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December 19, 2021
10
TOP
CINEMA ADS OF 2021
Yas Island Abu Dhabi
Cartier
To celebrate the return of the big screen, Motivate Val Morgan has picked 10 of the best cinema ads in 2021 – in no particular order
T
he pandemic shuttered cinemas in Q2 2020, followed by a staggered reopening between June and September with cinemas operating at 30-50 per cent capacity. Fast-forward to 2021, and cinemas are now fully operational across the region, with capacities ranging between 50-100 per cent. A far more consistent and steady content pipeline holds optimism among cinemagoers, and brands too are back to believing in the unparalleled power and effectiveness of the medium. Cinema advertising representative (and Campaign sister brand) Motivate Val Morgan (MVM) has selected 10 blockbuster ads that have lit up the big screen so far during a year of recovery for cinemas. “While cinemas across the GCC have already welcomed more than 25 million visitors in 2021, our resilience as a cinema advertising business is largely thanks to our management and a team that has unshakable belief in the power of cinema,” says MVM chief operating officer Avinash Udeshi.
NEOM
He adds: “Choosing a Top 10 is always difficult as it boils down to numerous factors, including one’s personal emotion and state of mind, but we sure had fun re-watching every ad, back-to-back, on the cinema screen where every sense and emotion gets heightened. Cinema has always been the right medium to showcase commercials made in their full length, and though it is a genuine coincidence that many of the ads featured in our Top 10 have a longer run time, every single ad looks and sounds magnificent on the big screen. We hope you enjoy this selection, and a special thanks to all our returning and new advertisers for including us, cinema, in their media mix.” Brand: Cartier Title: Expo 2020 Women’s Pavilion Agency: MediaCom MENA MVM chose this ad because… cinema is great at driving conversations, and the narrative of this ad highlights a pertinent topic the Middle East is presently placing focus on: recognising the central role women have played throughout history, leading up to the present day. Agency view: Why cinema for this campaign? The Women’s Pavilion campaign is very emotional, and Cartier through this campaign wishes to connect with a wider audience to spread its message, “When women thrive, humanity thrives,” and what is better than cinema to reach out to everyone in our region? With a penetration of
82 per cent in the UAE and 78 per cent in KSA (according to Global Web Index 2021), cinema was the best place to run this campaign. Emeline Thomas, media director – MENA business lead, MediaCom Brand: Yas Island Abu Dhabi Title: Stayin’ On Yas Agency: Starcom MVM chose this ad because… some of the biggest ads in recent decades involve music, and while the creative itself is fun and retro, the catchy soundtrack – inspired by the Bee Gees’ classic ‘Stayin’ Alive’ – over a 7.1 surround sound speaker system in cinema makes this ad more impactful and memorable, one that makes those watching it definitely feel the vibe. Agency view: Why cinema for this campaign? With the positive recovery of cinema capacity post the Covid-19 restrictions, we selected cinema as one of the main channels for this campaign as we believed there’s no better way to have the content come to life than to see it on the big screen. Not to mention that moviegoers go to cinemas to have fun and enjoy themselves, and the ‘Stayin’ on Yas’ film will have them entertained. Mark Dabu, media manager, Starcom Brand: stc Title: Our Culture is Our Future Agency: Universal Media KSA MVM chose this ad because…this ad was aired in celebration of Saudi Arabia’s 91st National Day, and uses local
footage covering various aspects of the Saudi culture, woven together to create an inspirational story of how the country’s heritage plays a huge role in the sculpting of its future. Client view: Why cinema for this campaign? Every Saudi brand has something to say on National Day, so the challenge was to stand out from the crowd. To do this, stc aimed to connect with the Saudi people on an emotional level, by creating a unique community activation campaign through different media channels for which cinema was considered as it’s one of the best platforms to showcase long-form content and narrate a story to audiences. Mohammed Abaalkheil, vice-president of corporate relations, stc Brand: NEOM Title: Made to Change Agency: Starcom MVM chose this ad because…of its production quality that was on par with big budget movies. The ad’s narrative is absolutely on point for what this futuristic city aims to become. Agency view: Why cinema for this campaign? This ‘Made to Change’ ad is a wonderful production, and the strong and compelling long video showcases the power of what NEOM is and will be for the future of cities. Following Covid-19 and lockdowns, cinemas in the UAE have gone back to the old habit of attracting people through the launch of multiple blockbusters. We
