Nezo – salt manufacturer, recently booked an off-screen popcorn box branding campaign through Motivate Val Morgan at various VOX Cinemas locations across the UAE.
The branded popcorn tubs were distributed to moviegoers starting Thursday 21st November 2019, and will continue to be dispensed until stocks last.
The aim of the campaign was to highlight the importance of Nezo salt in food items, similar to the importance and significance of having popcorn while watching movies at the cinema.
A total of 50,000 popcorn boxes were branded with Nezo graphics. 5,000 boxes were allocated at each cinema location. The campaign kicked off at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates and also ran across the following VOX locations:
Mall of the Emirates
Cineplex Grand Hyatt
Mercato
City Centre Deira
Burjuman
City Centre Sharjah
City Centre Ajman
Marina Mall – Abu Dhabi
Al Jimi Mall – Al Ain
The campaign also ran across VOX Cinemas – City Centre Mirdif.
Other off-screen advertising opportunities include:
Got a campaign which would require off-screen cinema advertising?
Contact a member of our sales team for more information on branding options and on/off-screen advertising opportunities across the Middle East!
Related Articles:
Landmark Group | Pillar Branding | VOX Cinemas – Mall of Egypt
Sony PS4 | Marvel Spider-Man | Cinema Campaign
Indian language movies have come a long way over the last few years!
From their initial standard three hour long flicks featuring action-packed drama, tears, catchy and sing-along songs, extravagant dancing and colourful traditional costumes – being produced solely for domestic consumption, to having varied time lengths dictated by their content, and witnessed across the globe in countries such as United States, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, China, Russia, Turkey – in either their original form with subtitles or dubbed versions of its original form.
Movies from India are no longer restricted to Bollywood which produces movies solely in the national language (Hindi). India, in line with the varied languages and dialects in the country, is also home to other powerhouse movie industries such as:
Bollywood – Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry, India
Pollywood – Punjabi language film industry in India and Pakistan
Bhojiwood – Film industry of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India in Bhojpuri language
Chhollywood – Chhattisgarhi language film industry based in Chhattisgarh, India
Tollywood – Bengali film industry in West Bengal, India/Telugu film industry in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Kollywood – Tamil language film industry, based in Chennai, India./Nepal’s film industry
Mollywood – Malayalam film industry in Kerala, India
Sandalwood – Kannada language film industry in Karnataka, India.
Jollywood – Assamese language film industry in Guwahati, Assam
Ollywood – Film industry of Orissa, India in Oriya language
The Indian-film industry also comprises of globally recognized actors and actresses who are passionately dedicated to provide the best of their skills and talent to the industry:
Bollywood
Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif
Kollywood
Rajinikanth, Vijay, Ajith Kumar and Nayanthara
Tollywood
Mahesh Babu, Prabhas, Anushka Shetty and Rakul Preet Singh
As a result of these film stars having huge fan-followings from around the world, they too have helped attract large audiences to watch Indian movie releases in cinema.
A recent report by PWC indicates that Bollywood is set to become the third largest cinema market in the world.
In recent years, there have been numerous Indian language movies that have done relatively well at the worldwide box office:
Bollywood movies easily make up the second largest watched language in the UAE – with some blockbusters raking in 300,000 plus admissions. Other Indian language movies – which include Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu, have also gained massive popularity and acceptance in accordance with Hindi movies.
Below is analysis conducted by Motivate Val Morgan on Indian language movie releases across the Middle East in 2018:
In October 2019, Motivate Val Morgan – in collaboration with Murdoch University Dubai, also conducted cinema research in the UAE in the form of questionnaires and video interviews at VOX Cinemas – City Centre Deira and Burjuman (two prominent locations for Asian movie audiences).
The objective of this research project was to understand cinemagoing habits of Asian audiences and measure the effectiveness of cinema advertising alongside Indian language movies..
As the research above indicates:
Here’s a line-up of Indian language movies scheduled to release over the months ahead:
December 2019
Pati Patni Aur Woh (Hindi)
Panipat (Hindi)
Mardaani 2 (Hindi)
Good Newwz (Hindi)
Mamangam (Malayalam)
January 2020
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (Hindi)
Darbar (Tamil)
Ala Vaikunthapurramloo (Telugu)
Sarileru Neekevvaru (Telugu)
Street Dancer 3D (Hindi)
Don’t miss out on targeting large Asian movie loving audiences. Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities alongside the movies mentioned above!
