subject to change).

Acclaimed Japanese anime studio BONES (“Cowboy Bebop,” “Full Metal Alchemist,” “Soul Eater”) brings Sword of the Stranger to life for this one-night exclusive event. Hunted by the Mings from China, a young boy named Kotaro and his loyal dog Tobimaru meet a nameless samurai who is haunted by his past – a memory so terrible he has vowed to never draw his sword again. Among the Mings is Luo-Lang, a ruthless Western swordsman with the Chinese name who has walked the earth in search of a worthy rival. When both groups clash with a feudal lord and monks torn between faith and survival, the truth behind the Mings’ pursuit of Kotaro tests the bond between the boy and the samurai.

“Bandai Entertainment is proud to partner with NCM Fathom for the American debut of Sword of the Stranger – this film has some of the most stunning action choreography ever seen in anime film,” said Robert Napton, marketing director for Bandai Entertainment, Inc. “Anime and samurai fans won’t want to miss this visually amazing and emotionally compelling event at their local movie theatre, where this film was meant to be seen.”

Sword of the Stranger, which was recently submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for Best Animated Feature of 2008, appears on the big screen in high-definition with Cinema Surround Sound in more than 360 select AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark Holdings, Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Georgia Theatre Company, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Hollywood Theaters, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theatres, as well as Arlington Theatre (Santa Barbara, CA) and Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT) through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network ? North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.

“NCM Fathom has experienced great success bringing anime events to the big screen in limited engagement events and we are excited to bring Sword of the Stranger to anime fans across the country this February,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom.

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation or call 636-485-5832

About Bandai Entertainment

Bandai Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) Inc. and the premier distributor of Japanese animation on DVD and programming for television broadcast in North America. Additional company and product information is available through our website at www.bandai-ent.com.

3D to Become the New HD

Analysts predict $25 bil 3-D market by 2012

Exhibitors first to benefit from the technology, report says

By Georg Szalai

Jan 27, 2009, 05:58 PM ET

NEW YORK — The 3-D market could be valued at more than $25 billion by 2012, with the boxoffice and movie exhibitors set to benefit from its growth spurt first, according to a new report from Piper Jaffray analysts.

The projected growth amounts to a compound annual growth rate of about 50%, with the analysts forecasting a $5.5 billion 3-D market this year.

The technology could mean a boon for the U.S. boxoffice, which the Piper Jaffray team expects to go from flat in 2008 and 2009 to an average gain of 12% year-over-year in 2010 and 2011.

“We expect the theatrical entertainment window will be the first to benefit from this technology,” Piper Jaffray media and entertainment analyst James Marsh and online content analyst Michael Olsen said in their new 3-D White Paper. “We expect the technology will become more widespread over time, moving from theaters to high-end home theater solutions and eventually to the average living room.”

The duo suggest that exhibitors are best positioned to benefit from this trend thanks to higher 3-D admission prices that could come at a 30%-40% premium and likely attendance gains, projecting that cash flow growth rates for major players will be at least 10% higher in 2010 and 2011.

The Piper Jaffray team sees Regal Entertainment Group as best positioned to take advantage of the 3-D trend, along with Carmike Cinemas and Cinemark. They called Regal the purest 3-D play, forecasting an attendance improvement of 5% by 2011.

Meanwhile, Carmike is well positioned due to its industry leading digital screen buildout, which already has brought 3-D capability to 18% of its screens. And Cinemark is poised to benefit as its theaters “are located in higher-growth U.S. markets, are modern and updated, and run efficiently, resulting in industry leading metrics,” the report said.

Marsh also likes the prospects for DreamWorks Animation, given that its management team was among the first to focus on the 3-D opportunity.

Entertainment companies with big libraries also will have a chance to exploit library titles in 3-D, but this process will take more time as 3-D conversion costs must come down further, he argued.

Technology companies that stand to benefit from the upgrade cycle to 3-D include Dolby and RealD.

In a conference call Tuesday, Marsh predicted that, following 3-D success in theaters, “3-D will become the new HD,” bringing the technology to TV sets, video game consoles and other devices.

Real D CEO Michael Lewis said Tuesday that his company is approaching installations on 1,700 screens, with many more already on backlog. Given that a majority of planned 3-D releases are large tentpole movies, he predicted that over a 3-5 year period, 3-D could close in on a 30%-50% share of U.S. — and, ultimately, worldwide — boxoffice.

About Hollywood Branding:              

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation or call 636-485-5832

BOX OFFICE UP 4.5% IN 2009

Box Office Numbers up 4.5% so far in ’09

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

http://www.variety.com/articleVR1117999175.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562

Theater admissions fell less than anticipated in 2008 — 2.5% — while they are up a sizeable 4.5% so far this year.Tallies provide further evidence that moviegoing has become a favorite pastime in brutal economic times.

Industry estimates released at the end of December showed that admissions for 2008 were running 4%-5% behind 2007.

However, the decline in admissions turned out to be narrower than that as the National Assn. of Theater Owners announced Tuesday that the 2008 average ticket price was $7.18, lower than expected. (It’s 30¢ more than the $6.88 paid for a ticket on average in 2007.)

B.O. revenues for 2008 were up more than 1% over 2007, making it the best year ever at the domestic B.O. For the time period Jan. 2, 2008, through Jan. 1, 2009, revs were $9.64 billion, according to Rentrak.

The number of people actually buying tickets at the theater kiosk always fluctuates since ticket prices rise annually. Hence admissions can be down but revenues up.

A 2.5% dip in admissions is relatively mild, particularly considering the falloff in other sectors in the last six months. Admissions were down more than 7% in 2005, for instance, and 4.8% in 2003. They were up slightly in 2007 and 2006.

The box office has been on a winning run since last summer. Some observers attribute the healthy B.O. to the fact that heading for the multiplex — or arthouse — is far less expensive than other entertainment outings, such as sports or concerts.

The strength of the January domestic box office has caught the film biz off-guard. Like admissions, B.O. revs are up, seeing a gain of 7% over the same frame last year.

Clint Eastwood‘s “Gran Torino” is the leader, grossing nearly $100 million to date for Warner Bros. and well on its way to becoming Eastwood’s best box office earner for a film he’s either directed or starred in.

Sony‘s sleeper hit “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” has likewise overperformed, cuming $65 million through Jan. 25.

About Hollywood Branding:              

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation or call 636-485-5832

CAR MAKERS HEAD TO THE BIG SCREEN

Car Makers Hit the Movies

Jan 31, 2009

-By Katy Bachman, Mediaweek

The silver screen is being treated like a golden opportunity for automakers looking to draw attention to new car launches.

Nissan is returning to cinema advertising, in April and May, with a 60-second showcase of its new 2009 370Z sports car. Also, from Feb. 28 through March, Kia, a steady cinema advertiser since 2005, will use theater screens to launch Soul, its new hatchback.

