Cinema Advertising in India | Types, Advantages and Examples

Cinema advertising in India is one of the fastest growing advertising option. Rates for cinema advertising in India depend on the cinema chain, location, number of screens and media type.

Multiplex Advertising and Single Screen advertising are two broad categories for advertising.While Multiplex advertising is popular to target cinema viewers in metro cities of India, Single Screen advertising is a popular advertising choice in Tier II cities of India and rural India. In total there are about 10,000 cinema screens available for advertising in India. About 30% of these screens are multiplex cinemas and remaining are single screens.

One can get cinema advertising rates from a cinema advertising agency. The Media Ant is one of the largest cinema advertising agencies in India and present across metro cities. We provide the best cinema advertising rates with discounts to our clients.

What is Cinema Advertising or Theater Advertising?

Cinema ads are short advertisements that are shown before the movie trailers and the start of the film. They are designed to capture the attention of a captive audience, who are usually engaged with the content on the screen. These ads typically last between 15 and 60 seconds and can feature a single image with accompanying music or voice overs or incorporate animated content. Like television commercials, cinema ads can be created for national or local companies. They are intended to be seen by moviegoers as they enter the theater, find their seats, and prepare for the film.

Cinema Advertising In India

While Cinema screens are present across the country, there are certain cities and regions which are very popular among the advertisers.

You can find best rates, discounts and others details for cinema advertising at The Media Ant for the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Indore, Patna, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Andhra Pradesh, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Kochi, Noida, Surat and Vadodara.

In addition to these large cities and the state of Andhra Pradesh, you can find best rates for cinema advertising across any city in India from our Cinema Planning Tool.

The Media Ant’s Cinema planning tool is online and free.

Why Cinema Advertising?

Why would one plan to watch a Marvel superhero movie on a multiplex screen and not on one’s laptop screen? It’s all about the experience. So, people opt for Cinema Advertising.

1. Larger than life experience of the brand message
2. Captive audience, one does not have the option of changing channel or forwarding
3. Affordable and scalable: local businesses advertise at the nearest cinema halls whereas pan India brands like Manyavar target cinema halls across India
4. Cost per reach for cinema advertising is less than other non-traditional advertising options

How Effective is Cinema Advertising?

Cinema advertising can be a highly effective marketing tool for businesses. The captive audience and large screen size allow for impactful visuals and messaging, while the immersive environment of the cinema can increase recall and memorability of ads. Additionally, cinema advertising can be targeted to specific audiences attending a particular film or genre, and can create an emotional connection with viewers by tapping into the emotional impact of the films shown in the cinema.

Studies have shown that cinema advertising has a higher recall rate than other forms of advertising, with viewers more likely to remember ads they have seen in the cinema compared to TV or online ads. Furthermore, cinema advertising has been found to increase purchase intent and brand awareness, particularly for businesses promoting high-end or luxury products and services.

Overall, cinema advertising can be a powerful marketing tool when used strategically and creatively to engage with a captive audience in a unique and memorable way.

Types of Cinema Advertising

Cinema advertising offers various types of ad formats that businesses can use to reach their target audience. Here are some of the most common types of cinema advertising:

Pre-show Ads: These are ads that play before the movie begins. Pre-show ads can include a combination of commercials, movie previews, and other sponsored content. This is a great opportunity for businesses to showcase their brand message and reach a captive audience before the movie starts.

1. In-show Ads

In-show ads are ads that play during the movie. These ads are typically shorter than pre-show ads and are designed to be less disruptive to the viewer’s experience. In-show ads can be integrated into the storyline of the movie or shown as traditional commercials.

2. Lobby Displays

Lobby displays are ads that are shown in the cinema lobby before the movie begins. These can include posters, digital signage, and other types of displays that promote a product or service.

3. Event Sponsorship

Product placement is when a business pays to have their product or service featured in a movie. This is a highly effective form of advertising as it can create a strong association between the product and the movie, leading to increased brand awareness and sales.

Cinema Advertising: What are the available options?

