(click here to download powerpoint presentation)

 

30sec versus 60sec cinema ads

 

Background

• there already exists a substantial body of knowledge on this subject relating to TV

• this research provides an extra layer of insight for 60second versus 30second

• It's cinema specific

• It uses a new and unusual methodology

• And the findings are bang up to date

 

Methodology

• conducted by WORK research

• 2 x 90minute online discussion groups with 8 - 9 respondents in each group

• respondents recruited from the Movietalk database (after volunteering to take part in this research via the Pearl and Dean consumer website and Facebook)

 

Who we spoke to

A mixture of male and female 15 - 54 year olds from different regions of the country with a mixed preference of film genres.

 

What we did

• identified the key components of a successful cinema ad

• played 6 ads – a mix of non-competing ads from different categories

• Lipton Iced tea (30sec), Indesit (30sec), Subway (30sec),

• Investec (60sec), Coca Cola (60sec), Sony Bravia (60sec)

• single play, imagine cinema environment, rotated for both groups

• discussed reactions - specifically impact, messaging, enjoyment and recall

• involvement ratings – 1 is not very involved and 10 is very involved

 

The cinema environment

• from buying tickets and snacks in the foyer, to entering the darkened auditorium and finding seats, to watching the ads and the trailers ( “sometimes they're the best bit”) and hearing the crackle of the film as the movie begins...

• a heightened sense of excitement and anticipation

• cinema goers are more receptive and focused than your average audience, with some high expectations of advertising...

The cinema advertising context

• cinema ads are seen as the most creative, entertaining and innovate ads of all

“they're better – it's like

the best of the best TV ads – but even better”

“much more memorable”

“more entertaining than the dross that gets on the TV”

“they try to impress more”

“seem to have less stringent constraints on time and content”

• there is also the expectation of better content

 

The four elements of cinema ads

1. Visuals

• consumers notice when cinema ads make real use of the big screen with impressive graphics, panoramic landscapes and unusual visual displays

• Sony Bravia : Balls and Paint

• “I first saw this at the cinema and it had a big impact on me, when the screen is big you can see it all in so much more detail”

• Coca Cola : Vending Machine Factory

• “it's really cinematic and creative, it looks great on the big screen”

• note: there is greater appreciation and attention to visual detail during a longer ad “it's better if it's extended, it allows you to see more special effects”

 

2. Sound

• the surround sound and booming bass are key parts of the cinema experience and the best ads use these to the max

“ taking advantage of the surround sound is a must”

“a great soundtrack is a bonus to any ad but when you hear it in the cinema it sounds so much more exciting”

• part of feeling immersed and absorbed in a really great ad can be largely down to the use of sound

• Investec : Ordinary -“ I love the sound to this, I bet it's amazing in the cinema. It would really envelope you, like you were really there”

 

3. pizzazz

• unsurprisingly, the expense of a cinema visit creates high expectations for the experience – including the ads. It's essential that they tap into the mood and mindset of cinema goers “cinema ads should be special and different - a touch different to the TV versions ideally”

• Honda cog – “ that was an innovative cinema ad – totally different and they ended up showing it on TV too, but that was a shorter version”

• Coca Cola - “Coke's already a household name but this just has something magical and special about it – it's a proper cinema ad”

 

4. length

• reactions to the 60sec ads were consistently more positive than to the 30sec ads “I liked it most ,mainly because it's longer than the other ads we've seen so far”

• the 60s ads were more engaging from beginning to end

• a better sense of ‘story' - “the longer ones seem to build more of a climax – you don't get that with the shorter ones”

• the story line was better understood and remembered more accurately for the 60sec ads, indicating higher levels of engagement

• consumers took a more complex level of messaging from the 60sec ads than from the 30sec ads

• the 60sec ads had greater levels of claimed talkability

• the 60sec ads had a more positive effect on perceptions of brand image and potential consideration than the 30sec ads that we showed

 

30 sec versus 60 sec

 

30 seconds

 

• less engaging - harder to pick up a story or a meaningful message - consumers tend to simply recall verbatim endlines
Lipton - “It's saying Iced Tea is healthy”

• less likely to tap into the cinema experience - feel less indulgent, less special, less appropriate
Lipton - “underwhelming, it was a bit too much like a TV ad”
Subway – “very much a television style ad with all that rushed narrative”

• less time to form a relationship with the ad and the brand
Indesit - “I was waiting for something to happen, it didn't really grip me at any point”

• as a result, they can be less memorable and consumers are left with minimal takeout
Indesit - “You kind of lose what it's advertising”
Subway – “ I'm not sure I'd remember it was for a sandwich”

 

60 seconds

 

• with a 60sec ad the effect on brand is more dramatic – and positive
Subway (30 sec) - “well it's a sandwich brand but I already knew that”
Coke (60 sec) -“I thought Pepsi was a nicer brand but Coke seems cutesy now”

• and therefore consideration is improved
Bravia :“I think I would look further into Sony on the strength of their colour claims and the fact they did such a long, elaborate and impressive ad to prove them”

• and because 60secs are more memorable and impactful, talkability and follow up are more likely too
Bravia – “I would definitely talk to my mates about that”
Investec – “I called my wife over to watch it – it was awesome”
Bravia - “I went to the Sony website to look that ad up after seeing it in the cinema first time round”