‘Rangoon’ Trailer Storms The Internet With Over 13 Million Views
There’s no denying the popularity of Bollywood movies in the UAE.
The appeal of Bollywood is no longer limited to Indians alone. UAE’s long-lasting love affair with Bollywood is the result of:
The continuous supply of Bollywood blockbusters across the UAE
A large and growing cinema audience comprising of both Indian and Arabic-speaking Bollywood fans across the UAE
And to continue this romantic relationship between the UAE and one of the largest film industries in the world is the latest trailer of ‘Rangoon‘ – one of Bollywood’s anticipated blockbusters of 2017.
‘Rangoon‘ is an upcoming drama film starring 3 top Bollywood actors in lead roles: Kangana Ranaut (Film Fare Best Actress – 2014), Shahid Kapoor (Udta Punjab) and Saif Ali Khan (Phantom).
The Film is set during World War II (1939-1945) and supposedly portrays the life and times of Mary Ann Evans (AKA Fearless Nadia) – Bollywood’s first original stunt-woman still remembered for her fiery role in the movie ‘Hunterwali‘.
‘Rangoon‘ is an intense ‘love triangle’ between an actress, her mentor and a soldier. The period drama on Love, War and Deceit, with its stellar cast, promises to deliver a spectacular battle of love, with sizzling chemistry between actors – working together for the first time.
The movie trailer which released on 6th January 2017 has garnered much attention, receiving appreciation from the film industry, fans and critics. Within a few weeks of its release, the movie trailer has over 13 million YouTube views – catching the internet by storm.
Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj (Indian National Award-winning filmmaker) – under the banners of ‘Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment‘ and ‘Viacom 18 Motion Pictures‘, ‘Rangoon’ is set to release across cinemas in the UAE on 23rd February 2017.
Don’t miss out on aligning your brand with ‘Rangoon’ – guaranteed to usher in large Asian andArabic audiences.
Click here for a comprehensive list of other anticipated Bollywood movies releasing in 2017.
Contact a member of our Sales Team for more information on advertising opportunities.
Sources: DNAIndia, GulfNews
Updates from Cannes Lions 2017!
Motivate Val Morgan is the official representative of Cannes Lions in the UAE.
Cannes Lions opens for delegate registrations
Price reductions for under 30s announced to help tomorrow’s creative stars thrive
The 64th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has opened for registration, with price reductions of up to 10% on a range of passes for under 30’s announced.
The reduced pass prices are designed to enable more emerging industry talent to attend the Festival. For all those under 30, the eight-day ‘Complete‘ pass has been reduced by 255 Euros since 2016. Two-day ‘Young Lion‘ passes for the specialist events that run alongside the Festival – Lions Health, Lions Innovation and Lions Entertainment – now start from 895 Euros, while passes for students in full-time education range from 350 Euros to 1,100 Euros.
This move is the latest in Cannes Lions’ ongoing commitment to supporting the creative community at all career levels. Last year, the age-break for the concessionary price was raised from 28 to 30, resulting in a record number of young creative talent attending the Festival. The annual Young Lions Competitions, run by the Festival’s global network of official representatives, involved over 10,000 competitors from 70 countries in 2016. The Cannes Lions School, which delivers five unique training ‘Academies’ on a dedicated campus in the heart of the Palais, has trained 1000 rising stars since 2011, and many have gone on to become Lion winners. Applications for places on the 2017 Academies also opened today.
Jose Papa, Managing Director of Cannes Lions, commented, “Cannes Lions marks the start of the creative year and for many people, their first Festival is a career-changing experience. The Young Lions bring energy, ideas and boundless creativity to the heart of the Festival.”
A creative community of over 15,000 people from around 100 countries attend the Festival, making Cannes Lions the only truly global meeting place for those working in branded communications to connect, learn and celebrate the best creative work.
Click here for further details on all available passes and dates.
