The ‘moment’. You've felt it. When the screen flares to life, pulling you into its world. For two hours, time begins to stand still, and you’re gripped.
This is the unparalleled power of cinema—a medium that doesn’t just command attention, but engulfs its audience, creating an experience that lingers long after the credits roll.
And in 2024, this immersive quality is more valuable than ever, especially in an age where attention is fragmented across countless platforms.
As brands navigate the complexities of reaching diverse, often distracted audiences, cinema is emerging as a powerful and reliable solution. According to studies like From the Eyes and the Heart: A Novel Eye-Gaze Metric that Predicts Video Preferences of a Large Audience, cinema consistently outperforms other video platforms in engaging viewers on a deep, emotional level. Audience engagement is not merely anecdotal but measurable, with metrics that track eye gaze, heart rate, and even brain activity revealing how invested viewers are in the content on screen.
In 2024, this level of engagement is a rare commodity for advertisers. In a world dominated by endless scrolling and multiple screens, cinema offers something no other medium can: a captive audience that is fully absorbed in the moment.
This is why, despite the rise of streaming services, cinema remains an attractive platform for advertisers looking to make a lasting impression. While platforms like YouTube have seen a significant increase in viewership on TV screens—with more than 500 million hours of YouTube content watched daily on TVs in 2024—and over 70% of YouTube watch time now happening on mobile and TV devices, these experiences are fragmented. Cinema, on the other hand, offers advertisers something unique: an uninterrupted, fully immersive environment where their message can resonate deeply with audiences.
Something I was reminded of last year: It was the summer of 2023 and I found myself back in the cinema (after very long time) with friends to watch Barbie. It was a fun, vibrant reminder of why the big screen still holds such a powerful allure. Not long after, I went again to see the latest Mission: Impossible with my husband, and I was struck by just how different—how immersive—the experience felt compared to watching something at home.
How had I forgotten?
It was a powerful contrast to the distractions of TV, and it made me appreciate once again the magic of the theater and the undivided attention it commands.
The Data-Driven Power of Cinema Advertising
It's not about putting an ad in front of an audience—it's about understanding how and why they respond. Research like Your Brain on the Movies: A Computational Approach for Predicting Box-office Performance from Viewer’s Brain Responses to Movie Trailers shows that neurophysiological responses can predict up to 72% of a movie’s box-office performance. This type of data gives brands a new level of insight into what drives audience engagement, allowing them to optimise their advertising strategies in ways that weren't possible before.
For CMOs, cinema advertising offers a compelling edge in today’s fragmented media landscape. Unlike TV or digital platforms, where distractions are constant, cinema holds a captive audience. It’s an immersive space where your message commands undivided attention—ideal for breaking through the noise. As attention spans shrink and competition grows, cinema provides a rare chance to engage deeply and leave a lasting impact.
Balancing Creativity and Measurable Results
Cinema’s ability to captivate audiences is clear, but how do brands balance this creative potential with the need for measurable results? To answer this, I sat down with Amy Tunick, Chief Marketing Officer of National CineMedia (NCM), who oversees a wide range of campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the world.
“CMOs are responsible for finding that sweet spot—the convergence of performance marketing, brand building, creative, and PR,” Tunick explained. "Cinema is a ‘brand-formance’ medium where we can offer data-driven, insight-led campaigns with business outcome guarantees and programmatic buys. And of course, these innovations accompany our massive brand-building platform that leverages the most talked-about content on the world’s biggest screens."
This duality—offering both creative storytelling and hard data—makes cinema a unique space for marketers. NCM’s data-driven platform, NCMx, enables brands to create highly targeted campaigns, leveraging audience data to deliver personalised ads that resonate deeply. This combination of creativity and data is why cinema remains a compelling choice for brands seeking to drive both awareness and measurable results.
AI and Personalisation: The Future of Cinema Advertising
As we look ahead to the future of cinema advertising, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important. AI offers brands the ability to create more personalised and impactful campaigns, helping them reach specific audience segments with pinpoint accuracy.
“AI is providing an opportunity to optimise ad performance,” said Tunick. “As a predictive tool, AI can help provide even more personalised movie experiences for audiences by giving advertisers a better handle on ticket buyers and the makeup of audiences for specific films. Additionally, NCM has already started working with AI platforms like Waymark to provide brands with the opportunity to leverage AI to create impactful ads."
By combining AI-driven insights with data from audience engagement studies, cinema advertisers can create more meaningful and relevant experiences for viewers. This is especially crucial as brands look to engage younger, more tech-savvy audiences like Gen Z and Millennials, who expect personalisation in every interaction they have with a brand.
Reaching Gen Z and Millennials Through Experiential Campaigns
In 2024, the competition for attention is fierce, especially among younger audiences who have grown up in a digital-first world. Cinema, however, remains one of the few mediums that can capture and hold the attention of Gen Z and Millennials, particularly when paired with experiential campaigns.
"NCM has collaborated with several brands on recent experiential activations and custom content to strategically target hard-to-reach audiences—diverse Gen Zs and Young Millennials who are powering the U.S. box office today," Tunick explained. For example, e.l.f. Beauty’s Cosmetic Criminals, a 15-minute branded content piece, played in NCM's pre-show and generated an impressive 167% lift in awareness and 94% ad recall. The film was developed in partnership with the Mean Girls remake, integrating e.l.f.'s products directly into the movie's storyline.
Another example is NERDS’ campaign, which extended its Super Bowl activation into theaters with both on-screen ads and a holographic lobby experience. These types of campaigns not only capture the attention of younger audiences but also create a memorable experience that extends beyond the theater.
Why Cinema Matters for Brands in 2024
In a world where attention is constantly fractured across countless screens and distractions, cinema stands apart as a rare space of complete focus. For brands, it’s not just about reaching viewers—it's about captivating them. Cinema offers an unparalleled opportunity for immersive storytelling that commands attention, fosters deeper engagement, and leaves an indelible mark on the audience’s memory. It’s not merely about numbers; it’s about forging a powerful emotional connection that resonates long after the credits roll.
As Tunick puts it, “Cinema is a ‘brand-formance’ medium.” It’s where data and creativity intersect, offering advertisers the ability to deliver impactful messages in a setting that commands attention. In 2024, as brands look to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market, cinema remains a key platform for delivering both emotional resonance and measurable results.
Whether through AI-driven personalisation, experiential activations, or the timeless power of storytelling on the big screen, cinema continues to prove itself as an essential tool for brands seeking to break through the noise and connect with their audiences in meaningful ways.
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