2016 might have been a year of a few ups and downs (in terms of movies releases) for us grown-ups. But as always, the kids were offered an array of animated movies – that kept them coming back to the cinema for more.
Hollywood delivered a number of great kids movies in 2016 – both successful sequels as well a few newcomers. UAE’s Top 20 movies of 2016 included 3 kids’ movies among other action and adventure flicks – ‘Finding Dory‘, ‘Kung Fu Panda‘ and ‘Moana‘.
Here are some kids’ movies that made it to the Top 50 Highest-Ever Grossing Animated Features, released in 2016.
Finding Dory
‘Finding Dory‘ saw Disney & Pixar join hands once again to create the greatly anticipated spin-off to the extremely popular 2003 release ‘Finding Nemo‘.
Centered on the adventures of the adorable but forgetful character Dory – voiced by the popular comedienne Ellen DeGeneres, the movie beat its prequel ‘Finding Nemo‘ (worldwide total of $940 Million) grossing over $1 billion and ranks 4th on the list of highest-ever grossing animated features.
‘Finding Dory‘ – which released in June 2016, ran for 21 weeks in the UAE, brought in approximately 384K admissions and ranks 4th in UAE’s Top 20 movies of 2016.
Zootropolis (also known as Zootopia)
The 2016 winner for the Golden Globe – Best Animated Feature Film brings an imaginative story-line to the age old cliché of talking animals. The story is set in a mammalian metropolis, with the protagonist as a rabbit police officer who teams up with a fox con artist to save the city from a corrupt evil.
With the film being hailed as one of Disney’s best, it is hardly surprising that talks of a sequel are already under way. ‘Zootropolis‘ ranks 5th on the list of highest-ever grossing animated features with an approximate worldwide gross of $1 billion.
The movie – which released in March 2016, ran for 20 weeks in the UAE and did approximately 187K admissions.
The Secret Life of Pets
From the same studio that brought us the widely successful franchise of ‘Despicable Me‘ movies (total worldwide gross of $2.6 billion), comes the adorable animation based on very important members of our families – our pets. The hilarious kids’ film asks the audience a simple question – what do pets do all day when the humans are out?
‘The Secret Life of Pets‘ ranks at number 12 on the list of highest-ever grossing animated features with a worldwide total of approximately $875 million. It is also the highest grossing animated feature not made by Disney or Pixar.
The movie – which released in August 2016, ran for 12 weeks in the UAE and did approximately 165K admissions.
The eagerly awaited sequel was initially set to release in July 2018, which has now been pushed back to release in July 2019.
Moana
From the makers of ‘Frozen‘ and ‘Zootropolis‘ comes an adventurous tale of a young Polynesian girl who joins forces with her hero, a demi-god, to save her island.
‘Moana‘ raked a worldwide gross of approximately $565 million, earning it the rank of number 30 on the list of highest-ever grossing animated features.
The movie – which released in November 2016, ran for 5 weeks in 2016 and did approximately 260K admissions. However, 10 weeks into 2017, the movie continues to screen across cinemas in the UAE – continuing to attract enthusiastic audiences.
Kung Fu Panda 3
After the huge successes of the first two movies, the ‘Kung Fu Panda‘ franchise (total worldwide gross $1.3 billion) brought back to screen the adorable hero, Po. The story centers on the journey of Po as he teams with his biological father and fellow pandas to defeat a spiritual warrior of a villain.
Ranking 40th on the list of highest-ever grossing animated features, the third installment raked in a worldwide total of $518 million.
‘Kung Fu Panda 3‘ – which released in March 2016, ran for 19 weeks in the UAE, brought in approximately 310K admissions and ranks 8th in UAE’s Top 20 movies of 2016.
Sing
From the makers of ‘Despicable Me‘ and ‘The Secret Life of Pets’ comes ‘Sing‘ – the heart-warming story of a koala bear who hosts a singing competition to save his theatre. Voiced by stars such as Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane and Scarlett Johansson, the film raked in a worldwide gross of $500 million and made it to the top 40 on the list of highest-ever grossing animated features.
The movie – which released in the last week of December 2016, did approximately 65K admissions in its first week of release. However, 10 weeks into 2017, the movie continues to screen across cinemas in the UAE with a total admission of over 160K (to date).