Sources: Wikipedia, WARC, MVM Analysis, MVM Research and IMDb
Cinema is appealing to a more diverse group of consumers than ever before, making it an attractive platform for many brands to utilize. In order to ensure brands reach and engage their target audience effectively with their cinema promotion, there are certain consumer trends to be kept in mind, considering their potential impact on the outcome of a campaign.
The following article was published on LinkedIn by Casey Story – Organization Development Professional | Learning & Development Specialist | Sales Trainer & Coach
Kurt Wagner from Recode Media wrote an article stating that, “2019 will mark the first-time digital ad spend in the US outpaces TV and print combined.” Marketers will attest to this trend as there is a noticeable change in expectations among clients. Media planning conversations use to focus mostly around aspects including: Audience, engagement, reach, recall, like-ability, however the stakes have been shifting since 2008. Which most will remember as the year we all started walking around with cash registers in our pockets (personal smartphones).
Shifting of expectations from brands are steering agencies and media sales professionals to steer towards a ‘Positive Business Outcome’ approach to their media strategy. These teams are now focused on identifying the right consumers, reaching them in the right environment, engaging with them at the right time, and on the right devices to achieve and prove delivery of the KPI’s set forth by their clients.
While digital advertising allows brands to achieve several of these key components in the new outcome-based approach to planning, there are several considerations including: identifying the right consumers, reaching them in the right environment and engaging with them at the right time, that must still be supported by other channels in the traditional media space.
The following are three US consumer trends in 2019/2020 that make cinema advertising a more viable channel than ever to support brand goals:
Subscription Movie Going is Still Alive
Similar to blockbuster, taxi services and the music industry, the movie going industry did not feel a major disruption of their consumer’s expectations for a long period of time. The model was straightforward: negotiate with studios to fill theaters and auditoriums with blockbuster hits, sell tickets and concessions, invest in capital improvements that enhance the overall experience if/when needed. The main purpose was that the content on screen should be enough to encourage consumers to spend $10-20 dollars per ticket to see the films. Here’s where MoviePass makes its entrance.
The long-term arithmetic reflected in MoviePass’ model made it clear that without improved compensation from the circuits, the company was working on both borrowed time and money. As we know, the negotiation never happened, and MoviePass has been written down by its holding company.
The low-cost subscription model that MoviePass introduced however dramatically changed the consumer expectation regarding the cost of going to the movies. For the first time in years the exhibitors (Cinemark, Regal, AMC) have had to adjust their pricing strategy and are introducing subscription plans of their own. These actions have been well received by consumers. AMC recently announced that since launching their Stubbs A-List program (a $19.95 monthly subscription) in June of 2018, they have enrolled over 700,000 members.
This trend is important for advertisers considering cinema campaigns, because the data shows that when consumers have access to lower priced movie tickets, they see more movies. In the same article published in Variety, AMC noted that Stubbs A-List members had accounted for over 14 million movie ticket sales in the same amount of time.
Cinemark, Regal, and regional affiliates throughout the US are all working to finalize or develop their own subscription-based models to adapt to this shift in consumer expectation. What this means for advertisers is that passionate movie goers, those same consumers that drive 73% of spending in the US will be coming out in record numbers to their local movie theaters throughout 2019 because for the first time in years, they have a more affordable way of doing so.
Hollywood’s Franchise Era
The question, “When will Hollywood introduce us to new stories?” often rings in the minds of movie-goers alike. Ben Fritz’s book The Big Picture – The Fight for the Future of Movies answers this and discusses Hollywood’s shift towards the ‘franchise movie model’.
The reality is most consumers want two things when they choose to go to the movies:
Consumers may argue that they would prefer more adult dramas, romantic comedies, horror films, etc. However, the facts (historical ticket sales), reveal otherwise.
Looking at 2019’s slate of films, it is safe to say that we are in the heart of the Hollywood franchise era. The opportunities to experience something larger than life and culturally relevant are already driving record box office sales.
