As the official representative of Dubai Lynx in the UAE, Motivate Val Morgan strives to bring you the latest news from the desks of the Festival.
Dubai Lynx – MENA’s biggest Festival of Creativity, will return to Madinat Jumeirah from 10 –13 March 2019 with a programme of events that will explore creativity in all its forms.
The festival has a slick new, streamlined format in 2019. The two-day programme will reduce the time spent away from the office while maximising value for delegates attending the festival.
The festival kicks off with a launch party followed by two days of fantastic content, world-class speakers and unparalleled networking opportunities. On the last day of the festival, the region’s best work will be awarded and celebrated at the Dubai Lynx Awards Show.
Here’s a snapshot of what to expect at Dubai Lynx 2019:
Schedule
10 March: Festival Launch Party
11 – 12 March: Inspirational onstage content
13 March: The Dubai Lynx Awards Show and After Party
The Festival Experience
The agenda will dissect new trends, question how to make creative work effective and inspire the next generation of cutting-edge ideas.
Check out the highlights from Dubai Lynx 2018:
Explore and Inspire
With three stages running through the Festival, there is something for everyone to see.
Each stage will host talks along the following festival themes:
The deadline for submitting a proposal to speak at Dubai Lynx 2019 is 1 November 2018. Click here to download the Call for Content guide.
Please Note: there is no fee to speak at the Festival; session hosts will need to cover the cost of their guest’s accommodation and travel.
Focus on Saudi Arabia
With all eyes on the developments in Saudi Arabia, the festival will host a ‘one day focus’ on KSA where you will:
Lynx for Marketers
Senior marketers can meet their peers and advance their craft at a curated programme for top-level marketers, featuring bespoke training workshops, roundtables and small intimate discussions with global marketing leaders.
Email or call +971 (0)4 427 3090 for more information.
C’Suite at Festival
Roundtables: throughout the festival, Dubai Lynx will host C’Suite only roundtables for CMOs, CCOs, Agency Heads and more. These exclusive, invite-only roundtables are an opportunity for industry peers to convene and create real action based on industry challenges and opportunities.
Lynx Alumni: Dubai Lynx is proud to launch its Alumni Club for all previous winners of the prestigious Advertising Person of the Year award. Hear these talented leaders speak and gain great insight into the industry.
Network and Connect
In addition to community meetups and evening functions, join speed networking events and use the festival app for connecting with other delegates and speakers.
Click here to find out more.
Young Lynx Competitions
Four Young Lynx Competitions attract teams of copywriters, marketers and art directors, PR/communications professionals from agencies and client companies, below the age of 32 years, across MENA. Entrants must produce an original campaign in response to an NGO brief in just 24 hours at the Festival.
Click here to find out more.
Student Competitions
Dubai Lynx Student Competitions are open to full-time undergraduate students between 18-25 years studying advertising, marketing, PR, media, graphic design and other relevant creative communications fields. The competitions aim to develop and showcase the region’s up-and-coming creative superstars with four exiting initiatives.
Click here to find out more.
Changes to Awards in 2019
Witness the launch of Glass: The Lynx for Change – an award honouring work from across the region that addresses gender inequality or prejudice through conscious representation.
Branded Content & Entertainment to become the Entertainment Lynx, with new sports-focused categories.
Interactive to become the Digital Lynx with some revamped categories.
Promo & Activation to become the Brand Experience & Activation Lynx with updated categories and sections.
New Applied Innovation section added to Innovation Lynx.
Important dates to make note of:
23 October 2018 – Passes for 2019 go on sale
1 November 2018 – Proposal Submission deadline (Call for Content)
23 November 2019 – Dubai Lynx entries open
9 February 2019 – Final entry deadline
Source: Dubai Lynx
June 2018 saw a 57.4% increase in YOY admissions in comparison to June 2017 in the UAE.
In fact, June 2018 is the BIGGEST June of all time!
Three Hollywood movies that contributed to the increase in admission figures this June include:
Two other movies that attracted large Asian audiences included:
Struggling to deliver campaign objectives? Looking to reach a diversified target audience?
With more ACTION, DRAMA and COMEDY in store, advertisers can expect to witness a further spike in admissions over the months ahead.
Get in touch with a member of our sales team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities alongside Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters.