Hollywood in 2017 has heightened expectations with a line-up of spectacular animated features. The most eagerly awaited kids’ movies over the rest of this year are:
The Boss Baby
Alec Baldwin voices cinema’s most ambitious new-born in the highly anticipated DreamWorks’ Animation ‘The Boss Baby‘. With its reputation for great dialogues, relevant background score and brilliant comic timing, DreamWorks studios is sure to enjoy the attention of audiences – both young and old, with this flick.
The movie is set to release across cinemas in the UAE on April 20. DreamWorks’ movies, on average, draw in an audience of over 310K and usually runs for a minimum of 12 weeks in the UAE.
Smurfs: The Lost Village
‘Smurfs: The Lost Village‘ is an animation feature made by Sony and is completely unrelated to previous ‘Smurfs‘ franchise movies – ‘The Smurfs‘ (2011) and ‘Smurfs 2‘ (2013). Demi Levato voices Smurfette – the lead character who is accompanied by her friends on a journey of discovering a lost village.
The movie will release on March 30 and is forecasted to attract approximately 200K admissions in the UAE.
Despicable Me 3
Steve Carell is back as the despicable villain Gru, tackling a rather stylish new villain alongside the adorable minions. The hilarious pop culture references with the adorable characters make this a franchise loved by both kids and adults alike. The third installment in the ‘Despicable Me‘ series is set to hit theatres across the UAE on June 29 and is forecasted to draw in an audience of approximately 210K in the UAE.
Cars 3
Lightning McQueen, our favorite animated racing car is back in the third installment of Disney and Pixar’s franchise ‘Cars‘. Owen Wilson reprises his role as the sassy speed racer who is now a veteran ready to train a new generation of cars.
The movie is set to release across cinemas in the UAE on June 15 and is forecasted to attract approximately 170K admissions.
Coco
After the gorgeous artwork for Pixar’s Mexican adventure, we finally got a look at an actual scene from ‘Coco‘ – featuring Miguel and his beloved guitar, which is unsurprisingly nothing short of magical.
‘Coco‘ is scheduled to release across cinemas in the UAE on November 23 and is forecasted to bring in approximately 180K UAE admissions.
With the stage set for such an exciting line-up of animation movies – both young and old, audiences have much to look forward to this year. Don’t miss out on aligning your brand alongside these movies.
Contact a member of our Sales Team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities.
Sources: The Numbers Wikipedia, Hollywood Reporter
Throughout ancient and modern history, UAE has been the ideal geo-strategic location – crossroads to Asia, Middle East, Africa & Europe, helping connect suppliers and merchants to potential buyers. As a result of playing this role for many years, UAE is now a hub to some of the leading global brands in the world.
In 2013, UAE ranked first in the Arab world in advertising spend across local markets, with significant improvements since the economic downturn a few years before. This strength in spend has raised a silent war between advertising mediums trying to promote their extensive reach in helping brands gain consumer attention.
With a variety of advertising mediums available across the market, several advertisers tend to invest a larger share of their marketing budget in a single medium – that may sound attractive, but proves ineffective in achieving the overall objective of the campaign.
While television is considered to be one of the strongest marketing mediums across the region, it is reported that the medium has witnessed a strong decline across the Middle East – with daily viewing dropping to 64% as of 2016. Cinema, on the other hand, has seen a steady increase year on year – in consumption and effectiveness.
As each medium caters to a specific mix of audience, some important points to consider while planning any marketing campaign are:
Any successful marketing campaign is the result of gaining true understanding of how one medium can complement the other in achieving a common goal. This is where the need of finding the right mix of advertising mediums comes to play.
Audiences in the Middle East (especially across the UAE) have always responded well to visual storytelling. As a result, video advertising has become one of the fastest growing sub categories within digital advertising.
The continuous decline in print advertising has brought about a shift in media prioritization for many advertisers, resulting in the growth in advertising across the cinema medium – making it one of the preferred mediums to reach the diversified target audience.
Strength in cinema advertising can be attributed to: GREATER ENGAGEMENT and STRONGER IMPACT.
Advertising across cinema is advantageous because:
As global spend in cinema grows – in contrary to the decline in consumption across television, media agencies are thriving on cinema as a must-have-medium while planning their campaigns across multiple platforms to maintain and deliver overall campaign objectives.
In addition to incremental reach, cinema provides attentive reach in a market where clients and brands are focusing on gaining undivided consumer attention – the core strength of cinema advertising.
With the need to focus on reach and frequency across campaigns, advertisers now understand and accept the strength in cinema advertising – how it plays an integral role in a brand’s marketing plan.