TV and print advertisers may be feeling the pain of lost auto ad dollars, but it’s a growing category for cinema.

Both Screenvision and National CineMedia, which are running national schedules for Nissan and Kia, expect the auto category to be up in 2009, no small feat in an ailing economy.

“The whole ad category has exploded for us, primarily imports,” said Michael Chico, evp, sales and marketing at Screenvision. It will air Nissan’s ad in the premium position right before the movie previews. Even the troubled U.S. automakers are giving cinema a second look, Chico said, “because they have to maintain brand position.”

National CineMedia’s president of sales and marketing Cliff Marks said that the auto category is “sold out” for the first half of ’09. “We are now part of the media plan,” he said.

Cinema is a core element of Nissan’s marketing for the 370Z. Unlike the marketing for its core models, network TV isn’t even on the Z’s ad GPS—except for targeted sports programming that heavily skews male. “Cinema is the broad-reach medium that we’re leveraging. It’s a core element,” said Chad Jacoby, senior manager of media operations for Nissan. “Cinema is more conducive to a spring and summer launch when TV viewership is down. We’re going where the eyeballs are.”

Meanwhile, Kia plans a traditional TV schedule starting in April, but cinema—because of its big screen, creative flexibility and captive audience—will lead the charge for that flight. “We like being able to introduce the launch with a longer creative version. We feel hamstrung by 30 seconds,” said Tim Chaney, director of marketing communications for Kia Motors America.

Auto advertisers are particularly smitten by cinema’s recall power, which is two to five times more than TV, according to a National CineMedia analysis of data from Nielsen IAG.

Last year, for example, the cinema campaign for the Lexus IS F had 75 percent unaided recall.
To get that kind of recall, auto advertisers are investing in creative by producing advertising specifically for the big screen. “It will feel contextually relevant and allow us to incorporate one of our main themes of ‘Make Every Drive Epic’ as an integral part of the story line,” Jacoby said.

Though cinema advertising offers practically unlimited creative flexibility, it also puts pressure on the advertiser to be as memorable as the movies. “People are looking to be entertained and we can do something different,” said Chaney. “You just can’t throw something up there.”

About Hollywood Branding:              

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation or call 636-485-5832

ADS ON MOVIE SCREENS 157% MORE LIKELY TO BE SEEN THAN TV ADS

Big Screen: Study Touts Cinema Ad Effectiveness

by Erik Sass

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=99659

Two new studies give a boost to out-of-home advertising, touting its ability to reach consumers in a fragmented media environment–especially if advertisers understand behavior patterns in the local market and use the medium in conjunction with other channels.The first study, released by the Cinema Advertising Council, highlighted the effectiveness of pre-show movie advertising in combination with TV. The second, from Posterscope, delivered insights into the different patterns of consumer exposure to outdoor advertising in various U.S. markets.

The CAC study, performed by IMMI, found that combined cinema and TV ad campaigns more than doubled the conversion rate and lift compared to a TV-only campaign. Tracking the results of three ad campaigns for cable TV shows, IMMI found that only 10.1% of subjects exposed to a TV-only campaign watched the show’s premiere, versus 22.7% for combined TV and cinema campaigns. Later, 24.7% of the former group went on to watch any episode of the show, versus 49.5% of the latter.

Cinema advertising contributed to this rise, in part, by reaching a higher proportion of “ad-avoiding” and multitasking consumers. Twenty-eight percent of moviegoers are classified as “ad avoiders,” meaning that overall moviegoers are 157% more likely to see ads at the movie theater than on TV.

In addition, movie ads are 64% more likely to reach people who use their phone to send text messages while watching TV, and 25% more likely to reach those who are online while watching TV.

Separately, the Posterscope study provides a market-specific analysis of consumer behavior in the top 20 DMAs, tracking the population’s movement and exposure to out-of-home advertising. According to Posterscope’s poll of 9,000 adults, 41% of New Yorkers can be reached via public transportation venues, while 50% of San Franciscans can be reached in coffee shops.

Posterscope further breaks down behavior patterns by demographic attributes, noting that men ages 18-34 in Atlanta frequent movie theaters, while their counterparts in Chicago can be reached at public transportation venues.

About Hollywood Branding:              

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation or call 636-485-5832.

VALENTINES DAY & NBA ALL STAR GAME IN 3D

Valentine’s Day, a 3D movie …

and All-Star Saturday

By Art Garcia, NBA.com
Posted Feb 6 2009 12:24PM

David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Talk about your Valentine’s Day dilemmas. One of you wants to go to the movies. The other has basketball on the brain. It’s a pickle that has pitted sweethearts on the opposite ends of the Date Night spectrum since Cupid’s first crossover dribble.

No sense in breaking up. You two have come too far.

There just may be a solution — without couple’s counseling — in your future. Get off the couch and head on down to your local movie house. Instead of catching My Bloody Valentine, snuggle up to NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

Live, in 3D and HD.

The NBA, Turner Sports and Cinedigm are teaming up to present All-Star Saturday Night in 3D on Feb. 14 (8 p.m. ET) at theatres across the county. From Apple Valley, Calif. to Port St. Lucie, Fla., couples can watch Dwight Howard transform into a leading Superman on the silver screen. The evening inside the theatre promises a view almost as good as being on the floor at US Airways Center in Phoenix.

“The best seat in the house for an NBA event is at courtside, and the 3D cameras being utilized to capture NBA All-Star Saturday Night will put you in those seats,” said Steve Hellmuth, NBA executive vice president of operations and technology. “It is a transforming event for a fan to see the beauty, grace and power of the best athletes in the world.”

TNT is producing with Pace’s digital 3D technology, while Cinedigm is a leader in digital cinema. The more than 80 theatres bringing All-Star Saturday Night to life also are featuring contests and prizes, and giving fans the chance to text/vote on the winner of the Sprite Slam Dunk contest. The night’s other events are the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, the Haier Shooting Stars and the PlayStation Skills Challenge.

The NBA isn’t new to 3D. The league produced the first-ever live sports event in 3D during NBA All-Star Game 2007 in Las Vegas for an audience of 700 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Next up was Game 2 of the 2007 NBA Finals — Cleveland at San Antonio — for an audience of 14,000 fans at Quicken Loans arena. The Mavericks delivered the first sporting event to a movie theatre last year in Dallas.

The NBA’s version of movie watching is like no other experience when it comes to sports in 3D, Hellmuth said. “The Pace Fusion technology allows for control of the depth of the 3D experience, and it translates into more natural vision and no eye fatigue,” he said. “I can predict that if you attend one of the Cinedigm theaters you will be lost in the pictures.”

