• by Paul Gough , July 10, 2003

Court TV and Lowe's Cineplex have been going to the movies.

Throughout July, Loews Cineplex Entertainment and Court TV have partnered for a campaign built around a trailer asking patrons to stay clean while they're at the movies. There's also a contest, an on-air component on the channel and a presence on the Web. The creativity has driven all sorts of different elements of the campaign, including a spot on a local television show in New York and the ability to bring in another sponsor. The Clean Getaway campaign merges Loews' assets and needs for a clean theatre with Court TV's flair for the creative. The beneficiaries include its cable and Web assets and a desire to promote Forensics Files.

"It's a lot about content. We like this program because yes, we want to remind our consumers and patrons to be courteous, and if we can deliver that message in a fun way, I think that adds to the entertainment value of the show. They've come up with a creative way to leverage their programming with Forensic Files, which is terrific," said John McCauley, Loews senior vice president of marketing.

The trailer runs on 1,500 screens in 150 Loews Theaters nationwide. It features Nelson, a sloppy moviegoer who gets up to leave after the flick and finds himself confronted by a bunch of other moviegoers. When he tells them to prove he made the mess, the other patrons take what they've learned on Forensic Files. They compare fingerprints on a popcorn container and from a half-chewed Gummy Bear and saliva swab his soda straw. They also take fiber samples from a package of M&Ms, who was brought into the campaign via product placement.

"They use Forensic Files to say he's the guy who did it," said Evan Shapiro, senior vice president of marketing at Court TV.

Shapiro said that Court TV has partnered with Loews in the past, including a similar campaign last year that featured Burger King. Another planned campaign features Subaru and product placement will factor into that, too. Shapiro said the product placement works well for the third sponsor.

"They're reaching 15 million people in an uncluttered environment in the hottest part of the year," Shapiro said. It also led Burger King and its agency to begin doing business with Court TV in other ways, too. "We have seen a good return on the investment," he said.

Shapiro said Loews is a great place to reach consumers. It provides an upscale environment, with customers who pay to watch a movie, can't change the channel and who, according to an Arbitron study earlier this year, react more positively to cinema advertising than advertising on television.