With cinema in the year ahead looking extremely positive – a strong lineup of Blockbusters releasing every month, combining cinema with the right mix of advertising mediums will prove its ability to stimulate growth for a brand in the long run.
Sources: SME Advisor Middle East, Catgraphics, Statistica.com, Magnaglobal.com, Mideastmedia.org
Bollywood has always been revolutionary, year after year, with filmmakers challenging themselves to bring out the most unique story lines and offbeat concepts to the cinema audience. Bollywood movies have seen a great response across the UAE in 2016 – impressing audiences (Asian as well as UAE nationals) for its new approach, and surpassing box-office collections in comparison to some anticipated Hollywood blockbusters.
Being a promising year ahead – with many blockbusters lined up from the Indian film industry, we take a look at the much-anticipated upcoming movie – ‘Phillauri‘ (releasing across cinemas in the UAE on March 30).
A fun filled family movie – packed with comedy, romance and a bit of tragedy, ‘Phillauri‘ is certain to be one of the blockbusters to come from Bollywood this year. The movie plot reveals a friendly ghost of Punjab from the olden days (Anushka Sharma), whose love story with her lover (Diljit Doshan) unfolds on the backdrop of a present day Punjabi wedding of a manglik groom – person believed to be inauspicious for marriage (Suraj Sharma).
The above briefly summarizes the plot of the movie as understood from the trailer – currently trending on social media. But, what makes ‘Phillauri‘ a promising Blockbuster? Here are some of the highlights of the movie.
Clean Slate Films is a production company that was started by the Sharma siblings – Anushka Sharma and Karnesh Sharma. The company was created with the single-minded intention of producing movies that the siblings believed audiences would love and accept, along with creating a starting platform for new talents.
Their first home production, ‘NH10‘, was a huge success – as it braved the social conditions of women in the Indian states of Haryana and Punjab. The venture registered into the hearts of audience and critics as the movie grossed overall earnings of US$ 4.9 million against a production cost of US$ 1.9 million.
Anushka Sharma – Along with the success of her home production movie – ‘NH10‘, she was also recognized and awarded as the ‘Best Actress’ in 2016. She has been part of many Bollywood blockbusters such as ‘PK‘ (worldwide collection of US$ 110 million), ‘Sultan‘ (worldwide collection of US$ 88.28 million) and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil‘ (worldwide collection of US$ 35.6 million), which has been well received by cinema audience in the UAE.
Diljit Doshan – Presently one of the most sort out names in the Indian cinema industry with many titles given by his global fans, including ‘Punjab’s most beloved and successful entrant to Bollywood’, recording artist and superstar of Punjabi cinema, and the recent winner of ‘Filmfare’s Best Debut (Male)’ award – for his superlative performance in the gritty, social realist drama, ‘Udta Punjab’ (worldwide collection of US$ 14.95 million).
Suraj Sharma – An International artist and the winner of ‘British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ (AKA BAFTA), nominated for the ‘Empire and Critics Choice Movie Award’ and winner of the ‘MTV Movie Award’. His previous Hollywood successes include ‘Life of Pi‘ (worldwide collection of US$ 609 million and ran for 15 weeks in the UAE over 2012 and the start of 2013 with an approximate admission of 250,000) and ‘Million Dollar Arm‘ (worldwide collection of US$ 38.2 million).
Anshai Lal – He has previously worked as an assistant director alongside prominent and well-established directors for box-office Blockbusters such as ‘Chak De! India‘ (worldwide collection of US$ 40 million) and ‘Dostana‘ (worldwide collection of US$ 15 million).
The movie trailer was launched on February 6th 2017 and has created buzz across India and other countries – with the trailer generating over 14 million views and unanimous adulation.
With all the right ingredients in place – an innovative production company, amazing cast, energetic debutant director and a trending trailer, ‘Phillauri‘ seems to be on the right path – heading towards becoming one of Bollywood’s top blockbuster releases this year.
In view of the anticipation and excitement amongst cinemagoers, ‘Phillauri‘ is guaranteed to usher in a large number of Asian audience to cinemas across the UAE, along with an equally competitive number of Bollywood-loving UAE nationals.
Missed out on advertising alongside previous Bollywood blockbusters? Don’t miss out on Phillauri.
Contact a member of our Sales Team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities.
Sources: Bollyspice, BollyKings, IMDb
Colours have been strongly symbolic to mankind from the dawn of time – evoking emotions and feelings. Colours influence our life more than we think, as it is a form of communication – not necessarily limited to the visually sighted.