TNT’s broadcast of NBA All-Star Saturday night last year was one of the most-watched sporting events on TV in 2008. Saturday Night is part of NBA All-Star 2009, culminating with the 58th NBA All-Star Game, airing on TNT, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

All-Star Saturday Night: 3D HD Theatres

Theatre Location Pavillion Digital Showcase Theatre Brooklyn, N.Y. Telshor 12 (Las Cruces N.M.) Las Cruces, N.M. Atlas Cinemas Great Lakes Stadium 16 Mentor, Ohio Carmike 10-Asheville Asheville, N.C. Carmike Wynnsong 10-Billings Billings, Mont. Carmike Royal Palm 20 Bradenton, Fla. Beverly Center 18 Champaign, Ill. James Island 8 Charleston, S.C. Carmike 6-Charlottesville Charlottesville, Va. Chapel Hills 15 Colorado Springs, Colo. Carmike 15 Columbus, Ga. Carmike Conyers Crossroads 16 Conyers, Ga. Carmike Market Square 10 DeKalb, Ill. Carmike 9-Dyersburg Dyersburg, Tenn. Carmike 20 Edinburg, Texas Carmike 16-El Paso El Paso, Texas Carmike Market Fair 15 Fayetteville, N.C. Carmike Amelia Island 7 Fernandina Beach, Fla. Carmike 10 Fort Collins, Colo. Thoroughbred 20 Franklin, Tenn. Carmike 14 Hickory, N.C. Carmike 16-Jacksonville Jacksonville, N.C. Johnson City 14 Johnson City, Tenn. Carmike Wynnsong 16-Johnston Johnston, Iowa Carmike Wynnsong 16-Knoxville Knoxville, Tenn. Seth Childs 12 Manhattan, Kan. Carmike 10-Missoula Missoula, Mont. Wynnsong 16 Mobile, Ala. Carmike Oakdale 20 Oakdale, Minn. Carmike Wynnsong 12-Provo Provo, Utah Carmike 10 Roanoke, Va. Carmike Wynnsong 11-Savannah Savannah, Ga. Carmike 10-Stillwater Stillwater, Okla. Carmike 14-Tyler Tyler, Texas Carmike University 8-Warrensburg Warrensburg, Mo. Carmike Wynnsong 12-Winston-Salem Winston-Salem, N.C. Celebration! Cinemas Grand Rapids – North Grand Rapids, Mich. Cinema West 13-Livermore Livermore, Calif. Cinema West Contra Costa 8 Martinez, Calif. Boulevard Cinemas 12 Petaluma, Calif. Clearview Cinemas Parsippany, N.J. Emagine Entertainment Novi Novi, Mich. Emagine Hollywood 10 Birch Run, Mich. Empress Walk 10 Cinemas North York, Ontario Galaxy Highland 10 Austin, Texas Galaxy Fandango 10 Carson City, Nev. Galaxy Uptown 10 Gig Harbor, Wash. Galaxy Cannery 16 N. Las Vegas, Nev. Galaxy 12-Riverbank Riverbank, Calif. Galaxy 10-Tulare Tulare, Calif. Krikorian Premiere Theatres,LLC Redlands, Calif. Krikorian Premiere Theatres,LLC Buena Park, Calif. Krikorian 12-Monrovia Monrovia, Calif. Mann Chinese Hollywood, Calif. Marquee Southridge 12 Charleston, W.Va. Marquee Southpoint 9 Fredricksburg, Va. Marquee Orchard 14-New Hartford New Hartford, N.Y. Marquee Wakefield 12 Raleigh, N.C. Orchard Cinema 10 Toms River, N.J. MJR Brighton Town Square 20 Brighton, Mich. Southgate 20 Southgate, Mich. MJR Sterling Heights Marketplace 20 Sterling Heights, Mich. NCG Lansing Eastwood Lansing, Mich. Rave Mall of Louisiana 15 Baton Rouge, La. RMP Promenade 16 Center Valley, Pa. East Ridge 18 Chattanooga, Tenn. RMP Polaris 18 Columbus, Ohio RMP Ridgmar 13 Fort Worth, Texas RMP Patton Creek 15 Hoover, Ala. RMP Yorktown 15 Houston, Texas Valley Bend 18 Huntsville, Ala. RMP North East Mall 18 Hurst, Texas Rave Town Square 18 Las Vegas, Nev. Rave Colonel Glenn 18 Little Rock, Ark. RMP Avenue 16 Melbourne, Fla. Rave Festival Plaza 16 Montgomery, Ala. Rave Bayou 15 Pensacola, Fla. Grand Prairie 18 Peoria, Ill. RMP Metropolis 18 Plainfield, Ind. Rave Port St. Lucie 14 Port St. Lucie, Fla. RMP West Chester 18 West Chester, Ohio East 18 Evansville Evansville, Ind. UltraStar Apple Valley 14 Apple Valley, Calif. Del Mar Highlands 8 San Diego, Calif. UltraStar Chula Vista 10 Chula Vista, Calif. UltraStar Surprise Pointe 14 Surprise, Ariz.

About Hollywood Branding:       

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation or call 636-485-5832.

HOLLYWOOD BOX OFFICE BOOMS IN JANUARY

Posted By: Julia Boorstin

Topics:Economy (Global) | Economy (U.S.) | Recession | Movies & Film Studios | Television | Technology | Print Media | Media

Sectors:Technology | Media

Companies:Sony Corp, SNE | News Corporation Limited | Time Warner Inc

Despite the deepening recession, Hollywood is bucking the trend and actually breaking records on the upside.

This January the domestic box office topped $1 Billion for the first time ever, up 19 percent from last January’s $867.2 million.

And while higher ticket prices did help boost the box office, the real boost came from more attendance: ticket sales grew 16 percent this January over last year.

January is traditionally a weak time at the box office as kids head back to school, but this year Americans are looking for an escape and the films delivered. Clint Eastwood‘s “Gran Torino” from Warner Bros. rolled out slowly, bringing in a total of $110 million. Sony/Columbia’s comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” was a surprise hit, bringing in $83 million. And this past weekend Fox’s
kidnapping drama “Taken” brought in nearly $25 million, the second-best movie opening Super Bowl weekend ever.

Movies seem to be benefiting from the downturn, offering an affordable escape from the bad news. Yes, people complain about over-priced popcorn and increasingly expensive tickets, but movies are far more affordable than concerts or sporting events.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/28978391

About Hollywood Branding:       

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation or call 636-485-5832.

JONAS BROS IN 3D CONCERT AT MOVIE THEATERS

Jonas Brothers Fans Can Get Freebies!

Copyright 2009 Disney Channel

‘Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience’ opens this weekend — and 300,000 fans will have the chance to get a free poster.

In conjunction with the opening of the Jonas Brothers’ movie, the Disney Channel will be distributing 300,000 posters promoting the pop idols’ upcoming series, “JONAS,” at Screenvision theaters across the country and at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles.

