Few things in life are more boring than sitting through the hackneyed advertisements that precede the dimmed lights, trailers, and eventual feature presentation of the movie theater experience. Sure, there are some yucks to be had memorizing the looped trivia about rom-coms of the recent past and pretending to be a human IMDB when your buddy returns from a bathroom and popcorn run, but for the most part, this is an excruciating slice of life. And therefore it’s a tremendous advertising opportunity for anyone up to the task of creating quality content! We’re talking about a captive audience with no remote control to fast forward and a painful aisle exit process standing in their way. They are, quite literally, waiting to be entertained. For the love of all that is good, will someone please help these people? Timbaland, NASCAR, and Paula Abdul to the rescue! Wait, what?
To enhance the pre-show experience, Screenvision is plotting to makeover that 20-minute block right before the movie with celebrity and sponsored entertainment. With about half of the audience seated at least 10 minutes before the lights go down, it’s really a no-brainer.
The likes of Timbaland, NASCAR, and (it’s rumored) Paula Abdul have already signed on to create exclusive video content that marketers can sponsor during this time. For example, Timbaland (music producer Timothy Mosley) will premiere a series of 60- to 90-second spots in which he discusses his influences and chooses songs to broadcast behind more traditional ads.
And it gets even better. Screenvision wants to include mobile extensions, which means advertisers could offer coupons downloadable only in the theater, or moviegoers could, say, send a text and get information on Timbaland’s tour dates. The possibilities are endless. If the endeavor succeeds, Screenvision imagines expanding to other places like theater lobbies or airplanes.
You can thank your lucky stars that soon enough going to the movies won’t mean having to learn—by sheer repetition— what brand of sneakers Julia Roberts wore in Runaway Bride. Hooray!