Demystifying the belief that blind people cannot see colours, Berger Paints – a leading paint manufacturing company with a global presence, launched its CSR initiative, ‘Colours of Arabia’ – which celebrates the unique culture and traditions of the Middle East, its timeless landscape and the national pride of its people.
A unique campaign – sketched with a belief that even the visually challenged can experience colours with empowerment, truly touches the emotional chord of society. It tells the story of Noor – a visually challenged girl, who journeys through the land with her grandfather. Noor’s quest to see the world drives her grandfather to take her on a remarkable journey, showing her the artefacts of pride, culture and heritage across Arabia – all the while explaining these beautiful creations through the medium of colour.
The entire journey, essayed in 10 videos with Arabic dialogue and English subtitles, captures the relationship of a blind girl and her grandfather who plays the role of an enabler in her life to help her see the world through effective narration.
Recognizing the impact of this campaign and understanding the importance of its social cause for the Gulf Region, Berger Paints was announced as the winner of the ‘2017 Gulf Sustainability and CSR Awards’ – under the category of the ‘Cause-related Marketing Campaign for the entire Gulf Region’, at an event held at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Dubai on February 15, 2017.
Motivate Val Morgan contributed much of our inventory from our CSR budget for the screening of the ‘Colours of Arabia’ campaign across cinemas in UAE and Oman from 24th November 2016 to 30th January 2017. Cinema locations included VOX Cinemas (City Centre Ajman, City Centre Fujairah, Al Hamra Mall – RAK, City Centre Mirdif, Mercato Mall, Yas Mall, City Centre Muscat and City Centre Qurum), Cine Royal Cinema (Dalma Mall and Deerfields Mall and City Cinema (Azaiba Mall, Muscat Grand Mall, Salalah Gardens Mall, City Cinema – Sohar and City Cinema – Sur).
We are proud to have supported and been part of such a remarkable initiative for a social cause by contributing towards the campaign’s objective – reaching out to a varied, attentive and receptive audience.
Here are the 10 beautifully scripted and wonderfully captured videos narrating the story of young Noor and her journey across Arabia with her grandfather:
Colours of Arabia – In Search of Colours (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 24th to 30th Nov, 2016)
Noor doesn’t know what colours are as she has never seen them. She has always been curious and wished that she could travel with her beloved grandpa. Understanding her deep desire to see colours against being visually challenged, her grandpa promises to help her experience colours – the happy yellows, the heady blues, and the earthy browns.
Colours of Arabia – Heights of Creativity (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 1st to 7th Dec, 2016)
As Noor starts her journey, her grandpa takes her to one of the most successful achievements of UAE – Burj Khalifa. Same as grey – the color of steel and stone, her grandpa explains how the building portrays strength. Experience Burj Khalifa like never before in this installment of the campaign.
Colours of Arabia – Mothers Lap (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 8th to 14th Dec, 2016)
As the journey continues, Noor visits one of the oldest mosques in the Emirates. In the vicinity of this peaceful serenity, Noor discovers the colour of veneration and pure joy, the same emotional feeling of resting on our mothers lap.
Colours of Arabia – The Need for Boundaries (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 15th to 21st Dec, 2016)
As Noor travels across Arabia in the quest for colours – accompanied by her grandpa, across the beautiful Wadi Shab in Oman. Her grandpa explains the reason why the mountains have created boundaries for the body of water in order to safe guard the beauty of the Wadi – similar to how Noor’s father has set rules and boundaries for her out of love.
Colours of Arabia – Infinite Happiness (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 22nd to 28th Dec, 2016)
As Noor is unaware that the only colour she can see is actually called black, her grandpa explains how the darkness of black in the sky brings out the little stars – little specks of joy blinking at us, which makes them stand out like happy moments in our lives.
Colours of Arabia – The Scent of a Colour (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 29th Dec, 2016 to 4th Jan, 2017)
Noor continues her journey in the quest for colours. She and her grandpa passes through the spice market of Dubai when she helps her grandpa recognize the different spices through their aroma and her grandpa helps her see the colours of those spices through the same aroma.
Colours of Arabia – Conquering Mountain (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 5th to 11th Jan, 2017)
Climbing the heights of the Hajar Mountain, Noor’s grandpa compares the mountain to the colour grey – as it resembles determination. He explains to her how the mountain challenges humans in their will to conquer every height and satisfy every growing curiosity of what’s beyond.