And that isn’t all. The Jo Bros will actually be visiting a limited number of theaters in person. They write on their MySpace page: “Wanted to let you know that we will be making surprise visits to theaters around the nation. We have a 3 day weekend free so we decided to go coast to coast to surprise our fans by dropping into theaters in cities around the nation. We will not be telling people which city or theater. We are simply flying in and thanking our fans. Hopefully we will see you there. Thanks, JB, Kevin, Joe and Nick.”

If there isn’t a Screenvision theater in your neighborhood, log on to www.DisneyChannel.com/JONAS and download the one-sheet.

Then, keep checking back because ET will be first on the set of “JONAS” for all the behind-the-scenes buzz!

http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/02/71174/

About Hollywood Branding:       

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation or call 314-776-1018

Or Visit www.HollywoodBranding.com

KIA SOUL – HAMSTER COMMERCIAL HITS THE BIG SCREEN

Kia Soul Hamster Commercial

Hits the Big Screen

Kia’s Soul Finds ‘New Way to Roll’

One ad depicts a computer-generated Levittown populated by giant hamsters.

Feb 26, 2009

-By Anthony Crupi, Mediaweek

NEW YORK Kia Motors America is ready for its close-up, prepping an expansive ad campaign for its new crossover vehicle, Soul, that begins Friday.

Tagged “Soul. A new way to roll,” the 60-second spot will play in movie theaters served by National Cinemedia and Screenvision, with the latter buy targeting cinemas located on or near 50 college campuses.

Created by David & Goliath, Los Angeles, the ad depicts a computer-generated Levittown populated by giant hamsters. As the rodents spin in place on their hamster wheels, waiting for the traffic light to change, the drudgery of their gridlocked exercise is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a red Kia Soul. When the car pulls up to the intersection, the passenger-side window rolls down to reveal a posse of three hipster hamsters who are clearly enjoying their ride.

The theater ad will run through April 1, whereupon the print and television campaign will kick off, said Tim Chaney, director, marketing communications, KMA.

“We’re doing a buy across the major networks and cable, and it’s a nice balance of prime time and some late night,” Chaney said. “Because we’re going after the younger demo, we’re doing quite a bit of cable.” Kia’s cable buy includes Adult Swim, Discovery Channel, MTV and Comedy Central.

The carmaker has also lined up a major integrated sponsorship, buying time on the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. In addition to 30-second spots, the Soul will also play a part in the night’s festivities, Chaney said.

With details still being ironed out, Kia did not offer particulars about the print campaign. Chaney said print ads would run through the end of 2009, across a range of youth-oriented lifestyle, entertainment and music titles, as well as in a selection of niche publications.

On the digital side, Kia is covering a vast expanse of the online waterfront, buying into search and social media.

While some automakers are taking a more somber approach to marketing their 2009 lines, Kia will present a playful, upbeat note throughout the Soul campaign. “There’s a lot of heavy stuff going on in the world right now and it’s starting to seep into advertising,” Chaney said. “We just didn’t want to get caught up in that. We think the people who are going to be drawn to Soul are more likely to respond to a lighthearted message.”

In addition to showcasing the Soul’s fuel efficiency (31 MPG) and low price (MSRP starting under $14,000), the theater spot also emphasizes the car’s sound system, which features pulsating lights that twitter and flash to the beat.

“We don’t want to do a traditional car ad, particularly because of how marketing savvy this target audience is,” Chaney said. “We don’t think we’d get anywhere with them if we were to just hit them with a lot of car specs.”

While Kia did not disclose the media budget for Soul, Chaney characterized the overall buy as “pretty significant … right up there with the most we’ve ever spent on a launch.” One major difference between the Soul offensive and those that came before it is that broadcast will play a much smaller role this time around.

Kia spent $302 million on measured media last year, up 36 percent from $222 million in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus. (Related: “D&G Opens in Europe for Kia.”)

“A new way to roll” heralds the first of a number of launches Kia has planned between now and 2011. “The new face of Kia is all about style and personalization,” Chaney said. “The Soul launch symbolizes the first wave of design-oriented products we have in store in the next few years.”

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

CINEMA ADVERTISING RANKS FIRST AMONG 40 MEDIA CATEGORIES

Published: March 19, 2009 at 02:57 PM GMT
Last Updated: March 19, 2009 at 02:57 PM GMT

By JackMyers Research

Pre-movie video advertising is the highest indexing medium among audiences who say they are”very likely/extremely likely” to pay attention to advertising in 21 media categories. Pre-movie video advertising indexes 134 compared to the average attentiveness of 100. (Pre-movie video advertising is 34% higher than the index average.)

Likelihood to pay attention to advertising messages
	Index
Movie Theaters Pre-movie video entertainment	134
Movie Theaters Pre-movie slide messages	122
Movie Theater lobbies (posters, video, kiosks, etc.)	118
Home, Food & Family Interests Magazined	117
Entertainment Weeklies	116
Websites you visit for TV and movie related information	113
Primetime Drama Series	108
Women’s Lifestyle and Special Interests Magazines	107
News Magazines	102
Travel Publications	101
Situation Comedies	99
Primetime Reality Series	99
Elevator TV Screens	93
Primetime Variety / Competition Shows	87
Video displays in public locations	87
Men’s Lifestyle and Special Interests Magazines	87
Gossip Tabloids	86
Video displays at Retailers	85
Dramadies and Primetime Soaps	84
Business Publications	84
Video in Grocery and Drug Stores	72

Source: Myers Research on the Emotional Connections of Audiences to the Media They Consume. Conducted online among 8,000 respondents aged 15-55.

Today’s Daily Data is sponsored by ScreenvisionJack Myers Topics

To communicate with or to be contacted by the executives and/or companies mentioned in this column, link to JackMyers Connection Hotline.

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.  Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.  Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Matt Damon confirms 4th Jason Bourne movie coming (inquisitr.com)
• ‘Watchmen’ Update: Sequel, Images, New Poster (cinematical.com)

NEW – 3D ADVERTISING ON MOVIE SCREENS – IT’S HERE!

3-D Advertising Comes to the Silver Screen: Screenvision and Wrigley(R) Partner to Bring First Ever 3-D Ad to Cinema 3-D Advertising Comes to the Silver Screen: Screenvision and Wrigley(R) Partner to Bring First Ever 3-D Ad to Cinema: “Screenvision, the leading innovator in cinema advertising has partnered exclusively with the Wrigley brand to bring the first ever 3-D ad to cinema beginning May 1st.

This exclusive partnership extends Screenvision’s focus to create 360 degree entertainment experiences for consumers and marketers alike. Already the 3-D in-lobby leader for advertisers, Screenvision will now also be the 3-D in-theatre leader with the launch of its first ever on screen 3-D ad.