Source: MVM Analysis
Dyson, a British technology company known for the world’s most pioneering and advanced household appliances, recently booked an integrated cinema campaign with Motivate Val Morgan – through media agency Mindshare, for its Environmental Care product Dyson Pure Cool Link.
The campaign included a 30 sec. on screen ad – booked for a period of 4 weeks starting 20th September 2018 (on the Top Screens at Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall and Top Screen + Kids Screens at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates), and an engaging activation booth in the foyer area of Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall and concourse area of VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates, over the weekend of 20th – 22nd September 2018.
On-Screen Ad:
Activation Booth at Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall:
Activation Booth at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates:
*In addition to the activation booth in the concourse area of VOX Cinemas- Mall of the Emirates, the brand hired promoters to distributed product flyers to cinemagoers.
Integrated cinema campaigns provide greater brand visibility and enable brands to target cinemagoers across multiple touchpoints.
Contact a member of our sales team for more information on integrated cinema campaigns.
Some audiences are harder to reach than others through traditional media. Cinema however delivers premium first-run content within a captive environment to an attentive audience of varying demographics. And with an exciting and diverse line-up of movies set to release over the months of November and December 2018 – just in time for the dawn of the new year, there’s never been a better time for advertisers to turn audiences into consumers.
November
Bohemian Rhapsody
Starring: Rami Malek, Joseph Mazzello and Mike Myers
Release Date: 1st November 2018
Fun Fact – Rami Malek got to meet Freddy Mercury’s sister while in costume. When she saw him, she said: “That’s my Freddy.” She initially laughed, but later cried on an emotional note.
Girl in the Spider’s Web
Starring: Claire Foy, Sylvia Hoeks and Lakeith Stanfield
Release Date: 08th November 2018
Fun Fact – It is based on the novel of the same name by David Lagercrantz, and continues on the “Millenium”-series created by Stieg Larsson, who passed away in 2004.
The Grinch
Starring: Rashida Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch and Angela Lansbury
Release Date: 08th November 2018
Fun Fact – This was Benedict Cumberbatch’s second animated film. His first was Penguins of Madagascar (2014), four years prior.
Overlord
Starring: Wyatt Russell, John Magaro and Pilou Asbæk
Release Date: 08th November 2018
Fun Fact – One of the filming locations for the film was a decommissioned branch-line of the heritage train line and popular tourist attraction, the Bluebell Railway, in West Sussex, England.
Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Starring: Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy and Morgan Freeman
Release Date: 08th November 2018
Fun Fact – The Nutcracker and the Four Realms marks the 298th time Keira has portrayed a character in a period piece.
Thugs of Hindostan (Hindi)
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir khan and Katrina Kaif
Release Date: 08th November 2018
Fun Fact: This will be the first time that Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan will be seen in a film together.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston and Jude Law
Release Date: 15th November 2018
Fun Fact – Newt Scamander carries a wand, practices magic, and works for the Ministry of Magic even though he was expelled from Hogwarts, which puzzled several fans online especially since Hagrid wasn’t afforded those liberties. J.K. Rowling explained that the reason for this will be revealed throughout the series.
Robin Hood
Starring: Taron Egerton, Ben Mendelsohn and Jamie Dornan
Release Date: 22nd November 2018
Fun Fact: The ancient techniques of speed shooting from the draw hand and the double draw are used by Robin Hood in this movie.
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Starring: Kristen bell, Gal Gadot and John C. Reilly
Release Date: 22nd November 2018
Fun Fact: The logo for the movie was made to resemble an app icon, while the “Wreck-It Ralph 2” banner resembles a notification/update.
2.0 (Tamil)
Starring: Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson
Release Date: 29th November 2018
Fun Facts: This will be the first Indian film directly shot in 3D. Akshay Kumar will make his Tamil debut with this film. This is the first time Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar will be working together.
*the movie will release in 15 languages (worldwide)
December
Mortal Engines
Starring: Hugo Weaving, Stephen Lang and Robert Sheehan
Release Date: 13th December 2018
Fun Fact: This will be director Christian Rivers’ first full feature film as a director (He previously directed a short and a section of an anthology).
Aquaman
Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman
Release Date: 20th December 2018
Fun Facts: According to Amber Heard, the underwater filming required cast members to be hosed down, and then shooting took place on a cold soundstage. Additionally, The Fishermen tribe were created through a combination of make-up (for the top half, the upper torso) and computer-generated imagery (for the bottom half, the tails).