Colours of Arabia – Until We Meet (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 12th to 18th Jan, 2017)
Noor yearns to witness the vibrant display of colours that the sky puts up when the sun bids goodbye at the end of the day. Skillfully narrated by her grandpa, Noor experiences the colours of sunset for the very first time in her life.
Colours of Arabia – Seeing Tomorrow (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 19th to 25th Jan, 2017)
Noor’s curiosity grows as she asks her grandpa what color he will show her next. Her grandpa tells Noor that he will show her the color of tomorrow which is the future of her generation and other generations to come. From her grandpa’s eyes, Noor sees the colour of tomorrow: which is a mix of green of hope, black of grit, white of honesty, grey of innovation, brown of tradition and red of ambition, a few colours of a well-crafted future with amazing possibilities.
Colours of Arabia – Roots of Life (ran across MVM serviced cinemas in UAE and Oman from 26th to 30th Jan, 2017)
As the journey comes to an end, Noor’s last visit is to the glorious tree that has weathered 400 years of worst conditions – and yet survived because of its strong roots. As her grandpa explains the colours of the tree and its meaning, Noor understands that her roots are what makes her stronger and will always hold her steady and resilient.
To follow Berger Paints across social media channels, please visit the below links:
Do you have a similar initiative or campaign in mind for your brand? Contact a member of our Sales Team for more information.
Sources: Communicate, GDN Online, Gulf Sustainability Awards
2017 will undoubtedly be remembered as the year of spectacular comebacks by a number of franchises with dazzling star casts returning to the big screen – reigniting our love for the movies which were GOLD back then.
Here’s a list of some amazing franchise comebacks to look forward to:
Logan
One of the most anticipated blockbusters of 2017 is ‘Logan‘, which will see Hugh Jackman take on the role of Wolverine for one last time. ‘Logan‘ will be the third movie in the Wolverine series. Prequels ‘X-Men Orgins: Wolverine‘ (2009) grossed a worldwide total of US$ 375 million, while ‘The Wolverine‘ (2013) raked over US$400 million worldwide. ‘Logan‘ is scheduled for release on March 2 across cinemas in the UAE.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Logan‘ – ‘Logan‘ will successfully lure both Hugh Jackman fans and cinemagoers loyal to the super-hero X-Men franchise. Together, that’s quite an audience!
Kong: Skull Island
In 1933, Hollywood shook audiences with a monster we quite possibly could never forget – King Kong. ‘King Kong‘ (1933) grossed a worldwide total of US$ 10 million, whilst its remake in 1976 and 2005 raked in US$90 million and US$550 million (worldwide) respectively. ‘Kong: Skull Island‘, which releases on March 9 across cinemas in the UAE, is all set to re-send shivers down our spine and features Tom Hiddleston and Oscar winner Brie Larson.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Kong: Skull Island‘ – It’s a movie resurfacing after a long break. It features Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson who are on a trajectory for great performances and awards. Last but not least, the movie’s trailer released back at Comic Con in 2016 and has successfully garnered much hype since then – bound to usher in a large audience.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
Marvel’s team of the unlikeliest superheroes is back with the sequel to the blockbuster ‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘, which earned a worldwide total of US$770 million when it released in 2014. Chris Pratt stars alongside Zoe Saldana with Vin Diesel as the voice of the adorable Baby Groot in this power-packed action comedy set to conquer cinemas across the UAE on May 4.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2‘ – The movie has been much-awaited since its trailer released on December 6 2016, and the hype surrounding the movie fueled by the recent release of its amazing Super Bowl trailer. This franchise is sure to attract a large base of superhero enthusiasts to the cinemas along with lovers of comedy.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean will see Johnny Depp return to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fifth installment – ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales‘ – releasing May 25 across cinemas in the UAE. The four prequels of this franchise were warmly welcomed by its ardent fan base and grossed a worldwide total of over US$3.7 billion.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales‘ – There’s no denying, both the young and old enjoy watching Johnny Depp’s role as Captain Jack Sparrow – the eccentric, irreverent trickster of the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most popular and successful Hollywood franchises which always draws in large cinema audiences and also officially holds the record for one of the most expensive production budgets – ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides‘ (US$378.5 million).