Screenvision’s Programming Network will make the 3-D Skittles spot available through its exhibitor partners across the country with coverage in all of the top 10 DMAs. The 3-D ad will run for a five week period beginning May 1st on 762 3-D screens in 461 Screenvision represented theatres. ‘

3-D movies have made such a big impact for the studios and moviegoers which is very promising for Screenvision’s 3-D advertising platform. 2-D ads in our Premium Pod(TM) deliver an average 72% total recall, and we anticipate that 3-D ads will generate even stronger awareness,’ said Matthew Kearney, CEO, Screenvision. ‘Screenvision continues to be the innovator and leader in the advertising sector providing the marketplace with the largest 3-D network, both in-lobby and on the screen.’

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

A POLITICAL MESSAGE AMID THE MOVIE TRAILERS

U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

Howard Weiss and Kelly Reed, whose pool supply store was sued by a woman who had fallen.

BY:  ELIZABETH OLSON

Published: June 3, 2009

WWW.NYTIMES.COM

INSTEAD of the latest on Hollywood stars, moviegoers may get a dose of advocacy this month when they settle into their seats for the feature presentation.

U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform

Mike Carter, whose gasket business in Louisiana is grappling with 100 asbestos lawsuits.

Coming to theaters are commercials that are intended to spell out the perils of frivolous lawsuits as told by “everyday Americans,” including small-business owners who have been hit with costly lawsuits they believed were arbitrary and abusive.

The owner of a pool supply store in Rockville, Md., tells of being sued for $750,000 by a passer-by who fell and was injured after being startled by a wild Canada goose nesting near his store. A gasket maker in Monroe, La., narrates how he is grappling with 100 asbestos lawsuits, and a Colorado couple describe how their family was sued for $75,000 after their 7-year-old son struck a fellow skier.

The series of two-minute trailers is the latest salvo in a long-running political battle over whether there should be curbs on bringing civil lawsuits. President George W. Bush often criticized what he called “junk lawsuits,” but trial lawyers fought back, citing research by the RAND Institute and other groups that as few as 2 percent of injured people file lawsuits.

The United States Chamber of Commerce, which represents three million businesses, is hoping this “Faces of Lawsuit Abuse” ad campaign, from its Institute for Legal Reform, can revitalize interest in restricting litigation. The tales, now running on radio, television and the Internet, will appear on the big screen for audiences in Washington, D.C., and in Colorado and Louisiana. The plan is to then expand to theaters nationwide.

“The silver screen is a perfect place to tell stories,” said Lisa Rickard, the institute’s president, “but these aren’t fiction. They are true stories of people who have been victimized. We want people to realize that this is not a lottery system where you might hit the jackpot, but that these lawsuits have very real consequences.”

The idea for the commercials came to Ms. Rickard as she and her husband were watching on-screen ads at a local movie theater. She recalls thinking that “instead of some of the rinky-dink stuff we were seeing, this was a great chance to educate people.”

A handful of other organizations and government agencies have bought ad slots before movies. Groups like the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association have run issue or brand awareness ads or commercials in theaters.

“This is the first time we’ve looked at movie trailers as a way to present an issue,” said Will Feltus, senior vice president for research at National Media Inc., which bought the lawsuit campaign’s media time. The company, based in Alexandria, Va., was a media buyer for the 2004 Bush re-election campaign.

Mr. Feltus acknowledged being skeptical about such trailers because “they are a bit outside of the box,” but said that data from Scarborough Research, a major market research group, found that people who closely followed political issues were “well above average” in their moviegoing habits.

“About 50 percent are more likely to go to the movies six or more times a month,” he said. Also, movies are attracting bigger audiences, with box office results up 15 percent this year over 2008.

And 90 percent of audiences prefer preshow entertainment and advertising over a blank screen, according to E-Poll, a market research firm whose data is used by National CineMedia, which sells and places advertisements for Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings and other theaters.

The message of the institute’s movie theater commercials is “hard-hitting,” said Cliff Marks, National CineMedia’s president for sales and marketing. “This isn’t making any bones about it. It’s not a warm and fuzzy message, but one that says: ‘you need to know there is a problem.’ ”

The ads also are staking out new advertising ground, because the campaign plans to go national and because of the ads’ longer running time, Mr. Marks said. “Such ads, which we call branded entertainment, are usually 30 or 60 seconds long. The lawsuit promotion is a longer form, and costs more to produce and buy the time,” he said.

The institute declined to disclose its budget for the campaign, but Mr. Marks said it would cost at least $1 million, and perhaps as much as $4 million, to place ads in its 1,325 theaters across the country.

The campaign is not pushing any specific legislation, but Joanne Doroshow, executive director of the Center for Justice and Democracy, a consumer advocacy group, said the chamber was trying to fend off legislative changes to mandatory arbitration clauses.

“They want to make sure that consumers don’t have the right to go to court when there are disputes in consumer contracts like health insurance, credit cards or mortgages,” she said.

Ms. Rickard said the institute would gauge the effectiveness of its campaign from the response to its Web site, facesoflawsuitabuse.org.

As it plans to expand the campaign nationally, the institute is looking for new participants from the “hundreds of stories we get on our Web site,” said Bryan Quigley, a spokesman for the group.

Ms. Rickard said the public needed to be educated about such lawsuits because cases like the one involving the nesting goose were costly to business owners.

But Patrick Malone, former president of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, said the chamber was omitting “key facts that made these and other cases nonfrivolous.”

The goose at the center of the lawsuit “was not a wild creature, but a pet because they were feeding it,” Mr. Malone said. Campaigns like those from Ms. Rickard’s group amount “to mass tampering with the jury pool so they look at any plaintiff with a skeptical and jaundiced eye,” he said.

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

FOX TO BUY 3-D GLASSES FOR ICE AGE

Fox to buy 3-D glasses for ‘Ice Age’ – Los Angeles Times

Posted: 20 Jun 2009 08:53 AM PDT

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/06/fox-paying-for-ice-ages-3d-glasses-but-the-issue-remains-.html

Fox to buy 3-D glasses for ‘Ice Age’

The studio had threatened to make theater chains pay the costs, which can easily add $10 million to a successful film’s release.

20th Century Fox‘s high-profile stare-down with exhibitors over who would pay for digital 3-D glasses to go with ‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs‘ has been settled. But the issues underlying the dispute will almost certainly flare up again.

Fox, which had initially threatened to make theater owners bear the costs, has agreed to pick up the tab, according to several people familiar with the matter.”

In the past, studios have paid 75 cents to $1 per moviegoer for disposable glasses. That can easily add as much as $10 million to the cost of a successful film’s release. This factor empowers muliti-use glasses solutions like XpanD or Dolby that eliminate this cost.

It’s a sore point for studios, which complain that they shouldn’t have to pay that fee, particularly because theaters can reuse glasses. The studios are already incurring additional costs of about $15 million a picture to make a movie in 3-D. Tickets for 3-D movies come with a $2 to $3 surcharge, which is split between theater owners and studios.