Bumblebee
Starring: Justin Theroux, Hailee Steinfeld and Marcella Bragio
Release Date: 20th December 2018
Fun Fact: John Cena is the third wrestler to appear in a Transformers feature, after Dwayne Johnson (who played Cliffjumper in Transformers Prime (2010)) and Joe Seanoa (who played Predaking in Transformers: Power of the Primes (2018)).
Zero (Hindi)
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma
Release Date: 21st December 2018
Fun Fact: Shah Rukh offered Sridevi a cameo role in this film, so that he can share screen with her for 2nd time in his career. Since her death, this will be Sridevi’s last appearance in films.
Mary Poppins Returns
Starring: Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and Colin Firth
Release Date: 27th December 2018
Fun Fact: The sequel will be released 54 years after Mary Poppins (1964), setting a new record as the longest gap between a live-action film and its sequel in history.
Don’t miss on advertising your brand alongside these blockbusters – guaranteed to usher in large audiences.
Contact a member of our sales team to book your campaign today!
Sources: IMDb and YouTube
Sony PS4 recently booked a 30 sec. on-screen cinema ad with Motivate Val Morgan, through media agency MediaCom, for its latest video game Marvel Spider-Man. The ad was booked to screen at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates (Dubai) from 7th September 2018 and Riyadh Park Mall (KSA) from 14th September 2018, for a period of 4 weeks.
In addition to the on-screen ad, Sony PS4 also branded 10,000 large popcorn tubs at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates to promote the latest video game, which according to US Today is the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusive of all time – having sold 3.3 million copies within the first three days of its release.
The branded popcorn tubs were distributed to moviegoers starting Thursday 20th September 2018, and will continue to be dispensed until stocks last.
Got a campaign which could include both on-screen and off-screen cinema advertising?
Contact a member of our sales team for more information on branding options and on-screen advertising opportunities.
Source: IGN News
VOX Cinemas recently added two new locations to its portfolio – Aloft City Centre Deira in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Mall in UAE’s capital.
VOX Cinemas – Aloft City Centre Deira
VOX Cinemas has opened its second OUTDOOR cinema experience at Aloft City Centre Deira – a cinema-themed hotel which overlooks Dubai Creek. The new outdoor cinema will also be licensed – meaning you can enjoy a variety of beverages while catching the latest blockbusters on the big screen.
The cinema is located on the pool terrace on the 4th floor of Aloft Hotel, next to its shisha lounge and infinity pool, and features a retractable roof which offers moviegoers the comfort of air-conditioning during summer, and al fresco during the winter season.
VOX Aloft City Centre Deira has been furnished with plush lounge-style seating designed for both individuals and couples. Solo tickets are priced at Dhs75, and a seat for two costs Dhs150. Cinemagoers can also select from an a la carte menu of appetizers and snacks designed to be enjoyed in front of the big screen.
The cinema also plans to broadcast live sporting events – including football matches, which can be enjoyed over a beverage against the beautiful backdrop of Dubai’s skyline.
VOX Cinemas – Abu Dhabi Mall
VOX Cinemas has added another location to its portfolio in Abu Dhabi. The brand new cinema at Abu Dhabi Mall – which opened to public on Thursday 20th September 2018, features 6 screens and includes MAX and Kids experiences.
And for all you chocoholics.. the cinema also features a Nutella bar!
With the addition of these two new locations, VOX Cinemas presently operates 17 cinema locations with 192 screens in the UAE.
Visit voxcinemas.com for more information on VOX Cinemas – Aloft City Centre Deira and Abu Dhabi Mall.
Contact us for more information on cinema advertising opportunities at all locations operated by VOX Cinemas.
Sources: VOX Cinemas, What’s On and Time Out
The Global Cinema Ad draws attention to the potential lost every time a child dies of hunger.
Ad invites the public to connect and learn more about hunger through an in-cinema Facebook Messenger integration, and take action to help end hunger through the WFP’s ShareTheMeal app.
Motivate Val Morgan is proud to support yet another Global Cinema campaign – ‘Feed Our Future’, by SAWA (Global Cinema Advertising Association). The powerful new advertising campaign is aimed at stirring global cinema audiences into action to tackle global hunger by supporting the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s leading humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide.
The ad started screening across 14 Motivate Val Morgan serviced VOX Cinemas locations in the UAE on Thursday 20th September 2018, and will run for a period of 11 weeks.