Captain Marvel (2019) made a total of $1,126,129,839 at the Worldwide Box Office. While remakes of popular Disney classics have been making cinema rounds. Classics such as: Dumbo made a total of $347,866,307 since its release in March 2019. Cinema-goers have also witnessed a rise in live-action remakes of popular Disney films this year, with movies such as The Lion King which made a whooping $1,638,761,919 at the box-office (to date). Whereas, the live-action version Aladdin’s live action version made a total of $1,037,017,346 since its release in May 2019.
From the Marvel Universe, the concluding film of the franchise- Avengers: End Game broke records at the box-office banking a total of$2,795,473,000 and continued to run in cinemas for 20 weeks across cinemas in the US.
The last quarter of the year holds great promise for the box office with mega sequels such as Frozen II, Jumanji: The Next Level and the concluding film of the Star Wars series: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker soon to release across cinemas worldwide.
Advertisers considering cinema campaigns should look closely at the historical success of the franchise model in domestic ticket sales. In the last four years, the highest grossing movies yearly in the US have come from within a franchise. This trend appears to continue throughout 2019. With the increased occurrence that moviegoers will be visiting theaters due to: Lower priced subscription service tickets and quality of content, advertisers have a unique opportunity to extend their reach among this audience year round.
Content Marketing: A Driving Force for Customer Connections
As digital spending eclipses traditional media spend this year, the digital marketplace has certainly become increasingly noisy. When adopting a positive business outcome marketing strategy, the goal is less about a brand’s ability to yell louder and more often than their competition. The goal, hence must shift, and brands must identify innovative ways to engage with their audience in an authentic manner, a trend that is leading the shift toward content marketing.
There are generally two approaches to developing a content marketing strategy:
When a brand has done well adopting either strategy, they pull their audience to their message instead of simply pushing more content into an already crowded marketplace. The impressions delivered from a content marketing strategy are much more valuable because customers actively seek out the content and actively share the message to other, like-minded, potential consumers.
Cinema is one of the last channels available for brands to tell an authentic story, at scale, in an environment with no ad skipping devices, and in front of consumers looking to be entertained.
Content marketing pieces delivered in this environment cut through the noise. Campaigns resonate with consumers, and the transparency of the cinema platform provides piece of mind for brands seeking to reclaim bot served impressions and eliminate wastage of advertising resources.
Are these trends similar in the Middle East?
Movie Ticket Offers
Leading cinema chains in the Middle East have tied up with mobile network providers (Example – du and Etisalat in UAE), offering cinemagoers to buy one movie ticket and get the other free. Similarly, numerous banks also provide customers a range of Debit and Credit card offers to availing movie-ticket and/or a free upgrade on the size of popcorn and beverages at the candy counter. Certain bank cards also offer moviegoers a buy 1 get one get one free movie ticket deal.
Such offers affirm the fact that when consumers have access to lower priced movie tickets, the frequency of cinema visits increase.
Love for Franchise Films
The craze among movie-goers for popular franchise films isn’t limited to the United States alone. Cinema statistics in the Middle East reveal the love and commitment among movie-goers in the region.
Following are statistics of UAE admissions for MEGA blockbuster franchise films:
Captain Marvel (2019)
Ran for 12 weeks and did over 425K admissions
Dumbo (2019)
Ran for 12 weeks and did over 180K admissions
The Lion King (2019)
Did over 697K admissions in the first 8 weeks since release
*The movie is still screening across select cinemas in the UAE
Avengers: End Game (2019)
Ran for 15 weeks and did over 848K admissions
Cinema Experiences like Never Before
A number of cinema chains in the Middle East offer unique cinema experiences – thus catering to the increasing demand by cinemagoers to watch movies like never-seen before. Audiences can now enjoy the latest blockbusters on mega screens such as IMAX, MAX, Dolby Cinema, nibble on gourmet delights at Dine-in Cinemas or opt for a luxury experience such as Gold by Rhodes, Theatre by Rhodes and Platinum Suites, while lounging in a comfy reclining seats, or dive into action on with 4DX and ScreenX.
VOX Cinemas recently launched a concept of ‘Distraction- Free Cinema’ to ensure cinemagoers immerse themselves entirely in the cinematic experience by tuning out all the distractions from theatres which include: no use of mobile phones or smartwatches, no late arrivals and no guests under the age of 18. Ninja-like staff are on surveillance inside the cinema throughout the screening.