Fox was the first studio whose concerns became public, when word got out during the ShoWest film industry trade show in March that it was pressuring exhibitors to pay for the glasses to go with “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” which comes out July 1 and is the studio’s first 3-D movie. Theater chains balked, with Regal, the nation’s biggest, threatening to play the movie in 2-D only.

With nearly 50 3-D movies due out in the next two years, the issue of who will pay for 3-D glasses is hardly settled.

Fox is expected to keep pressuring theaters to pick up the tab and push for them to reuse the glasses. The studio has ample incentive: In December it will release James Cameron‘s 3-D sci-fi action movie “Avatar,” the director’s first major film since 1997′s “Titanic.”

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

CINEMA ADVERTISING CELEBRATING 6 STRAIGHT YEARS OF RECORD GROWTH

By Toni Fitzgerald
Jun 16, 2009

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Media_economy_57/One_of_the_few_bright_spots_Cinema_ads.asp

It was a down year for nearly every form of advertising, with everything from magazines to outdoor taking a hit in 2008.

A notable exception was cinema advertising, which recorded its sixth straight year of growth, up 5.8 percent over 2007, from $539.9 million to $571.4 million, according to the Cinema Advertising Council.

Spending on the medium has increased by 208 percent since 2002, the first year it was measured.

In 2008 the bulk of the money, just over 90 percent, was spent on on-screen advertising versus advertising elsewhere in the theater. That’s down slightly from 92 percent the previous year.

National or regional advertisers accounted for 77 percent of sales.

Driving that growth is improved technology, which now enables advertisers to swap out and update creative digitally at the flip of a switch across hundreds of theaters.

That’s made cinema advertising that much more attractive to marketers, especially national brands.

While the media economy overall fell 2.8 to 4 percent during 2008, depending on whose figures you believe, cinema advertising still pulled in new advertisers.

“We started digitizing seven years ago, and that made it easier for advertisers who had never explored cinema before to start using it,” says Dave Kupiec, president and chairman of the CAC.

Under the old technology, creative had to be distributed to individual theaters in the form of film. On-screen advertising was sold in four-week chunks, which essentially precluded marketers who wanted to advertise a limited-time promotion, like a weekend sale.

It was also cost-prohibitive, with a short spot running up to $300,000 to produce.

“Digital changed that. They can swap an ad out any time in the flight,” Kupiec says. “And there are no film costs. Say someone sends in a two-minute videotape. We can put it up via satellite and send it to 18,000 movie screens.”

Kupiec says cinema advertising saw some of its biggest growth in the retail area this year because of that technology, with advertisers such as Kohl’s and Sears coming in for the first time in recent years.

Off-screen advertising, of the sort you see in movie theater lobbies, also saw some growth due to new interactive technologies, such as posters that send messages to passersby’s cell phones.

“The thing that’s getting attention is mobile applications, what to do with cell phones with touch screens, and 3D screens,” Kupiec says. “It’s technology that becomes new and exciting, captivating media. We find we’re getting a lot of requests for that sort of thing.”

Automotive remained one of the top ad categories in 2008, with Asian automakers spending especially heavily. Other top categories included television, consumer packaged goods, credit cards, fashion and movie studios.

Still, whether the ad spending growth will continue into what’s been a dismal start to the year for all media remains to be seen.

“The reality of this economy is that no matter how good cinema is, the number of contracts we’re writing is still increasing, but the amount we’re writing per contract is down versus prior years,” Kupiec says. “We know the economy is in the dumper for a year or so. That doesn’t mean we’ve lost momentum, it just means we’ve lost some money.”

CAC members account for 82 percent of the nearly 39,000 U.S. movie screens.

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

CINEMA ADS – A MEDIA BRIGHT SPOT OF 2009

Ad spending kept growing in 2008 as so much else slowed.

By Toni Fitzgerald from Media Life

Jun 16, 2009

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Media_economy_57/One_of_the_few_bright_spots_Cinema_ads.asp

It was a down year for nearly every form of advertising, with everything from magazines to outdoor taking a hit in 2008.

A notable exception was cinema advertising, which recorded its sixth straight year of growth, up 5.8 percent over 2007, from $539.9 million to $571.4 million, according to the Cinema Advertising Council.

Spending on the medium has increased by 208 percent since 2002, the first year it was measured.

In 2008 the bulk of the money, just over 90 percent, was spent on on-screen advertising versus advertising elsewhere in the theater. That’s down slightly from 92 percent the previous year.

National or regional advertisers accounted for 77 percent of sales.

Driving that growth is improved technology, which now enables advertisers to swap out and update creative digitally at the flip of a switch across hundreds of theaters.

That’s made cinema advertising that much more attractive to marketers, especially national brands.

While the media economy overall fell 2.8 to 4 percent during 2008, depending on whose figures you believe, cinema advertising still pulled in new advertisers.

“We started digitizing seven years ago, and that made it easier for advertisers who had never explored cinema before to start using it,” says Dave Kupiec, president and chairman of the CAC.

Under the old technology, creative had to be distributed to individual theaters in the form of film. On-screen advertising was sold in four-week chunks, which essentially precluded marketers who wanted to advertise a limited-time promotion, like a weekend sale.

It was also cost-prohibitive, with a short spot running up to $300,000 to produce.

“Digital changed that. They can swap an ad out any time in the flight,” Kupiec says. “And there are no film costs. Say someone sends in a two-minute videotape. We can put it up via satellite and send it to 18,000 movie screens.”

Kupiec says cinema advertising saw some of its biggest growth in the retail area this year because of that technology, with advertisers such as Kohl’s and Sears coming in for the first time in recent years.

Off-screen advertising, of the sort you see in movie theater lobbies, also saw some growth due to new interactive technologies, such as posters that send messages to passersby’s cell phones.

“The thing that’s getting attention is mobile applications, what to do with cell phones with touch screens, and 3D screens,” Kupiec says. “It’s technology that becomes new and exciting, captivating media. We find we’re getting a lot of requests for that sort of thing.”

Automotive remained one of the top ad categories in 2008, with Asian automakers spending especially heavily. Other top categories included television, consumer packaged goods, credit cards, fashion and movie studios.

Still, whether the ad spending growth will continue into what’s been a dismal start to the year for all media remains to be seen.

“The reality of this economy is that no matter how good cinema is, the number of contracts we’re writing is still increasing, but the amount we’re writing per contract is down versus prior years,” Kupiec says. “We know the economy is in the dumper for a year or so. That doesn’t mean we’ve lost momentum, it just means we’ve lost some money.”

CAC members account for 82 percent of the nearly 39,000 U.S. movie screens.

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

SCAN YOUR CELL PHONE AT THE MOVIES FOR POPCORN

Lights, Camera, Action for Concession Coupons

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD

Published: July 6, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/business/media/07adco.html?_r=1

FILM producers spend millions every year to draw audiences to their movies. Now, advertisers are beginning to benefit from that, using not only movie screens for their commercials, but the lobbies of cinemas as well.