One can opt for any of these options based on budget and requirements:

1. 10 sec mute slide: Static slides with 2 to 3 transitions within 10 seconds
2. 10 sec Audio Slide: Static slides with background score within 10 seconds
3. 30 sec Video: 30 sec Video played on screen
4. 60 sec Video: 60 sec Video played on screen

You can visit the link to look for the options.

Cinema Advertising: Is it costly?

Cost per reach for cinema advertising is less than other non-traditional advertising options and cinema advertising is a great medium for localized reach.

For example, ABC is a fine dining multi-cuisine restaurant in Phoenix Marketcity, Bangalore. It wants to advertise to the mall visitors in an effective and economical way.

It decides to advertise on PVR Screen 3 in the Phoenix Marketcity which has a seating capacity of 214 people and costs Rs 282 per second.

Cost of running a slide ad of 10 sec for a week= Rs 2820 + 18% GST = INR 3328

The expense for creating the slide= minimal

Cost of conversion to J2k= INR 1750 (will be explained in the next question)

Considering avg fill rate of the movie hall to be 80% for the week,

Total people exposed to the advertisement= 214*4*0.8*7= 4790

So for a cost of INR 5100, ABC can reach about 4790 people through cinema advertising so the cost per reach would be in the range of Re 1-2.

So, to know the actual rates, you can visit the media ant cinema product page.

Cinema Advertising: What do I need to do?

Following are the steps for cinema advertising:

• Campaigns can only start on a Friday. The ad needs to be provided and payment needs to be completed by Wednesday 5pm
• Cinema Halls require your ad to be in a format that is compatible with cinema screen playing. Most of the Multiplex cinema screens require the ad to be in J2K format. There is an additional cost of conversion for video ads and slide ads
• Cinema advertising in the form of video ads needs a censor certificate which would incur additional charges. This takes around 2 weeks so it has to be planned accordingly.

How would I know if my advertisement has been placed?

• We would provide you with cinema inspection pass for Multiplex cinema advertising campaigns that you can use and  visit the theaters to watch your ad being played
• Singles screens cinema campaigns do not come with inspection passes. Single screens share the contact number or log report at the end of the campaign.

How to do Local Brand Promotions through Cinema Halls?

Cinema Halls are a good option for brand promotions in local areas because:

1. Cost of advertising in cinema halls is low.
2. There are many cinema halls (single screen and multiplex) across a city so area wise targeting through cinema advertising can be done unlike radio advertising and local TV channel advertising.
3. Unlike newspaper and digital advertising where the audience can avoid the ads easily, the audience in a cinema hall is captive.

Through this case study, we would learn how to plan and book a cinema advertising campaign and also calculate the average expected cost per reach.

What is Multiplex Cinema Advertising?

Cinema advertising industry in India is very fragmented with a large number of players. However over the last few years, there has been consolidation in the Indian Multiplex industry and few large popular cinema chains have emerged. Popular among these cinema chains are multiplex cinema screen operators like PVR, Cinepolis, Inox, City Pride, DT Cinema, Mayajal, Sathyam Cinemas and Wave Cinema. Of these chains PVR, Cinepolis and Inox have pan india presence and garner the maximum share among the advertising revenue.

You can find best advertising rates for all cinema chains in India at our online planning tool.We are authorized cinema advertising and provide the best advertising rate for PVR, Cinepolis and Inox online.

In-Cinema Advertising Strategies for On and Off-Screen Engagement

In-cinema advertising refers to on-screen and off-screen branding that consumers see in theatres. Popular On Screen advertising options are 10 second mute slides also referred to as cinematic slides and 30 sec video ad. You can find rates for slide and video advertising for all cinema screens including Multiplexes at The Media Ant. Popular variation of the 10 sec slide is audio added to it as a background audio. In video 60 sec ads are also played by a few brands.

Off Screen cinema advertising refers to brand placement at cinema premises. Popular off screen advertising options are standees, voucher distribution and billboards posters in the cinema premises. Other options in off screen cinema advertising includes options ranging from seats, audio name(or door), lobby, wall, floor, box office, security checkpoint, popcorn counter, lift, kiosk, product display, staircase, washroom, ticket jackets, interactive zones or kiosks, poster box and sampling.

Cinemax Movie Hall Chain

Cinemax (Cinemax India Ltd) had 138 screens across India. It was owned by Kanakia group but later changed hands in 2014 to PVR.