In summary….
As price discovery, consumer targeting capabilities continue to improve the effectiveness of a brand’s digital execution, it’s important for marketers to identify the channels that allow them to reach a brand’s right consumer, in the right environment, at the right time, with a creative and authentic message.
Based on the forecast of movies, the trends in consumer behavior, and a shift in how brands are building relationships with their audience, there has never been a better time to double down in the cinema space.
Source: LinkedIn, Vox.com, AdAge, The Numbers, MVM Statistics
The UN World Food Programme partners with SAWA for yet another global cinema campaign to keep the voice of millions of children alive.
Motivate Val Morgan has joined the next phase of “Feed our Future”, a global cinema campaign that shines light on the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) life-saving work on the frontlines of world hunger.
The ad started screening on Thursday 26th September 2019 across 19 Motivate Val Morgan serviced VOX Cinemas locations in UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, and will run for a period of 8 weeks.
UAE:
Marina Mall (Abu Dhabi), Yas Mall (Abu Dhabi), Nation Towers (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Mall, Al Jimi Mall, City Centre Ajman, City Centre Sharjah, City Centre Fujairah, Al Hamra Mall (Ras Al Khaimah), City Centre Deira, City Centre Mirdif, Mall of the Emirates, Mercato Mall, Burjuman, Cineplex Grand Hyatt, City Centre Shindagha and Aloft City Centre Deira
Qatar:
Doha Festival City
Bahrain:
The Avenues
Motivate Val Morgan supports the “Feed our Future” cinema campaign as part of a unique partnership between SAWA – Global Cinema Advertising Association, and WFP – leading humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.
The new campaign aims to build on last year’s results that helped to double awareness of WFP among those who saw the ad and raised more than half a million dollars through online giving or through a 38% increase in downloads of the agency’s Share the Meal donation App, globally.
“We have every reason to believe that this year, the Feed our Future campaign is going to take us even further in terms of raising WFP brand visibility and engaging a wider audience in the fight against global hunger,” said Corinne Woods, Chief Marketing Officer at WFP. “We think that this year’s campaign is even more emotionally engaging and we expect more people will respond to our call. In a world full of noise, cinema has proven incredibly effective for us at cutting through to not only establish our brand, but also to convert cinema goers into active supporters and donors.”
“The Cinema Medium makes the most of its space, creative and audience to deliver gripping content, showing consumers advertising at its very best,” said Cheryl Wannell, CEO of SAWA. “In 2020 the Cinema Medium is predicted to become the fastest-growing ad medium ahead of the internet. For brands like the World Food Programme who want to reach the hearts and minds of millennials, the immersive experience that Cinema gives is the most powerful of all storytelling mediums.”
The creative force behind the new advertisement is Sir John Hegarty, of The Garage SOHO, who has delivered a product designed to appeal directly to cinema audiences. The advert highlights the potential lost to the world when children’s voices are silenced due to hunger. The poignant narrative of the ad sees a group of Syrian refugee children who were selected from the local community playing in rubble and gazing out of bombed-out buildings in an apparent war zone. Softly, a small chorus of voices begins singing “How Can I Tell You” by Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens. As the short film progresses, one by one these children disappear until only one voice remains — an unnerving conclusion that mirrors the harsh realities faced by the 3 million children around the world who lose their lives to hunger or malnutrition.
“Cinema is still the most amazing medium for any creative person to work in. A place for you to tell your story on the ‘mother of all screens’. It’s not surprising that it’s so important and continues to capture the public’s imagination”, said Sir John Hegarty.
For more information about the “Feed Our Future” cinema campaign, and to learn how to get involved in creating a world with Zero Hunger, please visit: www.wfp.org.
Source: SAWA
Related Articles:
SAWA | Feed Our Future | Global Cinema Ad
Motivate Val Morgan in partnership with Roxy Cinemas, hosted a Private Screening of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, for our distinguished clients and advertisers at Roxy Cinemas – The Beach (JBR) on Tuesday 6th August 2019.
