A big congratulations out to the winners of the MVM Spider-Man Challenge: Mohamed Refaat and Swati Kapoor.
Having successfully spotted the 5 difference between the two Spider-Man images, Mohamed and Swati won 2 x VOX Cinemas movie passes (each) to watch Spider-Man: Far From Home or any other movie of their preference.
Here are the 5 differences in the two images:
Thank you to all who participated and stay tuned for more competitions in the months ahead!
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
A unique aspect of cinema advertising is the ability to combine on-screen campaigns with promotional off-screen activities.
Here are three of the latest off-screen campaigns booked through Motivate Val Morgan at VOX Cinemas – City Centre Bahrain.
Athena Private School for Special Education
A new special needs school and the biggest of its kind in Bahrain offering speech, physio, and occupational therapy for children, booked an on-screen and two off-screen campaign via Radius Media Co. WLL with the objective to promote student enrollments.
The on-screen ad was booked to screen from 4th June to 1st July 2019, while the off-screen campaign had two components: a sampling stand in the ground floor foyer area – booked on the weekend 2nd May to 4th May 2019, and a static ad booked from 4th June to 3rd July 2019 on the giant screen and screens at the back of ticket counters.
A leader and innovator in the retail sector – offering a wide range of renowned international brands of watches, writing instruments, eyewear and lifestyle accessories, booked an off-screen campaign from 1st June to 30th June 2019, which included a static ad on the giant screen and screens at the back of ticket counters.
The static ad promotes Tissot’s ‘Scratch and Win up to 100% value back’ – featuring Indian cricketer Virat Kohli
The first self-storage facility of its kind in Bahrain and the Middle East – specializing in providing personal and business storage solutions, booked an off-screen campaign from 4th June to 3rd July 2019, which included a static ad on the giant screen and the screens at the back of ticket counters to promote Takhzeen’s special storage facilities.
Capitalize on imaginative and exciting promotional ideas to complement on-screen campaigns and increase exposure for your brand.
Contact a member of our sales team for similar advertising opportunities in Bahrain and across our circuit in the Middle East.
Kibsons International, online home delivery service in in the fresh produce category, booked its second cinema campaign with Motivate Val Morgan in April 2019 – which included a sampling activity and three on-screen advertisements at various cinema locations across the UAE.
Sampling Activity
A sampling activity was booked to be executed in three bursts:
1st Burst
Locations: VOX Cinemas – Nation Towers and Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi
Campaign Duration: Friday 26th April – Sunday 28th April 2019
2nd Burst
Locations: VOX Cinemas – Marina Mall, Nation Towers and Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi, and City Centre Mirdif in Dubai
Campaign Duration: Thursday 2nd May – Saturday 4th May 2019
3rd Burst (scheduled to be executed in June)
Locations: VOX Cinemas – Marina Mall, Nation Towers and Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi, and City Centre Mirdif in Dubai
Campaign Duration: Thursday 6th June – Saturday 8th June 2019
As part of the sampling activity, a box filled with fruits was distributed to moviegoers at the entrance of three screens at each cinema location.
On-screen Advertisement
In addition to the sampling activity, three on-screen advertisements were booked to screen on rotation at VOX Cinemas, Reel Cinemas and Cine Royal Cinema.
Exhibitor: VOX Cinemas
Locations: Marina Mall, Nation Towers, Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi and City Centre Mirdif in Dubai
Campaign Duration: Thursday 25th April 2019 – Wednesday 8th May 2019 (2 weeks)
Exhibitor: Reel Cinemas
Locations: The Dubai Mall, Dubai Marina Mall and Al Ghurair Centre
Campaign Duration: 24 weeks
Exhibitor: Cine Royal Cinema
Locations: Khalidiyah Mall, Dalma Mall and Deerfields Mall in Abu Dhabi
Campaign Duration: 28 weeks
Ad 1:
Campaign Name: Kibsons Grandmother
Commercial Duration: 30 sec.
Ad 2:
Campaign Name: Kibsons Women
Commercial Duration: 30 sec.
Ad 3:
Campaign Name: Kibsons Football
Commercial Duration: 20 sec.
Contact us to book similar cinema campaigns across the Middle East.
