• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, January 30, 2006

High-end fragrance brand Chanel No. 5 took top honors and credit card marketer American Express won best integrated marketing campaign in the 2005 cinema advertising awards. The Cinema Advertising Council (CAC), which is announcing the awards today, said the integrated category is a new one, reflecting successful ads that are part of integrated campaigns appearing both in-cinema and in other media.

Overall, cinema advertising is growing, although a lack of figures for 2005 makes it difficult to quantify its most recent development. The figures that are available--from 2003 to 2004--do suggest a growing market, increasing 23 percent in size from $356 million to $438 million during that period.

Meanwhile, the demographic characteristics of moviegoers--who by definition have some disposable income, and are also essentially captive audiences once in the theater--are appealing, according to Stu Ballatt, executive director of the CAC.

"The moviegoing audience tends to have a higher level of median income, and there's higher index of $75,000-plus and 100,000-plus homeowners who go to the theater, which compares favorably with TV and radio audiences," said Ballatt. "You also tend to get a younger audience in the cinema. The sweet spot of cinema advertising tends to be the 15-34 demographic."

Of particular interest is the rapid growth--41 percent from 2003 to 2004--of "integrated" ad campaigns, which deliver ads through a multiplicity of products and spaces, and which are also effective as market research tools. "Marketers are realizing that theaters provide multiple touchpoints for things like promotions and sampling opportunities," Ballatt noted. "You might have a campaign that delivers a message with a coupon at the box office, with the soda and popcorn at the concession stand, then with posters in the lobby, and of course in the theater itself. You're really able to surround your target audience with a message in a way that no other medium can."

The Chanel campaign, dubbed "The Film," was created by BBD, France. The American Express campaign, entitled "DeNiro," was created by Ogilvy & Mather, with media handled by MindShare WOW Factory.