The Mummy
After the success of the 1999’s ‘The Mummy‘ (worldwide box office of US$ 416 million), 2001’s ‘The Mummy Returns‘ (worldwide box office of US$435 million) and 2008’s ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor‘ (worldwide box office of US$405 million) starring Brendan Fraser, Tom Cruise leads the reboot of 2017’s eagerly anticipated fantasy thriller ‘The Mummy‘ – releasing June 9 across cinemas in the UAE.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘The Mummy‘ – Tom Cruise is an actor who is known to perform his own stunts in all his movies. Not just a gentle car chase or riding a horse without a saddle. We are talking fire, water, speed, explosions, weapons and knee-buckling heights and air planes – all of which UAE audiences love to see on the big screen. The Mummy franchise did well back then – starring Brendan Fraser. You can only just imagine how well it is anticipated to do with Tom Cruise leading this reboot.
Transformers: The Last Knight
The epic saga of humans, Autobots and Decepticons is coming to a brilliant end with the final movie of the popular franchise – ‘Transformers: The Last Knight‘. Michael Bay’s Transformers sees Mark Wahlberg reprising his role from its action packed prequel ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction‘, which grossed a whooping total of US$1 billion worldwide. The Transformers movie series ranks ten on the list of ‘Highest Grossing Film Series‘ with a total gross of US$3.7 billion. The much-anticipated final face off is set to hit cinemas across the UAE on June 22.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Transformers: The Last Knight‘ – Being the last in a series of successful action-packed films, this franchise finale is sure to rake in large audiences. Action & adventure fans, both new and old, across all ages will flock to the cinemas to witness the ending of the era of Transformers.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Hollywood’s list of awesome comebacks would be incomplete without the mention of our favourite webbed hero taking on the big screen again. The 5 Spider-man prequels from 2002 to 2014 (featuring Toby Maguire from 2002 to 2007 and Andrew Garfield from 2012-2014) raked a thumping worldwide box office of US$3.9 billion. 2017’s ‘Spider-man: Homecoming‘ will star Tom Holland (who has already made his first appearance in ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ 2016) alongside Marisa Tomei and the famous Iron Man – Robert Downey Jr. The movie is scheduled for release across cinemas in the UAE on July 6.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Spider-man: Homecoming‘ – Since Tom Holland already appeared in ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ as the agile, funny and extremely talkative super-hero addition to Marvel’s universe, ‘Spider-man: Homecoming‘ is one of Marvel’s most anticipated movies of 2017. Also, with Tony Stark making an appearance, all Iron Man fans are bound to add to audience numbers.
Jumanji
In 1995, Robin Williams’ brought his charming sense of humor to the much-loved fantasy thriller – ‘Jumanji‘, which grossed a total of US$260 million worldwide. This year, the franchise gets a reboot in a movie of the same name featuring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black alongside the popular artist Nick Jonas. ‘Jumanji‘ opens in cinemas across the UAE on July 27.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Jumanji‘ – It’s a comedy starring the mucho but funny Dwayne Johnson and downright hilarious Kevin Hart – who teamed up last year for ‘Central Intelligence‘. The result – a very successful collaboration.
Blade Runner 2049
Harrison Ford’s 1982 feature ‘Blade Runner‘ makes a comeback this year with a much-awaited sequel, ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ – starring Ryan Gosling. The 1982 blockbuster grossed a total of US$33 million. The upcoming movie also sees Harrison Ford returning as the former Blade Runner and is set to release across cinemas in the UAE on October 6.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ – in the 80’s the movie brought in US$33 million which is quite a steep number back in the day. With both Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ will appeal to a varied action loving cinema audience – the young and the old.
Star Wars: Episode VIII
As always, the year ends with a bang as we see the perpetually adored Star Wars franchise return with its latest ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII‘ or ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘. This movie will be the tenth installment in this humongous and successful franchise that has grossed a total worldwide box office of over US$ 7 billion over the years. Last year’s ‘Star Wars: Rogue One‘ grossed a worldwide total of over US$1 billion. ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII‘ will release across cinemas in the UAE on December 14.
Reasons to advertise alongside ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII‘ – Do you really need a reason? The figures and success of this franchise speaks for itself!
With Hollywood setting the stage for great franchise revivals, don’t miss out on the opportunity to align your brand with this year’s spectacular comebacks.
Contact a member of our Sales Team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities in 2017.
Sources: Box Office Mojo, IMDb, The Numbers
The Super Bowl season has always been exciting both on and off field, with a history of some of the most creative advertisements and exciting movie trailers being showcased. Living up to its legacy, 2017’s season kicked off with a riveting array of attention grabbing advertisements.
Super Bowl Sunday is when we (the audience) get to see how creative people can be in 30 to 60 seconds. It’s interesting to note that the cost of a Super Bowl ad this year was about US$5 million. Add the cost of production and all marketing activities required to spur viewership far past the airwaves, and you start to imagine the pressure on creative directors to get the commercial RIGHT!