Related Articles
Kibsons International | Cinema Campaign
Nestlé Pure Life | Cinema Campaign | Egypt
Wego | Cinema Campaign | UAE and KSA
Carriage | Cinema Brand Activation | VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates
Source: Kibsons International
Avengers: Endgame marks the culmination of what is arguably Hollywood’s greatest ever storyline, one which began with the release of Iron Man more than a decade ago and has captured the imagination of a generation ever since. This blockbuster has broken several records in the past few months which include – the highest-grossing worldwide opening weekend, highest admissions in the UAE, highest trailer views within 24 hours and the longest runtime in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The unprecedented anticipation surrounding this film has led to exceptional box office numbers.
Highest-Grossing Worldwide Opening Weekend
As announced by Disney, Avengers: Endgame pulled in an estimated $1.2 billion in worldwide box office in its opening weekend – effortlessly smashing the record of $640.5 million done by Avengers: Infinity War which released last year. The figure makes this star-studded movie the first film in history to surpass $1 billion in ticket sales in its debut weekend – creating a new benchmark in the world of cinema.
Highest UAE Admissions
With over 485k admissions, Avengers: Endgame broke records in the UAE for having the highest admissions in the first four days since its release (Wednesday 24th April – Saturday 27th April 2019), beating the record held by The Fate of the Furious (2017) by 39%.
Last year, Avengers: Infinity War ran for a total of 23 weeks in the UAE and did over 730,00 admissions, making it the No. 1 movie in UAE’s ‘Top 10 Movies of 2017’. Avengers: Endgame is most likely to garner a larger lifetime admission figure of close to 750k admissions in the UAE.
As per Gulf News, a Disney source confirmed that Avengers: Endgame released across 300 screens and has collected Dh26.4 million since its opening day. A well-placed UAE cinema source also stated that the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe recorded well over 500k admissions across the first five days of its screening, becoming the biggest film to ever release in the country.
As of May 7th 2019, the movie has done over Dh40 million at UAE box office.
VOX Cinemas has also confirmed Endgame’s record run since its opening. As per a spokesperson from VOX, “Avengers: Endgame broke our record for advance ticket sales, more than doubling the number of tickets sold in our previous record for the film Baahubali 2. The movie contributed [towards] 80 per cent of the three-day weekend box office and the highest recorded admissions across VOX Cinemas on 26th April 2019.”
Reel Cinemas reported a ‘record-shattering’ opening weekend with the release of Avengers: Endgame, adding that it had doubled its box-office results over its prequal – which took six days to reach the same collection.
VOX Cinemas and Reel Cinemas, together with other cinema exhibitors across the Middle East – such as AMC Cinemas (KSA), screened the movie throughout the day (on a 24-hour basis) during the opening weekend to match the demand of ticket sales.
In addition to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, VOX Cinemas also confirmed that the film broke records in Muscat (Oman) and Kuwait.
Highest Trailer Views
According to Disney, the first official trailer of Avengers: Endgame – released on December 7th 2018, is the most viewed trailer across 24 hours in movie history with over 289 million views (tabulated across multiple platforms – YouTube, Facebook and Twitter). This anticipated trailer surpassed previous records set by Avengers: Infinity War of 230 million views and The Lion King teaser which racked up 224.6 million views.
Longest Runtime in the MCU
While most MCU movies are over two hours long, Avengers: Endgame is the first installment to cross the three-hours threshold with a runtime of 3 hours and 2 minutes – 22 minutes longer than Avengers: Infinity War.
In 2018, not only did Avengers: Infinity War top the worldwide box office, but it was also the only movie to hit more than the $2 Billion mark in worldwide box office revenue of 2018 – making it the fourth highest grossing movie of all time after Avatar (2009), Titanic (1997) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Avengers: Endgame is forecasted to be an even bigger hit than its prequel, and moreover, it has a chance of becoming the highest-grossing film of all time – on pace to dethrone Avatar.
Avengers: Endgame is expected to gather momentum as one of the most successful movies in history with fans already booking to watch the movie for the second time round.
Upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films:
Spider-Man: Far from Home – 4th July 2019
Black Widow – 1st May 2020
The Eternals – 6th November 2020
Black Panther 2 – 12th February 2021
Shang-Chi – 7th May 2021
Doctor Strange 2 – 5th November 2021
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – 6th May 2022
Sources: Screenrant, Hollywood Reporter, Gulf News, , The National, Arabian Business and CNBC
We are often asked if the month of Ramadan witnesses a slight drop in admissions. Our analysis shows that in some years, the admissions over the month of Ramadan is higher in comparison to some other months within a respective year.
English & Arabic Monthly Admissions (%) by Year – UAE:
Movies that released during the month of Ramadan (2016 – 2019) with good admissions in the UAE:
Finding Dory
Release Date – 16th June 2016
Admissions – Over 384K
The Mummy
Release Date – 8th June 2017
Admissions – Over 289K
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Release Date – 25th May 2017
Admissions – Over 286K
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Release Date – 07th June 2018
Admissions – Over 539K
Aladdin
Release Date – 23rd May 2019
Admissions – Over 790K
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Release Date – 30th May 2019
Admissions – Over 116K
John Wick- Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Release Date – 5th June 2019 (EID Weekend)
Admissions – Over 252K
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Release Date – 5th June 2019 (EID Weekend)
Admissions – Over 118K
The Secret Life of Pets 2
Release Date – 5th June 2019 (EID Weekend)
Admissions – Over 110K
Movies releasing over Ramadan in 2020:
Black Widow
Release Date – 30th April 2020
Forecasted Admissions – Over 600K
Movies releasing over EID Weekend 2019:
F9
Release Date – 21st May 2020
Forecasted Admissions – Over 700K
Movie session times in the UAE will remain unchanged during the month of Ramadan.
As a general rule, eating and drinking in public during daylight hours is strictly prohibited, however, the rules for the various cinemas across UAE do alter a bit during the holy month.
Here’s what each of the major cinema players has advised on their policies:
Roxy Cinemas – food and beverage would continue to be served at all of their locations as normal.
Reel Cinemas – open for takeaway only, however cinemagoers will be permitted to eat or drink in the screenings all day. At the Reel Cinemas in Jebel Ali, selected beverages will be available post-Iftar.
VOX Cinemas – During fasting hours, food will only be allowed inside the cinema auditorium but not in the THEATRE by Rhodes and GOLD by Rhodes lounges. Pre-Iftar, all food will be served take-away style and delivered to the customers at their seats insides the cinema
Contact a member of our sales team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities across UAE, Oman, Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Sources: What’s On and MVM Analysis
VOX Cinemas opened its fifth location in KSA at Kingdom Centre (Riyadh) on Tuesday 16th April 2019, and as part of this launch, introduced a new luxurious cinema experience – the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of this premium cinema and was graced by HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud – a member of the royal family.
The cinema features 8 screens with a total seating capacity of 228 seats, and includes VVIP experiences – an amalgamation of a fine dining concept, boutique décor and state-of-the-art audio-visual technology (immersive surround sound and crystal-clear projection). Each auditorium has been designed to provide guests with a breathtakingly luxurious experience and features reclining leather seating with individual call buttons for in-cinema waiter service. The gourmet menu includes unique items such as 24k gold wrapped steak frites, 24k gold coated chocolate fondant, gold dusted salted caramel popcorn and bespoke mocktails made with exotic ingredients.
In an interview with Vogue about the new VOX Cinemas, Mohamed Al Hashemi – Country Manager for KSA at Majid Al Futtaim, said, “It will be a different experience to watch films. It does not appear as a cinema, it is a luxurious dining experience with screen displays, and it is the first of its kind in the Middle East to open in Saudi Arabia.”
He added, “In the Kingdom, 30 million people are different in taste, some of them want a different cinematic experience and some want to buy cheaper tickets, and every product we offer at VOX has certain customers.”
“Since launching our first multiplex in Riyadh Park a year ago, we strongly believed in the future of entertainment in Saudi Arabia. Today, we are brought one step closer to achieving our vision with the launch of one of the most luxurious cinema experiences in the world. The journey has been nothing short of inspiring and is one that we will continue to be a part of as we break new barriers in parallel with the growth of our operation,” he said.
With the opening this new location, VOX Cinemas presently operates 47 screens across Saudi Arabia – 35 screens in Riyadh and 12 screens in Jeddah, and according to Al Hashemi, VOX Cinemas is due to open its next location in Dammam – the capital of the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.