With an attendance of over 70 invitees – a mix of agency and direct clients (and their family members), below are some images from the event:
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Roxy Cinemas for helping us organize and execute this screening – making it yet another memorable one!
Finally, a big thank you out to our invitees who attended.
Stay tuned for more updates on future ‘Private Screenings’ by Motivate Val Morgan.
Relevant Articles:
MVM | Avengers: Endgame | Screening | Roxy Cinemas – City Walk
MVM | MI6 | Screening | VOX Cinemas – The Avenues Kuwait
Ramadan is a special month of the year in the Middle East, and similar to that of Christmas in the west, the holy month has become a season of increased consumerism and attention to shopping – presenting advertisers with opportunities to capture the attention of consumers.
Here’s a glimpse of the Ramadan and Eid cinema ads from 2019 that screened across our cinema circuit in the Middle East:
Centrepoint
The 15 sec. commercial, booked through OMD, screened in UAE (25th April – 1st May 2019) and Qatar (25th April – 8th May 2019) at VOX Cinemas – City Centre Ajman, Burjuman, City Centre Mirdif, Marina Mall Abu Dhabi, Mall of the Emirates and Yas Mall Abu Dhabi and Doha Festival City.
Homes R Us
The 20 sec. commercial, booked through UM7, screened in UAE from 18th April to 15th May 2019 across VOX Cinemas – City Centre Ajman, Cineplex Grand Hyatt, City Centre Fujairah, City Centre Mirdif, Marina Mall Abu Dhabi, Mall of the Emirates, Al Hamra Mall, City Centre Sharjah and Yas Mall Abu Dhabi, Oscar Cinema – Al Foah Mall and Al Wahda Mall, Cinemacity – 06 Mall, Cine Royal Cinema – Dalma Mall, Khalidiyah Mall, Deerfields Mall and Ruwais Mall, Roxy Cinemas – The Beach and Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall.
Bank Muscat
The 45 sec. commercial – booked through MediaOne, screened in Oman from 4th June to 8th June 2019 at VOX Cinemas – City Centre Muscat, City Centre Qurum, Suhar Plaza, City Centre Suhar, MGM, Salalah, Shatti and Sur.
Danube Home
The 7 sec. commercial screened in UAE and Oman from 18th April to 15th May 2019 across VOX Cinemas – City Centre Sharjah, Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Fujairah, Al Hamra Mall, Al Jimi Mall, Panorama, Sur, Salalah, Buraimi, City Centre Muscat and City Centre Suhar, Cine Royal Cinema – Dalma Mall and Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall.
Mediclinic
The 9.5 sec. commercial screened in UAE from 16th May to 22nd May 2019 at Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall, Dubai Marina Mall and Jebel Ali Club, VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Deira, Mercato Mall, Marina Mall Abu Dhabi and Yas Mall Abu Dhabi, Roxy Cinemas – The Beach and City Walk, Cine Royal Cinema – Dalma Mall and Oscar Cinema – Al Foah Mall.
Dyson
The 30 sec. commercial – booked through GroupM, screened in UAE from 4th June to 9th June 2019 at Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall, Dubai Marina Mall, Jebel Ali Club, Rove Downtown, The Springs Souk and The Pointe and Roxy Cinemas – The Beach and City Walk.
Cartier
The 45 sec. commercial – booked through MediaCom, screened in the UAE from 3rd June to 9th June 2019 at VOX Cinemas – The Mall of Emirates and Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall.
Toyota
The 25 sec. commercial – booked through Media Market (WARBA), screened in Kuwait from 25th April to 1st May 2019 at VOX Cinemas – The Avenues.
Honda
The 31 sec. commercial – booked through PHD Media, screened in the UAE from 9th May to 5th June 2019 at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Deira
Du Tuesday
The 62 sec. commercial screened from 16th May to 26th May 2019 across all UAE locations of VOX Cinemas.
Porsche
The 30 sec. commercial – booked through BPG, screened in Kuwait from 2nd May to 8th May 2019 at VOX Cinemas – The Avenues.
Max
The 30 sec. commercial – booked through OMD, screened in Qatar from 29th April to 12th May 2019 at VOX Cinemas – Doha Festival City
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One
The 60 sec. commercial – booked through BPN, screened in UAE from 4th June to 3rd July 2019 at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates, Mercato Mall, Burjuman and City Centre Mirdif, Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall and Roxy Cinemas – City Walk.