Cannes Lions announces entries open and unveils new simplified submission process
This year, there are no new Lions and significant focus has been placed on improving and simplifying the entry process to ensure it is clear and easy to navigate. Improvements include a new 10-point entry checklist, designed to guide people through the system more effectively.
The Lions, the global awards that celebrate the best creative work, commend and honour 24 key disciplines, from Innovation, Product Design and Entertainment to Creative Data and Outdoor. Entry numbers have grown annually, reaching a record-breaking 43,101 in 2016.
To ensure that the Lions continue to fully represent the industry they serve, subcategories have been revised across some existing Lions in 2017 and amended guidelines will help to outline what the jury will be looking for.
The changes to categories affect the following Lions:
The Innovation Lions are where ground-breaking technological solutions are born and two new categories are introduced this year: ‘Technological Craft & Development‘ will award the technical prowess behind the ideas, and ‘Early Stage Technology‘ offers a space for prototypes and beta stage ideas, providing more opportunities for start-ups to enter their best work.
The Creative Data Lions now aim to recognise the use of creative insight in a more accurate and meaningful way by introducing new categories: ‘Data Strategy‘, ‘Data-Driven Targeting‘ and ‘Use of Real-Time Data‘ and the existing data section within Media Lions has been refined.
The Media Lions have added a new ‘Excellence in Media‘ section, which recognises how a media campaign delivered outcomes for a brand through outstanding media strategy, planning and execution.
The Promo & Activation Lions introduce a new ‘Experience‘ section for engaging, immersive, face-to-face customer-focused brand experiences with storytelling at the heart.
Simon Cook, Director of Awards for Cannes Lions, said, “The Lions are developed in partnership with the industry and are in a continual state of review, because it’s vital they continue to reflect current shifts. So this year, there is no new Lion, instead, we’ve focused on our existing awards and made developments to cement their relevance.”
Jose Papa, Managing Director of Cannes Lions, commented, “The work that wins Lions demonstrates the most exciting and innovative progressions in creative communications and sets the standard globally. The awards will always remain the heart of the Festival.”
The Lions are awarded each year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. A creative community of over 15,000 people from around 100 countries attend the Festival, making it the only truly global meeting place for those working in branded communications to connect, share and learn, and celebrate the best creative work.
Cannes Lions Stories, the event’s new content arm, delivers insider knowledge, category history and emerging industry trends. The Awards team will publish weekly features, providing candid insights and showcasing examples of shortlisted and winning work from previous years, like the Story of Cyber and A Lion in Five – the Entertainment Lion.
Additionally, this year’s applications for press accreditation will close on 31 May 2017, due to an increase in requests to attend. Accreditation will not be open on site during the event, so please ensure you apply before the deadline so your application can be assessed.
Click here for further details on entering work.
Click here to find out what’s on at Cannes Lions 2017.
Those looking to enter work can find further information online and discuss submissions directly with an Awards Expert
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2017: 17-24 June 2017, Cannes, France.
MVM Welcomes Roxy Cinemas to Our Circuit
Roxy Cinemas is part of Meraas Leisure & Entertainment – which is a division of Meraas Holding. Located at City Walk and at The Beach (opposite JBR), Roxy Cinemas brings a fresh cinematic experience to all movie-lovers across Dubai. The cinema features the latest blockbusters from all major studios around the world.
The locations under Roxy Cinemas’ were previously operated by Reel Cinemas. Along with the change in the brand, Roxy Cinemas will also be rebranding the cinema experiences available at City Walk and The beach locations.
Roxy Cinemas presently offer three cinema experiences:
Director’s Lounge (an ultra-premium experience)
Editor’s Suite (a luxury class experience)
The Set
As the official cinema advertising partner, Motivate Val Morgan warmly welcomes the Roxy Cinemas chain to our circuit.