As the exclusive cinema advertising partner of VOX Cinemas – across the region, we at Motivate Val Morgan would like to congratulate VOX Cinemas on its opening at Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, and warmly welcome this new location to our circuit in Saudi Arabia.
Contact us for more information on cinema advertising opportunities in KSA.
For more information on locations and movie timings, visit https://ksa.voxcinemas.com/
Related Articles:
VOX Cinemas Opens Fourth Location in KSA – The Roof
VOX Cinemas Opens at Al Qasr Mall in Riyadh
VOX Cinemas Opens at Red Sea Mall in Jeddah
VOX Cinemas Opens in Saudi Arabia at Riyadh Park Mall
Sources: Eye of Dubai and Vogue
Nestlé Pure Life – popular brand of bottled water, recently booked a cinema campaign through Motivate Val Morgan, at VOX Cinemas – Mall of Egypt.
Booked through Zenith Media, the cinema campaign featured an on-screen commercial and included a sampling activity inside the Kids cinema at VOX Cinemas – Mall of Egypt.
On-screen Advertisement:
A 30 sec. on-screen commercial was booked to screen from 3rd April until 7th May 2019. The advertisement informed children to look inside the water bottle (placed in the cup holder), for a message pertaining to hydration and the importance of water.
Watch the on-screen commercial below:
Sampling Activity:
A sampling activity was scheduled to be executed in 4 bursts over 4 weekends during the month of April.
1st Burst: 04th – 06th April 2019
2nd Burst: 11th – 13th April 2019
3rd Burst: 18th – 20th April 2019
4th Burst: 25th – 30th April 2019*
*The activity scheduled for this weekend will be executed for 3 additional days.
Nestlé Pure Life bottles with a special packaging label – featuring images of animals such as Gorillas’ Leopards, Lions, Penguins, Parrots and Frogs, were placed in the cup holder of each seat, while some of the bottles were placed below select seats.
As the trailers commenced, the on-screen ad also displayed a message asking the audience to look under the seats for another bottle. The kids who found these bottles received a discount voucher from Toys’R’Us .
As part of the sampling activity, usherers were hired to distribute flyers to cinemagoers entering the Kids cinema.
Interested in running a similar integrated cinema campaign in UAE, Lebanon, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait or KSA?
Contact a member of our sales team for more information.
Related Articles:
Samsung | Integrated Cinema Campaign | UAE
Wego | Cinema Campaign | UAE and KSA
Carriage | Cinema Brand Activation | VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates
Kibsons International | Cinema Campaign
Source: Nestlé Pure Life
Samsung – South Korean multinational electronics company, recently completed 10 years since the launch of its Galaxy S series, and to celebrate this joyful occasion, the brand presented their most recently launched flagship smartphone – Galaxy S10, to select people at various locations across the UAE.
As part of this celebration, an integrated cinema campaign was booked through Motivate Val Morgan, which included an exciting and engaging cinema activation (or as we like to call it – ‘Cinevation’) and a 30 sec. on-screen ‘special position’ advertisement.
Cinevation:
Booked through Cheil, the Cinevation was executed on Friday 1st March 2019 at VOX Cinemas – Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi (6:30 movie session) and Mall of the Emirates in Dubai (7:50pm movie session) – alongside ‘Fighting with my family’ starring Dwayne Johnson and Florence Pugh, and was one of many activations executed by Samsung across the UAE. Other touchpoints included Dubai Football Club, Gemayze, UFC Gym, Carrefour, Knowledge Park and The Dubai Mall.
On-screen advertisement:
In addition to the Cinevation, a ‘special position’ on-screen ad – booked through Starcom MediaVest Group, screened for a period of 4 weeks from 14th February 2019 at VOX Cinemas – Yas Mall (Abu Dhabi), Mall of the Emirates (Dubai) and City Centre Mirdif (Dubai), and Reel Cinemas – The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall.
Contact us to book similar integrated cinema campaigns in UAE, Lebanon, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Related Articles:
Uber – Cinema On Screen Campaign and Activation
Carriage | Cinema Brand Activation | VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates
RAK Tourism Development Authority’s Cinema Activation
Source: Samsung