‘Feed Our Future’ is a new global cinema campaign designed to engage and motivate people to participate in creating a world with Zero Hunger.
The campaign features a 60-second dramatic spot and is airing on cinema screens in over 25 countries.
This disruptive short film is designed to make people consider the potential lost every time a child dies of hunger.
Supported by SAWA, the global trade organization for cinema advertising, and the United Nations World Food Programme, the spot will encourage audiences to download ShareTheMeal – the world’s first mobile app against global hunger.
The cinema advertisement was conceived by advertising legend Sir John Hegarty and The Garage Soho. It was directed by acclaimed film director Lynne Ramsay and produced by award-winning production company Somesuch & Co.
“The creative challenge here is to find a way of engaging the audience without resorting to endless images of starving children. Creating empathy by reminding the viewer that when a child dies, we all lose,” said Sir John Hegarty.
Following the ad, the audience is urged to take part in creating a world with Zero Hunger by downloading ShareTheMeal, the world’s first app against global hunger. To further connect audiences with the advertisement, a unique Facebook Messenger integration with the ad will enable viewers to engage with the character of Miriam Adeke to learn more about her story and the issue of hunger by searching for ‘ShareTheMeal’ on Facebook Messenger. At a time when 821 million people – roughly one in nine of the global population – still go to bed on an empty stomach, this new digital integration will bring the offline, online by connecting viewers with the cinema advertisement and the issue in a brand-new way.
“Hunger is a major global issue. It is therefore fitting that the Cinema medium, with its global reach, should be proactive in driving awareness for the World Food Programme. Millennials who are educated, socially aware and a hard to reach demographic, make up a large part of the Cinema audience and these are the people that can and will facilitate change. Since 2015, the Cinema Medium has stepped up to support the Sustainable Development Goals and we are committed in 2018 and beyond to make the World Food Programme famous by using the power and impact of the Cinema Medium. SAWA encourages other mediums to do likewise,” says Cheryl Wannell, CEO of SAWA.
“Three million children die every year of hunger or malnutrition,” said Corinne Woods, Director of Communications, Marketing and Advocacy of the United Nations World Food Programme. “When partners step up like SAWA and their members have, it helps us create a movement and generate support for our work to ensure that every child has the vital food and nutrition they need to not only survive, but thrive.”
“As a longstanding member of SAWA and the leading cinema advertising company in the UAE, we are excited to support such a noble cause and believe this campaign will resonate with cinemagoing audiences,” says Avinash Udeshi, COO of Motivate Val Morgan.
For more information about the ‘Feed Our Future’ advertisement and campaign, and to learn how to get involved in creating a world with Zero Hunger, please visit: www.wfp.org/sharethemeal and https://ocelot-crimson-3jeh.squarespace.com/
Sources: SAWA, “Feed Our Future’ and WFP
As the official representatives of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the UAE, Motivate and Motivate Val Morgan recently concluded the distribution of Lions won by 5 creative agencies based in the UAE at this year’s Cannes Lions Festival – which took place in June 2018 in Cannes, France.
Creative heads and their respective teams from this year’s winning agencies gathered at Motivate Offices in Dubai Media City for an evening of networking over refreshments, followed by the Awards distribution, where they received their respective Lions from Ian Fairservice – Managing Partner and Group Editor in Chief at Motivate, and Avinash Udeshi – Chief Operating Officer at Motivate Val Morgan.
This year, the UAE won a total of 12 Lions – 3 Gold, 2 Silver and 7 Bronze Lions.
We at Motivate and Motivate Val Morgan warmly congratulate all winning agencies and look forward to more UAE wins at next year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Reel Cinemas opened its brand new six-screen Cineplex at The Springs Souk on 2nd September 2018.
The cineplex has been designed with families in mind, featuring a dedicated screen for little ones – Reel Junior. There are beanbag seats for children to sit back and enjoy the movie, while parents can watch in peace from the back row.
The cinema also has a party room that can accommodate up to 40 people with direct access to the Reel Junior screen, allowing young film buffs to feel like VIPs on their special day.
It’s the latest offering from Reel Cinemas, which has launched several unique movie-going experiences in Dubai this year. At the start of the year, Reel partnered with celebrity chef Guy Fieri to launch the region’s first licensed dine-in cinema. Located in Jebel Ali Recreation Club, it also has its own separate restaurant.