Why Should One Opt For Cinemax Movie Theatre Advertising?

PVR after acquiring the movie theatre chain Cinemax has become the biggest cinema hall chains in India. PVR has a total of more than 600 movie theatres available for advertising nationwide.

Movie Theatre Advertising is a very good option for businesses that are looking for low budget campaigns. The movie hall audience is a captive audience with eyeballs set on a huge cinema screen that ensures the high impact of the message being sent across.

Where Can I Find Cinemax Cinema Advertising Rate Card?

The brand Cinemax does not exist anymore but has been merged into the brand PVR so one can always visit The Media Ant’s page for PVR to book ad spots in Cinemax Movie Halls.

The available options are slide advertising without audio, slide advertising with audio and video advertising. For video advertising, one needs a censor certificate too which can be availed with the assistance of the Cinema Advertising Agencies.

Advantages of Cinema Advertising

Cinema advertising has numerous advantages that can make it a valuable addition to your marketing strategy. Here are some of the benefits:

1. Large Screen

The size of the cinema screen allows for visually stunning and impactful advertising that can showcase your products or services in a way that’s hard to ignore which makes it easy to grab the attention of your target audience.

2. Captive Audience

One of the biggest advantages of cinema advertising is that it targets a captive audience. Viewers are in their seats, fully engaged and unlikely to be distracted by other media. This means that your ads have a better chance of being seen and remembered.

3. High Recall

The immersive cinema environment and larger screen size can increase the recall and memorability of ads. When viewers see ads in the cinema, they’re more likely to remember them, making it an effective way to increase the effectiveness of your advertising campaign.

4. Targeted Advertising

Cinema advertising can be highly targeted to specific audiences. Ads can be tailored to the audience attending a particular film or genre, making it more likely that the ads will be relevant and engaging.

5. Emotional Connection

Cinema advertising can create an emotional connection with viewers by tapping into the emotional impact of the films shown in the cinema. Ads that use similar emotional themes as the film can enhance the overall experience for viewers, creating a more memorable and impactful advertising campaign.

6. Premium Image

Cinema advertising is often associated with high-end brands, and it can provide a premium image for businesses looking to enhance their brand image. This can be particularly effective for businesses looking to promote luxury products or services.

Cinema Advertising Examples In India

Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola is one of the leading brands that has utilized cinema advertising in India. The company’s “Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola” campaign was promoted extensively in movie theaters across the country. The ad showcased a group of people dancing to a catchy tune while enjoying a bottle of Coca-Cola.

Amazon Prime Video: To promote its original series and movies, Amazon Prime Video has employed theatre advertising. The advertisements feature clips from the episodes and movies, inviting viewers to watch them on Amazon Prime Video.

Vodafone: Vodafone, India’s largest telecom provider, has used movie advertising to advertise its services. The advertisements highlight Vodafone’s network coverage and excellent internet speeds, enticing viewers to switch to Vodafone.

Cadbury: Cadbury, a prominent chocolate company in India, has promoted its products through movie advertising. The advertisements include the iconic Cadbury jingle and numerous Cadbury chocolate bars, enticing viewers to indulge in a sweet treat.

Other Cinema Advertising Examples

1. Frighteingly good: How Disney+ jump-started their 18+ Audience

This marketing campaign was an excellent demonstration of how to use the cinematic environment to target a particular audience and influence their perception of a brand. By utilizing cinema’s unique and immersive qualities, the campaign created a powerful and innovative experience for viewers, who were captivated by the presentation. Overall, it was a bold and successful use of the channel to drive engagement and bring about meaningful change in audience perceptions.

2. BT Banish the Ultimate Cinematic Cliffhanger with Unbreakable Broadband

BT launched a marketing campaign to highlight the importance of high-quality Wi-Fi in all entertainment scenarios. They used the cinema environment to showcase this message by creating two ads that played a prank on movie-goers. The ads featured iconic tension scenes from well-known films, which were interrupted by buffering, causing mild panic among the audience. However, the ads ended by reassuring viewers that 88% of UK cinemas depend on BT broadband, and if it’s good enough for the big screen experience, it’s perfect for home use.