This year’s ads were not considerably different to those of previous years – ads that make you laugh, those that make you think and entertain or surprise. Yet, a couple of ads stood out this year. Some of the most incredible advertisements in 2017 were delivered by BIG brands such as Intel, Skittles, Ford, Mercedes, Audi and Buick – each snagging the audience’s attention in some way or another.
Here’s a list of the Top 10 Super Bowl Ads as voted by USA Today’s Ad Meter panel:
1. Kia’s ‘Hero’s Journey’
At the top of the list is ‘Hero’s Journey‘ starring Melissa McCarthy, an advertisement for Kia Niro. The automobile brand has won this honor for the first time and it is indeed well deserved. The ad’s comedic take sees Melissa McCarthy set off of missions to save the planet. Unfortunately, she finds out the hard way that it’s not easy to be an eco-warrior. Luckily, she drives the 2017 Kia Niro – an eco-model with over 40MPG, which means she can save the planet without hurting herself.
2. Honda’s ‘Yearbooks’
Some of Super Bowl’s best advertisements have known to star celebrities to deliver an even greater message. Honda celebrates the people who chase their dreams with reckless abandon and the amazing things that happen when their dreams come true. For Honda, following their dream lead to vehicles such as the all-new Honda CR-V – a 20 year dream come true. The ad features big names such as Tina Fey, Viola Davis, Jimmy Kimmel and even Stan Lee and urge audiences to move forward with the all-new Honda CR-V.
3. Audi’s ‘Daughter’
This year was bigger than just feel-good messages and big names. The Super Bowl screen saw worthy messages being delivered through commercials such as Audi’s ‘Daughter‘ – delivering a resounding message on gender-equality. This is a story of a young girl competing in a downhill cart race in her hometown. As the fearless daughter weaves her way through a field of competitors, her father contemplates whether his daughter’s worth will be measured by her gender through a series of provocative questions. It is a reminder that progress doesn’t belong to any one group. Progress is for everyone. No wonder it was ranked number five on the top ten most shared commercials of this year!
4. Budweiser’s ‘Born the Hard Way’
The commercial that saw the most number of shares was that of ‘The King of Beers‘. Coming in at number four is Budweiser’s commercial showcasing the story of Budweiser’s founder and his ambitious journey to America in pursuit of his dream – to brew the King of Beers. The creative genius behind this spot is that it enables a poignant message to be brilliantly delivered within a minute.
5. Tide’s ‘Bradshaw Stain’
With the tagline ‘No stain deserves fame‘, Tide delivers a hilarious commercial starring former major league footballer Terry Bradshaw. The content of this spot, with its light-hearted humor and use of a familiar NFL face, was clearly meant to target those who actually watch the big game, for the game.
6. Mr. Clean’s ‘Cleaner of Your Dreams’
Using mascots to personify brands help advertisers connect with relevant audiences. Procter and Gamble’s ‘Mr. Clean‘ personifies itself with a rugged mascot and simply states – ‘You gotta love a man who cleans‘. The 30-second commercial’s simple creativity gained it 226 million shares during game time.
7. Buick’s ‘Pee Wee’
Living up to its reputation for cheeky commercials, Buick does not disappoint this year. The luxury automobiles’ brand brings together two unlikely stars – footballer Cam Newton and Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr, for a light-hearted spot you simply cannot help but grin at.
8. NFL’s ‘Super Bowl Baby Legends’
Every year, the National Football League itself releases brilliant spots reminding us that ‘Football is family‘. Past Super Bowl legends inspired the making of his adorable 30-second spot which sees babies dressed up as past Super Bowl inspirations, asking us the question – Who will be the inspiration this year?
9. Ford’s ‘Go Further’
Ford’s brand-centric advertisement comes in at number nine. Taking a comic stance on the little hurdles each of us faces in our daily lives, Ford’s ‘feel-good‘ spot encourages us to find new ways to ‘Go further with Ford‘. The commercial also scores points for its use of relevant background score, playing Nina Simone’s ‘I Wish I Knew How‘ to ease an important point in our hearts with humor and cheek.
10. NFL’s ‘Inside These Lines’
Last but far from the very least is NFL’s inspiring spot on unity. Although the commercial focuses on how football brings together people from different backgrounds to achieve bigger ambitions, the underlying message is clear – America is a united nation regardless of where all its citizens come from.