Reel also opened a licensed cinema in the Rove Downtown hotel. The cozy boutique cinema shows blockbuster hits as well as regional releases, and serves up interesting popcorn flavours such as wasabi and strawberries and cream.
More recently, Reel partnered with a Korea-based tech company to bring ScreenX, a 27-degree cinema experience, to the region. Located at The Dubai Mall, the panoramic screen wraps around the walls either side of the cinema seats, leaving movie-goers feeling like they’re inside the film.
For more information, visit the Reel Cinemas website.
Sources: Reel Cinemas and What’s On Dubai
Captain Marvel is on the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s latest issue, and we’ve got the first look at Brie Larson’s part-Kree, part-human hero. Audiences briefly saw Captain Marvel’s symbol in the end-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War, but come March 2019, the Air Force pilot with alien powers will be getting her own origin story.
Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly
Not only is Captain Marvel the first solo, female-led movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but it’s an introduction to the most powerful hero the MCU has ever seen.
Set in the 1990s – another Marvel first, Captain Marvel follows Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes after earth gets involved in a galactic war between alien races. Larson leads an all-star cast that includes Annette Bening, Gemma Chan, Colin Ford, Mckenna Grace, Robert Kazinsky, Jude Law, Lashana Lynch, Ben Mendelsohn, Chuku Modu, Algenis Perez Soto, Vik Sahay and Rune Temte.
Expect to see a few actors from previously released movies in the MCU, including Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, Djimon Hounsou as Korath, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser.
The Captain Marvel costume is largely what fans likely expected from the Marvel Studios movie. Like the designs of fellow MCU heroes, it honors the comic book character while also adapting the costume so that it works in a live-action film. As seen by the second photo, which appears to be a still from the film, Captain Marvel’s costume will have slightly less vibrant colors in the movie than on the EW cover. While fans might like the vibrancy of the magazine cover, it’s unrealistic for a fight suit to remain as clean as shiny as that.
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
The film sidesteps the traditional origin-story template, and when it begins, Carol already has her powers. She’s left her earthly life behind to join the elite military team Starforce on the Kree planet of Hala. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck describe Starforce as the SEAL Team Six of space.
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Jude Law plays the commander of Starforce, who views Carol as a mentee and pet project. “These extraordinary powers she has, he sees them as something of a blessing and something that she has to learn how to control,” Law says. “That’s a motif throughout the piece, the element of learning to control one’s emotions and to use your powers wisely.”
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
The film also introduces one of Marvel comics’ nastiest and most notorious baddies: the Skrulls. Ben Mendelsohn plays their leader, Talos, seen here in all his bright-green glory. But he’s got another face, too…
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
As any Marvel comics fan knows, the Skrulls are especially dangerous because of their unparalleled ability to shape-shift. On Earth, Mendelsohn’s Talos goes undercover as a human working within S.H.I.E.L.D. (seen here with directors Fleck and Boden). “It’s not easy being green,” Mendelsohn quips.
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
MCU fans have met the Kree race before in Guardians of the Galaxy, and two familiar faces — Hounsou’s Korath and Lee Pace’s Ronan the Accuser — will appear in Captain Marvel. In Guardians, Ronan is an outcast with extremist views, but here, he’s still a high-ranking member of Kree society.
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Back on Earth, the 1990s are in full swing. Expect plenty of era-appropriate references — and fashion, judging by Carol’s Nine Inch Nails T-shirt.
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Captain Marvel marks Samuel L. Jackson’s ninth appearance as Nick Fury, but this Nick is a lowly S.H.I.E.L.D. desk jockey (who hasn’t yet met any superheroes). He’s younger than we’ve ever seen him (Jackson was digitally de-aged for the role), and perhaps most shocking of all, he’s missing his signature eyepatch.
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Even before she became Captain Marvel, Carol was an accomplished Air Force pilot, and Larson spent time with actual pilots for research.
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
The film also introduces Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau, one of Carol’s oldest friends. She’s a top-notch Air Force pilot with the call sign “Photon,” and she’s also a single mother to a young daughter.
Photo Credit: Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Watch the first trailer for Captain Marvel:
MCU Key Release Dates:
Sources: Entertainment Weekly, ScreenRant, gadgets.ndtv, E News, Marvel and YouTube