Case Study: Local Promotions for a Milk Based Beverage Brand

The advertiser is a national brand of milk-based cold beverages that wants to promote its latest range of drinks in Bangalore. It has 10 stores across the following locations:

1. Indiranagar
2. Jayanagar
3. Whitefield
4. Commercial Street
5. Koramangala
6. Marks Road
7. Marathahalli
8. Malleshwaram
9. Sarjapur Main Road
10. JP Nagar

The target group for the brand is Urban, Age Group 15-35

Since the call to action here is to visit the stores and try out their latest range of drinks, cinema advertising seems to be the best option because:

1. There are cinema halls present around these locations and advertisements in each cinema hall can direct the audience to the nearest store.
2. About 80% of the moviegoers would fall under the target audience category for the brand.
3. People watching movies are in a relaxed mood and are more likely to respond positively to advertisements of food & beverages.

Next step is to find out the cinema halls around these locations. Following is the list of cinema halls nearest to the locations:

The campaign duration is 2 weeks and all the available screens have to be covered. For advertising in cinema halls, the advertisers have two ad format options: Slideshow Advertisement and Video Advertisement. In our case, it is a 10-second slideshow which has to be played out during the movie interval.

So, the next step is to make a query regarding the prices, negotiate and book the prices.

We can do it through any of the following options:

1. Contact every cinema hall chains individually and book the campaign. (Simpler in this case as most of the cinema halls belong to INOX but in case of different chains and single halls, it would be time-consuming)
2. Hire a media agency which is a good option but can be costlier.
3. Use The Media Ant platform for free to book a campaign at a discounted price within 5 minutes and leave your execution worries to us.

Below is a screenshot of the campaign order. You can also check the campaign booking process through the process video here. Thus, the cost of advertising in cinema halls for 30 cinema screens for a week for a 10 sec slideshow ad in Bangalore is INR 103332.60. This cost would differ from case to case depending on

1. The cinema chains
2. The number of seats
3. The location
4. Movies

Now that we have booked our campaign, let’s make a rough calculation of our cost per reach. Following are our assumptions:

• The average occupancy rate of movie halls in India is 60%
• The audience is unique for every show
• Each screen plays 4 shows per day

From the campaign order booked, we can find out:

The total number of seats = 6758

Total occupancy = 6758*0.6 =4055

Total number of shows per week= 7*4= 28

So, the total number of people exposed to ads = 4055*28 =113535

Hence, the Cost per Reach would be = INR (103333/113535) ~INR 0.91

Since, only 80% of the audience would be the target audience, the effective Cost per Reach= INR (0.91/0.80)= INR 1.14

We can see in this example above, how cinema advertising can be effective for local area wise promotions for brands. You can also visit our site or contact us at Help@TheMediaAnt.Com to check if cinema advertising is the best option for your brand.

Watching movie is one of the most popular pastime activities in India. Cinemax is one of the popular choices in the Movie Chain options.

Slide Ad Sample – On Screen

Slide commercials, also known as on-screen ads, are digital advertisements that appear on displays in a number of locations such as movie theaters, sports stadiums, airports, and shopping malls. Slide adverts are often shown on the large screen before the feature presentation begins in the context of cinema advertising. They can be static pictures, animated graphics, or short video snippets that are used to attract the attention of the audience and sell a product or service.

Pre-show announcements, in-lobby displays, and sponsored promotions are all common uses for slide commercials. They provide a low-cost approach to reach a huge, captive audience and may be tailored to certain demographics or geographic areas.

Video Ad Sample – On Screen 

Onscreen video ads are those that show during or alongside video content, such as on YouTube or other online video platforms. These advertisements may display as pre-roll (before the video begins), mid-roll (during the video), or post-roll (after the video concludes).

Onscreen video commercials can also refer to advertisements that display as overlays on top of video content, such as banners, text, or pop-ups. These adverts may be more obtrusive to the viewer since they can obscure a portion of the video or disturb the watching experience.

Overall, video advertisements onscreen are a widespread type of digital advertising that allows advertisers to reach a broad audience via major online video platforms. 

FAQs for Cinema Advertising in India

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