Other note-worthy advertisements include that of Wix, a power-packed commercial starring Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) and Jason Statham and Bai’s cheeky spot, starring Justin Timberlake and Christopher Walken. Pop sensation Justin Beiber also made his Super Bowl commercial debut with T-Mobile’s groovy spot.
Most top advertisements included a concise message – being delivered through simplicity. These messages were both relevant and inspiring. The transformation of the advertising industry from ‘product-oriented‘ to ‘people-oriented‘ can be easily seen in these top commercials.
Super Bowl however is incomplete without the trailers that set the screen on fire. Sneak peeks of mega blockbusters reignited our anticipation for these upcoming features:
‘Logan‘, the last installation of the Wolverine series, launched a new action-packed trailer. The closely followed mega blockbuster releases on March 2 across cinemas in the UAE.
The trailer for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.2‘ gave audiences a new look into the much-awaited blockbuster. The sequel to 2014’s action comedy will hit cinemas across the UAE on May 4.
The longest of all spots belonged to the Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal starrer ‘Life‘, a sci-fi thriller releasing March 23 across cinemas in the UAE.
Disney’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales‘ also released a trailer for a movie the franchise simply cannot wait for. This eagerly awaited Johnny Depp movie hits cinemas across the UAE on May 25.
Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron will star in the greatly anticipated ‘Baywatch‘, an action comedy based on the TV Series of the same name. The trailer for the movie, also starring Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, was also released at Super Bowl 2017. The movie hits cinemas across the UAE on May 25.
And of course there were many more such as ‘Transformers: The Last King’, ‘Ghost in the Shell’, ‘The Fate of the Furious’ and more.
Check out the rest at our Trailer Park
Sources: Forbes, AdWeek, YouTube
Motivate Val Morgan is the official UAE representative of Dubai Lynx
Dubai Lynx is happening on 5, 6 and 7 March and a jam-packed programme is being firmed up with an awe-inspiring array of speakers who will be pointing the way to the future of creativity.
Collaborate |Accelerate | Innovate
From the way VR is transforming communication, to how we connect physical and digital landscapes in revolutionary ways, innovation is a major theme at Dubai Lynx. Key speakers from R/GA London, IDEO, Framestore, IBM and many more will share future-forging ideas.
And that’s not all! Alongside the main festival programme, there is a lot more to discover, including exhibitions of MENA’s top creative work, the region’s young talent uncovered, unique training opportunities and networking opportunities second to none.
Browse the festival programme to see more.
Interested in building your skills in 2017?
Advance yourself, your team and your business with enriching training opportunities at Dubai Lynx.
Dubai Lynx runs a suite of high-quality training academies that support the growth and development of creative talent. The academy tutors represent the industry’s very best and bring a wealth of experience and know-how.
Courses run during the Festival from 5-7 March 2017 and comprise small, select groups of students to optimize learning. Each academy is tailored to suit specific career requirements:
On the first rungs of the ladder? Leo Burnett Academy is for you
Ascending talent? Starcom Future Talent Academy will help you climb.
Senior marketer? Finesse your skills with an exclusive group at the Think Tank with J. Walter Thompson.
Please Note: Registration for an academy also includes access to all the festival talks, events and exhibitions.
Don’t miss out on discovering the future of creativity!
What makes a standout awards entry?
Getting your entries ready for Dubai Lynx 2017?
Here are some top tips for entering, expert advice and a does of inspiration.
Quick links:
Watch Dubai Lynx 2016 highlights
Book a festival pass
Book your awards table
Enter your work
Enter the student awards
Do you consider yourself the ultimate movie buff?
Why not put it to test?
Join the excitement of Hollywood’s night of the stars by entering MVM’s annual Oscar challenge. With 2017’s Oscar nominations released, now’s your chance to guess away and dazzle everyone with your knowledge of movies.
How to participate
Scroll through the list of nominations below and pick the winner from each of the 10 categories:
Best Picture
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Director
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Original Song
Best Visual Effects
Best Costume Design
Email your answers to [email protected] by 5pm Thursday 23rd February 2017, and don’t forget to include your Full Name, Company Name, Designation, and Contact Number.
What’s in it for you?
4 lucky winners from the UAE and their partners will enjoy an ultimate movie experience at Middle East’s most innovative cinema provider – VOX Cinemas, courtesy Motivate Val Morgan.
In addition, you’ll also win a year’s worth of Bragging Rights! Now who can say no to that?
Winners will be announced on 28th February 2017.