Sprint is placing kiosks in about 500 movie theaters so customers can scan in a code from their phones to get coupons for snacks.

This month through December, Sprint Nextel is sponsoring a cinema-centric marketing effort, placing kiosks in about 500 movie theaters nationwide. Sprint customers can scan in a code from their phones, and the kiosks will print coupons, like a free upgrade to a bigger popcorn or larger soda.

“We see a very natural affinity between cinemagoers and our target audience,” said Simon McPhillips, director of media for Sprint. With more people going to see films, it’s a good time for Sprint to go to the movies, he added.

Companies have been expanding their cinema advertising recently, realizing that theaters are good places to reach audiences that don’t have too many distractions.

For years, companies like Screenvision and National CineMedia have been running on-screen commercials before trailers started, and lately they have been offering new products for advertisers. National CineMedia operates TV screens at concession stands that feature ads.

•

Screenvision has a few new projects in the works: with Cinema Scene, it will expand the number of theaters featuring stand-alone digital panels that replace movie posters. They show trailers or images that can be changed every day, or even every hour. And it will also introduce a backlit ministage that displays a hologram later this year. These stages, about 8 feet by 8 feet, will be placed in theater lobbies, and marketers can use them to display any image they want, like a candy bar or a cellphone.

Those are scheduled for limited introduction this year and are more for the “wow” factor than anything else, said Michael Chico, executive vice president for sales and marketing at Screenvision.

Sprint, too, is becoming more creative with its cinema spots, Mr. McPhillips said.

“People with high mobile phone usage do tend to go to cinemas more than people with lower mobile phone usage,” he said. “Years back, when cinema advertising was just launching, people were a little skeptical on how it would be received. It’s only been around for a relatively short amount of time, but all the research that came back said, despite initial skepticism, people feel that the advertisements are not intruding — in fact, in many ways are complementing — the overall event.”

Sprint uses National CineMedia’s network to run what are known as courtesy spots — reminders to silence cellphones — just before the movie (this spring, it added a warning not to text during a movie).

Screenvision and Sprint have conducted promotions that ask cinemagoers to choose the best-dressed celebrity from a red-carpet event via text message, or allow consumers to text a certain number and receive a trailer download in return.

The idea is not to get moviegoers to switch phone companies then and there, but to show off what Sprint can do, Mr. McPhillips said.

“We’ve got a term called brand utility, and what we’re looking to do with brand utility is use the phone as a marketing device, leveraging the benefits of a mobile phone,” he said. “Any marketing is obviously looking to improve people’s perceptions of the brand and bring them closer to the Sprint experience: the ‘Now network,’ living in the now — what that means is being in touch, wanting to get the most out of ‘now,’ whether it’s getting data on your phone or sharing an experience.”

Sometimes, as in the red-carpet texting campaign, Sprint allows any cellphone customer to participate. But with the kiosk, Sprint has a different goal.

“The first was a reward for their own customers, building that loyalty, and the other was the envy factor,” said Christine Martino, national account director for Screenvision, which brought the idea to Sprint.

The kiosk works by instructing Sprint customers to text a certain word (like “Sprint”) to a certain phone number. The customers then receive a text message that includes a string of letters and numbers. The kiosk includes a computer screen next to a scanning device, and people hold up their cellphones, scan that code and can browse through a few offers on the screen. The customers select their offer, and the kiosk prints a receipt that people can take to the concession stand for free upgrades, like a larger popcorn.

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

MAYWEATHER MARQUEZ FIGHT WILL BE SHOWN AT MOVIE THEATERS

By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY

Boxing is returning to the big screen.

Monday, it was announced that the Sept. 19 bout between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquezwill be shown in more than 170 theaters nationwide (suggested price: $12.50 to $15) in addition to HBO-Pay Per-View ($49.95).

“The young audience, they don’t want to stay at home. They don’t want to go to a bar,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who struck the arrangement with National CineMedia’s Fathom and insists this move will not hurt pay-per-view sales. “This is going to open up the sport of boxing to a new and young audience.”

Trailers will begin running for four weeks leading up to the bout. The entire card, which is shaping up to be one of the year’s best, will be shown from MGM Grand in Las Vegas. That includes a rematch between featherweight titlist Chris John and Rocky Juarez; former lineal welterweight champion Zab Judah vs. Antonio Diaz; former lightweight world title challenger Michael Katsidis vs. Vicente Escobedo.

Although Schaefer said the last fight shown via broad closed circuit in the U.S. was Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran II in 1980, Oscar De La Hoya‘s first bout vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, promoted by Top Rank Inc. in 1996, was exclusively shown in theaters — not pay-per-view. Leonard’s superfight with Marvelous Marvin Hagler in 1987 was on closed circuit as well, but in the ’80s those fights occurred on Monday nights. Putting Mayweather-Marquez on closed circuit on a Saturday night, however, is unique.

“We’re clearly expecting this to be trememdously successful,” said Dan Diamond, vice present of Fathom, who anticipates. “I’m already gearing up conversations for the next one.”

Theater tickets can be purchased at fathomevents.com.

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com

WHAT’S NEW ON THE PRE-SHOW PROGRAM? INDUSTRY LEADERS DISH

What’s new at the pre-show?

Sept 22, 2009

Cliff Marks and Bill McGlamery

Leading cinema-advertising companies share their latest efforts to make the show before the main feature engaging and entertaining.

Cliff Marks
President of Sales and Marketing
National CineMedia

Tell us about your typical pre-show and what the content usually consists of.
NCM’s FirstLook is a digital entertainment and advertising pre-feature program showcasing content from some of Hollywood’s most popular entertainment companies, such as A&E Television Networks, NBC, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Turner Broadcasting System, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Warner Bros. along with national, regional and local advertising seen on approximately 15,500 digital screens nationwide.

FirstLook provides both a high-quality entertainment experience for patrons and an effective marketing platform for advertisers. Designed with the audience in mind, FirstLook ends approximately at the advertised movie showtime (when the film trailers begin) and its entertainment content segments are rotated between theatres about every two weeks to help ensure that frequent moviegoers are entertained by fresh content. Multiple versions of FirstLook are presented every month throughout NCM’s media network, and each FirstLook presentation is tailored to a specific film rating category to provide age-appropriate content and advertising for the movie audience.

Who are your pre-show content providers?
A&E Television Networks, NBC, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Turner Broadcasting System, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Warner Bros.

Which pre-show content has been especially successful?
Our entertainment content has been very successful, especially content which is uniquely created for FirstLook and highly relevant for the moviegoing experience. We have just renewed multi-year deals through 2011 with NCM FirstLook content partners A&E Television Networks, NBC Universal and Warner Bros.

