The cinema industry successfully ushered global audiences back into theatre in 2022 largely owing to the steadier flow of blockbusters in comparison to 2021, with Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Avatar: The Way of Water leading the long list of successful titles this year.
While 2021 was a dress rehearsal for the future of cinemas, 2022 has proved that cinema is back for real. This was especially evident in Saudi Arabia, when the country overtook Italy in annual box office revenue (in US$ terms), highlighting the prominence of cinema in the region.
Box office in 2022 had its first test with Scream which grossed nearly US$1M in the UAE alone and marked the successful return of the horror genre in the region since the pandemic. This was followed by the chartbuster performance of Matt Reeve’s The Batman, which earned a combined US$12M in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which earned US$6.7M in the UAE.
Summer blockbusters highly contributed to the recovery of the global box office in 2022, with Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick grossing a combined US$21.2M in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and over US$1.5 billion globally. Jurassic World: Dominion and Minions: The Rise of Gru also performed well, grossing over US$1.7M and US$1.64M in UAE and Saudi Arabia, respectively.
August to October was a challenging phase for cinemas in the region due to a weaker movie release schedule owing to pandemic-related delays. The year however ended on a high note with the release of James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, which earned close to US$10M in the UAE in its opening weeks. Arabic titles such as Bahebek, 3amohom, and Men Agl Zeko also topped the 2022 charts across GCC.
Here’s our 2022 wrap-up featuring the top movie releases in the eight countries we cover, the most watched genres across the region, the top 15 cinema ads booked through us that lit up the big screen, and last but not least, the new cinema locations added to our circuit and our milestones:
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Oman
Kuwait
Bahrain
Qatar
Lebanon
The 15 blockbuster ads (in no particular order) – booked through Motivate Val Morgan, that lit up the big screen in 2022 (also featured in Campaign Middle East):
Brand: Mercedes-Benz Burmester
Title: Innovations by Mercedes-Benz: Dolby Atmos
Media Agency: OMD
Brand: NEOM
Title: Trojena – Journey To New Heights
Media Agency: Starcom
Brand: Emirates
Title: Gerry the Goose Flies Better
Media Agency: UM MENA
Brand: Rolex
Title: Rolex & Cinema – The Path
Media Agency: Mindshare
Brand: Sephora
Title: Amna Al Qubaisi – Emirati F3 Driver – Redefining Beauty with Sephora
Media Agency: Spark Foundry – Publicis Media
Brand: Malabar Gold
Title: Brides of India
Brand: Hermès
Title: Terre d’Hermès
Media Agency: Havas Media
Brand: Thailand Tourism
Title: Amazing Thailand
Media Agency: Media Republic
Brand: Hayatna
Title: Grow Your World With Hayatna
Media Agency: Hearts & Science
Brand: Riyadh Book Fair
Media Agency: Blue Horizon
Brand: Infiniti QX60
Title: Take the Wheel
Media Agency: OMD
Brand: Jindal Shadeed
Media Agency: United Media Services
Brand: Theeb
Brand: Yas Island
Title: Yas Yas Baby
Media Agency: Initiative Media
Brand: Al Nahdi Pharmacies
2022 saw our cinema circuit expand with several new locations:
Our dedicated cinema buying platform – CinePlan and CineMeasure, was launched, which enables data-driven, audience-based buying across our network of cinemas in the Middle East. The platform was also recognized as one of Campaign Middle East’s Top 10 Media Milestones of 2022.
Get ready for an exciting year at the movies in 2023! Here are the top 20 movies to look forward to over the year ahead:
For more on the movies coming out in 2023, be sure to check out our sizzle reel
Zain Saudi Arabia – mobile network operator in KSA, recently booked an integrated cinema campaign with Motivate Val Morgan – through OMD, for the launch of 5G technology in KSA.
The on-screen component included a 30 sec. ad which screened for a period of 4 weeks (12th December 2019 to 8th January 2020) at the following cinema locations:
The off- screen component included an advertisement (of the same content) on the LED screen at the entrance of VOX Cinemas – Riyadh Park from 12th December 2019 to 8th January 2020.
Integrated cinema campaigns provide greater brand visibility and enable brands to target cinemagoers across multiple touchpoints.
Contact us for more information on integrated cinema campaigns across our regional circuit.
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Uber – global taxi technology company operating in 633 cities worldwide, is all about providing access to safe, reliable and affordable rides for anyone, anywhere, and at anytime.
Uber Middle East booked a cinema campaign through Motivate Val Morgan in December 2017 which included a 4-week On Screen Advertisement and a Cinema Activation alongside the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
The cinema campaign was part of a larger Uber campaign which also extended to Radio and Outdoor advertising around strategic consumer touchpoints, residential areas with parking difficulties and in-mall parking areas.
The 15 Sec. 4-week On Screen Advertisement played on the ‘Top Screens’ of VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates, Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall and Roxy Cinemas – City Walk.
15 Sec. On Screen spot that screened from 14 December – 20 December 2017
15 Sec. On Screen spot that screened from 21 December 2017 – 10 January 2018
The 2 Min. Cinema Activation took place on Saturday 16 December 2017 alongside the movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi at the following locations:
The following activation was the one which took place at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates:
Credits:
Client – Uber Middle East
Media Agency – OMD
Creative Agency – FP7 Dubai
Production – Mint Events
Cinema Activations – or as we like to call it ‘Cinevations’, are a great way to interact with your target audience in an UNRIVALLED environment.
Be the talk of cinemagoers and the media with a ‘Cinevation’. You can even create buzz around your executions through social media.
Contact a member of our sales team for more information on ‘Cinevations’ at cinema locations represented by Motivate Val Morgan.
Source: OMD
