• March 15, 2010

3D movies and film advertising are about to get a big boost, courtesy of three national theater chains -- AMC, Cinemark and Regal -- which formed Digital Cinema Implementation Partners in 2007 to create a network of digital 3D projectors.

DCIP has raised $600 million of new financing to carry out this formidable digital infrastructure project, which will ultimately bring digital 3D projection capabilities to 14,000 theaters nationwide -- almost tripling the current number.

The DCIP announcement has major implications for the cinema ad business, offering advertisers new opportunities to produce engaging, eye-catching creative. AMC, Cinemark and Regal all own stakes in National CineMedia, a leading cinema ad network, which has mounted a number of initiatives to expand its digital ad offerings in theaters, lobbies and online.

NCM plans to unveil its first 3D cinema ad on April 2 -- a spot promoting Samsung's new 3D LED TV, created by Leo Burnett and placed by Starcom MediaVest.--Erik Sass