For more information on Roxy Cinemas, please visit their website
VOX Launches its First 4DX Cinema in Oman
VOX Cinemas is the dedicated cinema arm of Majid Al Futtaim – the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to the recent joint venture with Oman Arab Cinema Company, VOX Cinemas have just opened its doors to their immersive VOX 4DX cinema concept to Oman audiences.
Holding exclusive rights to 4DX technology in the Middle East, the new VOX 4DXcinema experience will now be available at VOX Cinemas City Centre Muscat.
Oman is a fast developing market with cinema audiences continuously demanding more from their cinema experience. With this in mind, VOX’s 4DX cinema concept – a sensory-filled way for consumers in Oman to experience cinema, aims to create great moments for everyone visiting the cinema.
4DX is specifically designed to engage moviegoers on an entirely new level – taking their experience beyond the confined walls of a cinema – making it truly captivating.
Featuring dynamic motion seats and special effects with high definition, 4DX delivers an intense experience which includes:
Motion
Back & Bottom Shakers
Water
Scents
Fog
Wind
Lighting
Air
Shocks
Face Air
Bubbles
Rain
Back & Leg Ticklers
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘ and ‘Assassin’s Creed‘ were some of the movies that were released in 4DX at City Centre Muscat.
Q1 of 2017 will witness ‘XXX: The Return of Xander Cage‘ and ‘John Wick: Chapter 2‘ release in 4DX, with many more blockbusters to follow.
Sources: Majid Al Futtaim, VOX Cinemas – Oman
Versace Allures Cinema Audiences With A Creative Brand Activation
Motivate Val Morgan offers 360 degree exposure and innovative opportunities to brands – utilizing both On-screen and Off-screen advertising.
As effective as On-screen cinema campaigns, Motivate Val Morgan’s Off-screen cinema advertising opportunities work as a natural extension to any campaign or marketing plan for brands wanting to reach out to their targeted audience – by sampling their new product or placing it inside the theatre. Cinema promotion or sampling campaigns create genuine interest with potential new customers.
Versace (one of the best-selling and most loved perfumes in the world) promoted their newly launched perfume – Dylan Blue, by executing a sampling activity from 5th to 7th January 2017, across two of the most prominent cinema operators in Dubai – VOX Cinemas (Mall of the Emirates) and Reel Cinemas (The Dubai Mall).
Product sampling consists of one sample table stand with one or two branded promoters engaging cinemagoers – promoting and offering samples of the product.
For all assigned Off-screen space inside the Cinema, MVM offers a host of promotion activities to compliment and support On-screen advertising ranging from:
Foyer/Car Displays
Concourse Displays
Popcorn Box Branding
Ticket Sponsorship
Cut Outs (Single & Double Sided)
Pillar Wraps
Escalator Branding
Lightboxes
Gobo Lights
Sampling Booth/Inside Cinemas
Want to know more on how Off-screen cinema advertising could uplift your marketing plan and bring your brand closer to its target audience? Contact a member of our Sales Team
The Ghazi Attack – A Rousing Tale of A Secret Underwater War
Directed by debutant Sankalp Reddy and distributed by Karan Johar’s company – Dharma Productions, ‘The Ghazi Attack‘, is an upcoming Indian war film based on Indian claims of sinking the PNS Ghazi, a Pakistani submarine that sank off Vishakapatnam in 1971.
The film started shooting on 3rd January 2016, with the larger part of it shot in a submarine – adding to its uniqueness. The film is expected to release across cinemas in the UAE on 16th February 2017.
The much ‘talked about’ war-at-sea film stars a promising cast of Rana Daggubati (from ‘Baahubali‘ fame), Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Pannu, and late veteran actor Om Puri – revealing the mysterious events that took place in 1971, before the India-Pakistan war.
The plot of the movie reveals an underwater war that had taken place between India and Pakistan, when PNS Ghazi was on a mission to attack and destroy Indian’s INS Vikrant by entering Indian waters. The movie depicts a heroic tale of courage and patriotism by the Indian navy with power-packed performances and appealing visuals.
