Why Blockbusters trust OOH for superb delivery

The Summer Blockbuster Season is longer than ever, and it is difficult to ensure standout in a saturated market with a fixed marketing window. Films are a top OOH category for spend, but how does it guarantee reach or continuously innovative delivery for budgets with no space for experimentation?

Even more pressure to stand out

Gradually, the blockbuster summer season has lengthened and these days starts as early as March, which means it is now in full swing. From Marvel’s superhero follow-ups to original horror and comedy, there is something for everyone to look forward to.
Senior movie execs have revealed in an article in Variety how in the world of film marketing ticket sales are only as good as the marketing. With little time and virtually no room to experiment, film marketers are forced to focus on the question “what am I missing?” rather than “who am I missing?”, which results in huge media costs. With only a few seconds to grab attention and an overall longer period for tentpole releases, there is even more competition to stand out.

Marketers seek better value for money

Global P&A (prints and advertising) budgets rarely fall below $150 million, and often end up being twice that. A tight release window means marketers can’t haggle on media costs, so they find themselves trapped between a rock and a hard place. TV still takes the lion’s share of movie advertising, and the once modest digital spend is escalating fast. But the important fact is that execs remain unconvinced that viewers don’t skip online trailers just as much as they do with TV ads on VOD. What they want is guaranteed performance.
With ensured mass coverage and awareness Film and Entertainment remain the top product category in Out-of-Home (OOH) in terms of spend. But with evolution in DOOH and dynamic content, the medium offers new abilities for accurate targeting and ensured interaction, which allows film marketers what they need - to evolve their strategies.

Disrupted routines and mass awareness

A short release window during a long season makes standout increasingly difficult. Film marketers have long recognised the strength of OOH in ensuring mass coverage, building awareness and generating fame. With time, audiences have come to rely on the medium to tell them about the new releases, further building anticipation.

“I enjoy looking at posters in the city, and I am often impatient to see [the] new campaign. What are they going to tell us this time? What’s the next episode?” City Dweller, France Urban Stories

But the way OOH ensures memorability is through its ability to disrupt people’s daily journeys, breaking them out of the routine with eye-catching and entertaining messaging.

The pre-entertainment

Audiences expect film campaigns to be as entertaining as the blockbusters themselves. The campaign needs to introduce the characters, to intrigue the audience, create a pre-experience while building a positive association with the film.
OOH can combine a build-up through mass coverage with an impressive unveiling. Film advertisers are among the best brands to make use of OOH ability to shock and awe. No other medium can physically surround the audience and offer a fully immersive, multi-sensory, real-life experience of the plot and the characters. A great campaign creates an emotional connection with the story and the characters and can give people goose bumps.

The medium for real world activation

With a product that has a short shelf life, fast sales are the goal. OOH has in the past been perceived as a tool to build awareness, but today’s innovation in digital and special executions also allows advertisers to target more precisely, contextualise content, generate purchase intent and drive sales.

“Because of social media and everybody having their cameras out, what’s cool about out-of-home […] is if you do something interesting, that will get picked up and sent around.” Alison Hoffman, executive VP of Marketing Starz, LA

Unlike at home or the office, the OOH audience is in an active mindset; they are alert, receptive to their surroundings and interact readily with relevant content. There are no bots, no abandoned carts, only real engagement.
OOH campaigns that integrate social media can make the most of their awe-inspiring executions and integrate social media and OOH strategies. From dedicated (and measurable) hashtags, exclusive content, to custom social media filters and augmented reality, film companies can continue their interaction with audiences from street to online.
With Dynamic content advertisers can capture their target audience while they are out and about with live, targeted, contextual and thus compelling content.
Engaging OOH campaigns with effective digital call-to-action drive consideration and purchase intent as well as measurable results. In the end, one cannot compare the effectiveness of being immersed in a movie scene in real-life and then sharing that experience with friends and fellow urbanites.
The film advertising landscape is changing. Film marketers are looking for new ways to engage with their audience, and they are turning to the constantly evolving OOH.