2017 Winners

Cineplex is the largest theatre chain in Canada, but its success has largely been driven by strong market presence and the Hollywood films shown in its theatres. As a result, the brand enjoys strong brand awareness but little brand affinity, making the business vulnerable as cheaper, more convenient ways of watching movies like Netflix and Apple TV have entered the market.

Cineplex set out to create a new brand platform that would build an emotional connection with Canadians and protect sales. The goal was a significant lift in key brand equity drivers. Based on media budgets and a digitally focused connection plan, the brand also set an engagement goal of 2.2 million online video views. And, of course, driving sales during the holiday season was critical.

Getting noticed during the holidays is no small feat; with every marketer ramping up their advertising spend. So the brand and its agency Zulu Alpha Kilo set out to create branded content in the form of a short film, intent on making it as entertaining as the movies Cineplex shows on its screens.

In addition to their regular to-do list, people have gift-buying and wrapping, card-writing, tree-decorating, meal-planning and getting ready for overnight visitors to do during the holidays. It’s easy to lose perspective and forget that the holidays are really about spending time with those we love.

This insight led to a new brand platform focused on reminding Canadians to prioritize pleasure in their lives – to make the extra effort during the holiday season to enjoy a movie with loved ones in a theatre, a richer experience than hanging out at home with the TV remote in hand.

The team created “Lily & The Snowman” – an animated, two minute short film that culminated in reminding Canadians to “See the Big Picture.” To drive engagement and behaviour change, the brand took a three phased approach starting on December 15, 2015.

First the brand created a blogger outreach program. The film was then released across all major social channels to broaden reach with high-­‐impact placements driving deeper engagement with the film itself and “The Making Of” footage. The cover song by Canadian artist Adaline became a hit on online music streaming platforms. The film was also shown in-­‐theatre across the country.

It achieved more than 30 million online views (21.8 million in the first then days alone), shattering objectives by 1,364%, driven by a 9:1 ratio of organic to paid views. The film was shared over 620,000 times and crowned most watched Canadian ad on YouTube in December, as well as named one of the best Christmas ads of the year by Digital Arts. December was a record ticket sales month for Cineplex, with a 24.7% increase over 2014, followed by a record Q1 in 2016 with a 30.8% revenue increase. In just three months, Cineplex saw a 37.5% increase in brand affinity and increases across all other key brand measures.