Since the trailer was released on 11th January 2017, ‘The Ghazi Attack‘ has taken the world of social media by storm, as cinema lovers and celebrities have expressed liking towards film’s content and are intrigued by the plot of the film.
The movie trailer has impressively crossed over 14 million views since it’s release, whilst social media witnessed a variety of posts from celebrities, critics and cinemagoers, expressing their excitements and eagerness to watch the untold story.
Don’t miss out on aligning your brand with ‘The Ghazi Attack‘ – guaranteed to usher in large Asian audience.
Contact our Sales Team, for more information on advertising opportunities.
Sources: Indian Express, BollywoodLife, InuthBETA
Motivate Games 2016!
Tough battles end with sweet victories.
After an exciting and eventful year in 2016, it was time for some fun and games. With this in mind, Motivate Group launched ‘Motivate Games 2016’ at the start of festive season last December.
Our HR Team officially introduced the gaming event with a series of fun tournaments for Motivate team members using the facilities available at both Motivate Publishing and Motivate Val Morgan office premises.
The tournament went viral across the company, and saw a number of team members send in their names for participation.
Motivate Group Tournament 2016 included three entertaining sporting events such as:
Foosball
Table Tennis
Pool
Participants took part in the following categories of Foosball, Table Tennis & Pool:
After a series of fun trials and practices, then commenced the official matches – where participants competed with each other to win the title of the ultimate champion of their respective games. The final matches were played on the 14th of December, with Foosball played at Motivate Publishing and Motivate Val Morgan hosting the finals for Table Tennis and Pool.
All the participants enthusiastically showcased their sporting skills either with quick movements in Foosball, tricky angles with Table Tennis rackets, and their precise, well calculated shots on the green clothed Pool table.
The week-long event saw some participants discover hidden talents, some strong contender’s lose to their opponents with close margins, and the emergence of winners who showed focus and dedication right throughout their matches to beat all opponents and become the true champions of their respective games.
As one big family, we take great pride in announcing the winners and runner-ups for the following games:
Motivate Val Morgan congratulates all the winners and runner-ups, and applaud all participants – as we look forward to an even more entertaining and enthusiastic Motivate Group Tournament in 2017.
What makes champions different? ‘Champions don’t quit until they get it right’
CENTREPOINT | #LOOKGOODSALE | LIES FILM
The truth is, life has a mind of its own. And when it makes its own plans to ruin your day, there is only one thing that you can do. The Centrepoint Sale. Now on. #LOOKGOODSALE
Centrepoint, the Middle East’s biggest fashion store today announced their Sale 2016 regional advertising campaign. With 138 stores across the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, Centrepoint is also the region’s most coveted fashion retail brand.
With a view to stand out in an overly competitive and cluttered category – in a region known for its year-long sales and shopping festivals, meet expectations that are incredibly high and attain more footfall across their stores, Centrepoint teamed up with Impact BBDO Dubai to craft this year’s sale commercial and uplift the brand.
“We wanted to be as unconventional as possible. There is a dearth of creativity when it comes to sales and promotions in the region and we wanted to push the limit. We received a fantastic response for our initial ad that was released in August and we are looking forward to the audience response to our new film”, states Simon Cooper, Head of Centrepoint. Shyam Sunder, Head of Marketing of Centrepoint adds, “The CP Sale is the biggest event in the fashion segment in the region. It contributes to a major percentage of our overall sales. The objective was also to build a property that would uplift our brand.”
The film campaign conceptualized by Impact BBDO, Dubai, is based on a universal insight that could capture and encapsulate the size of the sale – life has a mind of its own, and when it makes its own plans to ruin your day, there is only one thing that you can do. “As much as a sales campaign is fun to do, this was a serious job with significant business implications. We needed to deliver an idea that ticks all boxes and at the same time captures people’s hearts & minds and provokes them to act.” says Fadi Yaish, Executive Creative Director of Impact BBDO, Dubai.