Missed out on advertising in cinema over Eid al-Fitr? Contact a member of our sales team for cinema advertising opportunities over Eid al-Adha in August 2019.
The Men in Black (MIB) have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe, and in this new adventure (Men in Black: International), the agents tackle their biggest, most global threat to date: a mole in the organization, in the new Lexus RC F sport coupe.
Lexus vehicles are the official global fleet of the agents in the latest film from the MIB franchise. The Lexus RC F (US 2020 model) stars as the MIB agents’ most elite weapon and vehicle of choice for high-velocity pursuits. The luxury sports coupe recently underwent an exciting change, making it faster, lighter and even more ready to transport the Men in Black as they save the universe; in the film, it also boasts some pretty amazing alien tech. The Lexus RX Hybrid and Lexus LX SUVs are also featured in alien encounters in scenes in the film.
Lexus worked with VOX Cinemas in Saudi Arabia and UAE to promote their partnership with Sony Pictures as the official vehicle of the Men In Black: International film, which released across cinemas on 20th June 2019.
A car display was booked to exhibit at VOX Cinemas – Red Sea Mall (Jeddah) during the ‘premier’ of the movie. Additionally, a 30 sec. on-screen ad was also included as part of the Lexus package from VOX Cinema – which screened during the two premier sessions at Red Sea Mall.
A car display was also booked to exhibit at the premier of Men in Black: International in the UAE at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates, and remained on display till Monday 1st July 2019.
The team at Motivate Val Morgan assisted Lexus in getting their on-screen material – which screened at the premier, approved by GCAM in Saudi Arabia (on short notice) and also connected Lexus with VOX Cinemas in order to successfully plan and execute the car display during the premier of Men in Black: International at VOX Cinemas – Red Sea Mall and Mall of the Emirates.
Is your brand featuring in/collaborating with any upcoming movies? Contact us for cinema advertising opportunities to amplify reach and recall for your brand.
Sources: Lexus, Deadline and Top Gear Philippines
Motivate Val Morgan in partnership with Roxy Cinemas, hosted a ‘Private Screening’ of the most anticipated movie of the year – Avengers: Endgame, for our distinguished clients and advertisers at Roxy Cinemas – City Walk on Tuesday 30th April 2019.
With an attendance of over 100 guests – a mix of agency and direct clients (and their family members), the ‘Private Screening’ was a monumental success.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Roxy Cinemas for helping us organize and execute this screening – making it a memorable one!
Finally, a big thank you out to our invitees who attended, contributing to its immense success.
Stay tuned for more updates on future ‘Private Screenings’ by Motivate Val Morgan.
Globally there are more than 150,000 operational cinema screens and the GCC accounts for 1,300 of them. Research by PwC estimates that more than 1,000 cinema screens are expected to launch over the next three to five years, and the total number of cinema screens are expected to increase by 38.4 percent in the MENA region.
Another study by PwC indicated that the box office revenue in the MENA region exceeded $500 million, which accounted for approximately 1.25 percent of the global box office revenue (US$39.92 billion) in 2017 – up three percent from 2016. With a growing population across the GCC and an increasing level of investment by both regional and international cinema exhibitors, the cinema industry is set to thrive over the years ahead.
The deregulation of Saudi Arabia’s film industry in 2018 has opened up a billion-dollar market for cinema exhibitors and film distributors. The undoing of this law will also present movie distributors with a tremendous opportunity – to exhibit in an additional market which happens to be the largest of all GCC countries, and allow brands to add cinema – a new, effective and unrivalled platform, to its media mix for greater reach.
According to Cameron Mitchell, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, VOX Cinemas – which presently operates 355 cinema screens, will invest Dh2 billion and add 600 cinema screens in Saudi Arabia.
“All eyes in the industry are on Saudi Arabia right now,” he said. “We will invest $100 million in a year to open 100 cinema screens – part of the Dh2 billion plan to open 600 cinema screens in Saudi Arabia in the next three to five years. Overall, we will operate around 1,200 cinema screens across the region in five years’ time. With the Saudi market opening, we see a lot of opportunities in the region’s cinema and entertainment industry.”