What new forms of content have you introduced this year?
Several new clients are buying NCM’s cinema-advertising network for the first time in 2009, including clients in the packaged goods, sports apparel, import auto and telecommunications categories. We are also starting to see interest in the technology area, a whole new category for us. Earlier this year, E*Trade gave movie goers a “FirstLook” at a “Director’s Cut” featuring the outtakes from its popular “Talking Baby” Super Bowl campaign. The humorous campaign really resonated with movie audiences and elicited terrific response. Another great example was when Ford Motor Co. launched a nationwide campaign using NCM’s FirstLook pre-show to highlighting its charitable giving with a two-minute content piece shown before “G” and “PG”-rated films. The content focused on the philanthropic work of the Ford Motor Co. Fund—both its financial contributions and the thousands of hours of volunteer work performed by Ford employees. Ford, like a lot of advertisers these days, followed the people who are flocking to the movies during the downturn.

Does audience feedback or interactivity play a role in your pre-show?
Yes. NCM is taking cinema advertising beyond the big screen with a new 360° mobile, online and onscreen campaign called “r8 it” (pronounced “rate it”). It is an interactive mobile text/WAP polling program that gives moviegoers a unique way to share their thoughts immediately after enjoying a film in their local theatre. Through messaging in onscreen spots in NCM’s FirstLook pre-feature program, Lobby Entertainment Network (LEN) and box-office handouts, audiences are asked to text in the name of the movie they just saw, and will then receive a message back featuring a fun question that asks them to rate a particular element of the film. As an incentive to play, “r8 it” participants become eligible to win movie tickets for a year.

Results of the polls are showcased online at www.NCM.com/r8it and through the new “r8 it” app that is distributed over the NCM Media Network of more than 20 entertainment-related websites.

As an extension of FirstLook online, NCM.com’s “r8 it” provides a unique integrated marketing platform with multiple touch points for clients. Maintaining that connection with people when they are looking for showtimes or after they left the movie theatre was always the missing piece of the puzzle, and now we have a way for advertisers to complete the picture. Perhaps even more importantly, “r8 it” also creates fun, user-generated original content that encourages interaction with the brand and will keep audiences coming back for more.

What makes a good and effective pre-show? What kind of content works best?
A good pre-show is entertaining and relevant to the moviegoing experience, while at the same time being an effective marketing platform for brands. The entertainment content from our world-class partners works especially well, but any advertising that is high-quality, innovative and interesting can resonate on the big screen and generate high rates of recall.

What does your research show about the audience’s feelings about your pre-show?
Cinema is an engagement medium—it provides one of the most engaging ad environments of all major media, with consumers paying attention to ads at a rate of two to five times greater than television.

Research shows that consumers have become accepting of cinema advertising as part of the moviegoing experience—according to E-poll, 90 percent of audiences prefer pre-show entertainment content and advertising over a blank screen. One reason that audiences are so responsive to NCM’s cinema advertising is that our FirstLook pre-feature program is respectful of the movie theatre experience, ending at about the advertised movie showtime when the film trailers begin. As discussed previously, we also rotate entertainment segments approximately every two weeks to help ensure that frequent moviegoers are entertained by fresh pre-show content.

What new content will you be introducing?
We are working with more and more brands to create long-form content so that in the future, audiences might enjoy an entertaining content segment from a consumer brand, as well as from our current group of movie studio or television network content partners.

Screenvision

Screenvision’s digital pre-show aims to revive the great tradition of pre-feature entertainment programming. Their host-format magazine-style show—the only hosted show in the industry—is designed to entertain moviegoers while sparking interest in advertiser messaging. Host Bradford How guides moviegoers through the pre-show experience, introducing advertiser and entertainment content segments that run alongside exhibitor messaging and entertaining trivia, all supported by a contemporary music soundtrack.
Content segments consist of a variety of behind-the-scenes looks at film and TV programming, world-premiere music-videos and branded entertainment pieces. Advertisers and content partners provide this entertainment-driven material, which is seamlessly blended with Screenvision-produced content to create an attractive 20-minute show that’s become part of the moviegoing experience.

Advertisers have included HBO, the E! cable network, Verizon, Daimler Chrysler and the National Guard.

Screenvision’s digital pre-show offers a variety of brand-building opportunities for advertisers: Long-form content segments give more time to reach and engage consumers with messaging. Product integration through content or hosted segments enables advertisers to creatively highlight key product/brand attributes.

Sponsorship of show segments, music, trivia or the entire pre-show provides valuable brand presence in front of an attentive audience. And traditional slide and spot advertising allows advertisers to run existing creative on the big screen.

Screenvision’s high-definition digital pre-show plays on 7,000 screens nationwide, with the majority deployed in the top 50 DMAs across 25 key exhibitor partners, including some of the nation’s most luxurious theatres. Participating circuits include Carmike, Clearview, Coming Attractions, Consolidated, Dickinson, Great Escape, Harkins, Loeks, Malco, Mann, Marcus, Muvico, National Amusements, Pacific, Premiere, Rave, UltraStar and Wehrenberg Theatres.
Consumers give Screenvision’s digital pre-show high marks, achieving 94% receptivity levels, with even higher praise from young adults and teens.
(adapted from pre-show information at www.screenvision.com)

Bill McGlamery, President
UniqueScreen Media
A Cinedigm company

Tell us about your typical pre-show and what the content usually consists of.
The preshow program is a hosted voice-over package made up of local advertisers utilizing both motion graphic ads and video spots along with PSAs for our exhibitor partners and Preflix-branded entertainment content. The entertainment content includes music-videos, behind-the-scenes interviews and commentary and movie trivia.

Who are your pre-show content providers?
The entertainment content is all developed in house utilizing materials provided by the studios and Cinedigm’s Entertainment Group.

Who are your leading theatre customers?
We represent over 50 exhibitor partners and all are an important part of our footprint. Some of our largest exhibitor partners include Marquee, MJR, Jack Loeks, Santikos and Carmike, Alliance, Allen, B&B, Cinema West and Neighborhood.

Which pre-show content has been especially successful?
The music-videos and interviews have been particularly successful, as they offer more audience interaction and are often content that isn’t readily available to the public.

What new forms of content have you introduced this year?
We have added text-messaging features and song download options to some of the content.

Does audience feedback or interactivity play a role in your pre-show?
Yes, on a small scale today. We are currently working toward more audience interaction with the program.

What makes a good and effective pre-show? What kind of content works best?
We believe an effective pre-show maintains a balance of unique, entertaining content and well-crafted, targeted advertising which captures audience members’ attention and slowly draws them into the overall moviegoing experience.

What new content will you be introducing?
We are working on several things, from increased audience interaction with both the entertainment and advertising content to a new content provider that would bring current Hollywood news and movie entertainment to our program.

http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/features/cinemas/e3i2abb9d0f8f4b8fdcbedead32044fde4d?pn=1

About Hollywood Branding:

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide.

Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby.  We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise.

Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Email Beverly Nation : hollywoodbranding@gmail.com

or call:      314-776-1018

www.HollywoodBranding.com