Centrepoint’s #LOOKGOODSALE campaign is presently screening at selected VOX, Cine Royal, Oscar and Cinemacity cinemas – serviced by Motivate Val Morgan, from December 2016 till January 2017. On the digital front, the commercial has approximately 2.1 M views on YouTube and was viewed over a million times in less than 24 hours of release.
The brand claims both mediums (cinema and digital) have made a positive impact in terms of footfall across Centrepoint stores.
If you haven’t already, take a look at the commercial and don’t miss out on the #LOOKGOODSALE by Centrepoint – ending 28th January 2017.
Source: Centrepoint
‘Raees’ Sets The Internet On Fire
The much awaited Blockbuster ‘Raees‘, garnered a lot of attention & enthusiasm when it decided to extend the release date from the previously anticipated release during EID 2016. With this change bringing in few tears for the fans of ‘The King of Bollywood‘, ‘Raees‘ has become one of the most anticipated Indian Blockbuster to come in 2017.
‘Raees‘ is directed by Rahul Dholakia and stars Shah Rukh Khan in and as Raees Alam, Nawazuddin Siddiqui as ACP Ghulam Patel while Pakistani actress Mahira Khan plays Mohsina – the love interest of Raees.
‘Raees‘, an action crime thriller, tells the story of a clever liquor baron – Raees Alam. The story is based in an alcohol free-state where a cruel and clever Raees monopolizes the industry until it is eventually thwarted by a police officer. Angered by the loss of his wealth, Raees retaliates by creating a network of supporters in favor of this black market – gradually establishing himself as Gujarat’s most ruthless crime lord at the height of the 1980’s Gujarat riots.
As soon as the news was out, of the trailer release at the start of December 2016, Raees became the trending topic on all social mediums – largely on Twitter. On the day of the trailer release, ‘Raees‘ had more than 12 Million views on YouTube (presently at 34 Million) and was watched more than 8 million times on Facebook within 24 hours of its release.
After a successful treat from the Bollywood star with movies such as ‘Fan‘ & ‘Dear Zindagi‘ in 2016, we hope to be entertained beyond expectations with ‘Raees‘, as we wait in anticipation for the release of the movie.
Watch the official trailer of Raees
Sources: TimesNow, Indian Express, Gulf News
Ads with a Pinch of Christmas Magic 2016
As the battle for the most popular Christmas advert continues – an Ad war that has cost companies in the UK around £5.6bn, as they compete for their campaigns to be the most effective at pulling on the heartstrings – we are already witnessing an unprecedented number of heart-warming, tear-jerkingand nostalgic advertisements, all competing for the number one spot.
In previous years, John Lewis Christmas ads have always been the most anticipated. But will this year’s ad – featuring ‘Buster’ the furry and adorable Boxer, be on the way to top your list over the festive season?
With high street stores and supermarkets doing their best to stand out amongst the crowd, we’ll let you to be the judge!
Featured below are five Christmas ads presently creating quite a buzz on social media. We’ve also provided a link to watch more Christmas ad of this year that deserves an honorable mention. So, grab a box of tissues, and here we go:
John Lewis – #BusterTheBoxer
Taking a deep dive into the John Lewis Christmas ad for 2016, the story starts on a heartwarming front as it begins with a little girl, Bridget, who opens the video excitedly bouncing on her bed on Christmas Eve. She then wakes up on Christmas morning to find a trampoline in her back garden.
Her loving father – in snowy conditions, assembled the trampoline the night before. As he sits inside watching television with his wife, two foxes – Otto and Olivia – begin bouncing gaily on the trampoline. They are soon joined by Betsy the badger, Hallie the hedgehog and Sid the squirrel.
All the while, the family’s boxer, Buster, gazes enviously.