With Arabic being the predominant language amongst Saudi nationals, local filmmakers and content writers – with the help of other creative talent across the region, will also be encouraged to produce more Arabic movies.
Image credits: Abu Dhabi World Online
Not only is cinema an ideal environment – distraction and disruption free, to watch new movie releases, but it’s also a place where movie-lovers frequent when wanting to experience unique concepts and technology on offer – 3D, 4DX and Dolby Atmos to name a few. Cinemas across the region also offer luxury experiences – which include a selection of fine food and drinks, for movie lovers with higher spending power.
Going to the cinema has now become a popular pastime across the GCC, with cinemagoers also watching more than one movie per week, which can be attributed to the promotions by both banks and telecom providers across the region – similar to that of ‘Buy one, get one free’ with HSBC, ‘50% off on Saturdays’ by Visa in Bahrain and ‘du Tuesday’ in the UAE. With audiences now being able to watch the latest movie releases in an affordable, comfortable, luxurious and memorable way, cinema admissions across the region can expect to witness steady growth over the years ahead.
Despite the proliferation of movie streaming platforms and the abandonment of cable, population trends indicate that cinema is still the preferred platform to watch new movie releases – premium first run content. Aside from being one of the fastest growing regions in the world, it is also one of the youngest, with over 50% of the region’s population under the age of 25 years. The younger generation tends to spend more on watching movies at the cinema, and in years to come, it will be this segment of GCC ‘s population that will drive the region’s cinema industry to new heights, allowing it to capture a larger share of the global box office.
With a mega line-up of blockbuster releases – such as Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Lion King, X-Men, Fast and the Furious, Toy Story 4 andStar Wars (to name a few), 2019 is predicted to be another record-breaking year – most likely attracting larger audiences between the ages of 16-34 years.
Motivate Val Morgan offers advertisers a regional cinema circuit – spanning across UAE, Lebanon, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and has the expertise to strategically plan a marketing campaign to engage cinemagoers at every stage of the cinema experience.
Find out more on our offerings – onscreen, offscreen and cinevations, and contact us to bring your brand to life on the big screen.
Source:Arab Health and Khaleej Times
Motivate Val Morgan is proud to announce its twentieth year as a leading cinema advertising company in the Middle East.
Established in 1999 by Motivate Media Group and Val Morgan Cinema Network, Motivate Val Morgan launched with a six-screen multiplex in Ajman (UAE), one sales professional and a part-time administrative assistant. The business has since expanded exponentially and we now represent leading cinema exhibitors across UAE, Lebanon, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and comprise a team of more than 30 members.
We are fortunate to have experienced steady growth over the last two decades and are extremely proud of our accomplishments along the way.
Our success can be attributed to a clear and focused vision, along with a talented and dedicated team. Specifically:
There’s no doubt in saying that everybody loves cinema! It’s one of the favorite past times in the region and guarantees delivery of affluent audiences with high spending power.
Cinema is even recession proof!
For advertisers however, cinema had always been considered a local medium. And one of the main challenges faced when pitching for regional campaigns has been the lack of a footprint in Saudi Arabia – the main market in the GCC.
Following the lift on the 35-year-old ban on cinema in Saudi Arabia in May 2018 – a massive breakthrough for cinema in the region – Motivate Val Morgan was able to establish a new arm of its business in the Kingdom. 2019 will be the continuation of this new journey, as we gain greater market share in the coming years and foresee our team in KSA growing to the size of our regional team.
As we enter our twentieth year, we are sharply focused on the future strategy of the company. Our key goals include:
We sincerely thank our advertisers and business partners who are a valued part of our company’s growth and success, and look forward to your continued partnership and the opportunity to serve you in decades to come.
In addition to the company-wide celebrations of our 20th anniversary milestone, we would also like to express our genuine gratitude to our valued advertisers by:
Additionally:
Finally, a big thank you out to all the team members of Motivate Val Morgan. Thanks to their dedication and hard work, we are strongly positioned to grow our geographical footprint and continue to be recognized as a leader in cinema advertising, offering innovative solutions in an ever-changing industry landscape.
Motivate Val Morgan – connecting brands to cinema: a blockbuster pairing
