Famous Players thinks there could be an upside to the NHL strike, and is hitting up the sponsors of Hockey Night in Canada and other shinny shows that are now on hold to buy ad time in its theaters, hoping to scoop the unused ad dollars.
‘We’re hoping that advertisers and agencies will consider cinema advertising,’ says Jeff Rush, the Toronto-based chain’s SVP of sales and marketing, adding that his team has been talking to Bell, Labatt’s, Sony and other clients.
He says the early results are promising, and predicts theater ad sales could jump by 7% to 9% by the end of the year thanks to the added sales push and certain deal sweeteners for ad space in other parts of its theaters. ‘This November and December are looking like they could be our best ever,’ says Rush.
If so, FP will have beaten the odds. Theater ads have never entirely caught on with clients and account for only 1% to 5% of the annual ad spend in Canada. Advertisers complain that the rates are too high, that the ads are generally only good for reaching kids, and that the spots themselves are expensive to produce because big-screen ads are expected to have higher production values than those on TV.
‘They’re not right for everyone,’ says Anne Myers, a managing director at Toronto media buying firm OMD Canada. Buyers say theater ads are usually best suited for selling music and food, in particular to the elusive 17-24-year-old demographic, not necessarily to the broader HNIC crowd.
FP and its competitor Cineplex Galaxy have recently tried to make theater ads more appealing by including space on tickets, popcorn bags, lobby monitors and other locations – and have begun to win more clients. FP is also considering selling washroom ads and naming rights for its theaters, says Rush.
‘The ‘whole theater experience’ is very important… those package deals make a real difference in the appeal,’ when coupled with a strong ad, says Myers. ‘When you see a commercial that’s been created specially for cinema, something that’s not a hard-sell TV ad, they work really well.’
Paul Bolte, VP of cinema marketing sales at Toronto-based Cineplex Galaxy, agrees. ‘Clients are looking for integrated, innovative campaigns. That’s a very big factor when we’re working with these clients. It’s not just about the screens,’ he says.
But the season itself could be a hard sell because of what appears to be a weak crop of movies. Unlike the last several holiday seasons, which were buoyed by hits such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter movies, there do not appear to be any sure-fire holiday hits, which could affect the ability of exhibitors to put bums on seats and eyeballs on ads.
Buyers also warn that it may be too late to grab the surplus hockey dollars because most advertisers should have, by now, already locked in their deals for the holiday season. ‘I think that hockey money is long gone,’ says Christine Saunders, VP group media director at M2 Universal in Toronto. ‘By now it’s all gone to the World Series and the Grey Cup.’
Rush concedes that holiday movies look soft, but believes ad sales will be strong. As for the holidays being sold, he’s looking beyond to 2005 and the spring. ‘If you believe what the [NHL] and the [union] are saying, these guys aren’t even close to a deal. If this thing goes to April, I’d be very surprised if the playoffs have been sold.’
Courtesy sister pub Playback, October 25 2004