Then, early the next morning, as a wide-eyed Bridget runs to climb on to her trampoline, Buster beats her to it, bouncing merrily to the tune of ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’ and that’s when mom and dad discover that her dog Buster has suddenly developed a passion for bouncing, too.
The ad got 16.7 Millionviews in its first 7 days, making it the most watched Christmas ad on YouTube over the past 30 days.
Sainsburys – The Greatest Gift
Directed by the award-winning British Director – Sam Fell, the stop frame animation ad tells the story of a hard-working and devoted dad named Dave, who realizes that the greatest gift that he can give to his family, friends, and colleagues this Christmas is his time.
The musical advert narrates Dave’s story through an original song, ‘The Greatest Gift for Christmas is Me’, composed by Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie, and sung by none other than late night chat show king host James Corden.
The ad opens with Dave a bit overwhelmed in the animated town of Bisby before he discovers a gingerbread man decorated just like him one night. And instead of eating it, he has a brainwave.
At the toy factory where he works, Dave creates a series of replica versions of himself in various forms – tapping monkey and toy planes, among others – and sends them to all the places he should be, leaving him free to spend Christmas with the family.
In second place with 6.8 Million views in 7 days ‘Sainsbury’s – The Greatest Gift‘ presents a joyous Christmas musical.
Marks and Spencer – Christmas with Love from Mrs. Claus
This year, retailer Marks and Spencer joins the race to ‘win’ at Christmas advertising, by focusing on a character typically silent throughout history – Mrs. Claus.
The commercial is helmed by Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (‘The King’s Speech’ and ‘Les Miserable’), and stars acclaimed stage and screen actress Janet McTeer as Mrs. Claus – who’s apparently content with being the perfect stay-at-home wife to Santa.
We first encounter her looking stylish but cozy in her chunky knit sweater and slippers, as she hands him his hot tea and warns him not to eat too many mince pies on his journey.
But after waving goodbye to her husband as he ventures into the snow to deliver presents around the world, Mrs. Claus embarks on a special project, helping six year-old Jake send his sister a thoughtful present. Having changed into a power suit and leather gloves, she sets out in style, piloting a really cool red helicopter. Naturally, she’s back before Santa, who finds her curled up on the sofa reading a book titled ‘Fifty Shades of Red’
“How was your night?” he asks. “Quiet,” she replies. Quite definitely the power behind the throne.
In third place with 4.2 Million views in 7 days, ‘M&S 2016 Christmas Ad: Christmas with love from Mrs. Claus‘ is truly a spectacle with a modern twist on the much-loved character Mrs. Claus as this new Christmas icon debuts with style.
Waitrose – #HomeForChristmas
A robin’s epic journey home sends a strong message in Waitrose’s adorable new Christmas advert.
The 90 second ad, which aired for the first time in November 2016, reflects the real-life migration of a young Scandinavian robin on an eventful, and at times, dangerous journey across mountains and seas.
The tiny bird battles bad weather and escapes being a bigger bird’s festive feast, to make it back to a garden in the UK where he spends every Christmas.
When he finally reaches his winter home, the robin is reunited with his feathered companion to enjoy a festive treat – a Waitrose mince pie – left for him by a young girl, who has eagerly awaited his annual return.
After seeing the birds tucking into the mince pie, the young girl joins her own family at the table.
With approximately 2.6 Million views in 7 days; the ‘Home For Christmas‘ ad sends a strong message about connecting with loved ones during the festive period.
Argos – Christmas Yetis
Fun loving and friendly, larger-than-life, quick as a flash and loveable Yetis colorfully bring to life the role that Argos hopes to play during Christmas for families nationwide.
With approximately 2.6 Million views in 30 days, the ‘The Argos Christmas Yetis‘ ad features five fun, furry and fast yetis. The ad promotes the British catalogue retailer’s Fast Track Same Day delivery and in-store collection.
Click here for a comprehensive list of this year’s Christmas ads.
