Have you ever advertise at the movies Before for the movie comes on??

[krazedklownkilla]

I was at the movies tonight and wondered if any of you have put advertisements at the movies. Before the previews start there are local business that advertise. I was wondering if any of you have ever done this. I have never seen any haunts while im waiting for the movie to start....BUT then I cant stand to pay the $12 for a ticket lol so I dont go to movies any more. Just a thought and would love your feedback.

I feel this would be a GREAT place to put the word out cause the weekends are full of our main target audience. 14-25 year olds.

Also how do they charge you for this??


THANKS GUYS!!!!

[N2SPOOKINU]

We did this at our local theater 2 years ago. We thought it would be a good idea but in our theaters here in Columbia Mo. our commercials aired so early in the programming rotation it wasnt effective. The other commercials for car companies and soda companys etc. run last right before the movie previews The times our commercials were aired the theaters were nearly empty.
If you do this make sure to secure the times your commercial will air to get the best for your buck.

Greg

[NateTheGreat]

We've done it with theaters all over our area and we had some success with it. What is also nice is package deals because the theater will often include spots to put posters and banners of your event as well.

[Frightener]

We do this currently with our local theatre. We're a small town of about 28k people and the only theatre in town.

We have a deal worked out with the pot o' gold company and the theatre. (PotOgold is the productions company, ads etc) well anyways, we work on their computers and networks, free priority (Jump to front of line) etc in exhange.

I've been going to the movies a few times a month for the past 6 months to keep an eye on the ads. They cycle them through. The longest I've seen our ad go through was about 5 min's before the movie. The ads range from 15 secs to 1 min max. The 1 min's are people like the john deere guys w/ unlimited budget.

I do 98% of our computer check ins and one of the questions I ask personally is "where did they hear about us from?" Because even though we've been her 7 years, and only 28k people, half of our customers usually are new. Most of them say TV Ads or The theatre ads.

If I had to say, most of our customers see them. Again, the longest stretch before the movie previews I've seen was 5 min's. I think Bobby keeps up with the ads and only allows enough for a 5 min' limit. So that may be the case, but they cycle through.

So yea, we do it and we find it very rewarding.

Dewayne

[bhays]

We had no luck with it at all. My experience was the same as others have mentioned. It wasn't other ads that were bumping us though, it was previews of coming attractions, the theater's own ads, etc. I am pretty sure only the custodians cleaning the theaters ever saw our ads.

[MorgueofDoom]

We tried this as well. They would only put our ad on certain movies so we even made it to where the movie stub was a coupon. It was a complete fail. We had very little success from this method and almost no stubs returned as coupons. I think people forget about the ad after they watched a movie. The movie is what's fresh in their mind, not what they saw before it. In our market i didn't work at all.

[krazedklownkilla]

Thanks guys you all have been very helpful, If anyone else would like to tell about how this worked for them Please let me know.
MHL

[Haunted Prints (EOM)]

Try advertising outside of the theater, in the lobby, at the concession stand or ticket both.

I have found it more effective to place flyers in point of purchase displays on the ticket and concession counter. Poster or banner strategically placed in the theater works as well. This will usually cost less than ad onscreen add drive more attendance to your haunt.

[JamBam]

another haunt in our area has done it repeatedly

The Haunted Cave in Ft Wayne has done this at a major theatre for a few years and feels it is good for them. You may contact them at hauntedcave.com and get info directly.

[Jim Warfield]

Little "Jimmie" Dint have muc $

But I spent $450 for 2 theaters to allow my ad in their movie guides available in the lobbys.
They got MY MONEY.... nothing happened (business/wise.) Then I got to see my ad, they forgot to put " Mount Carroll, Ill."
They had Carroll Street, so maybe my potential patrons were looking for me on Carroll St. in Rockford & Dubuque?
They corrected their typo.
Then one night I had 5? 6? customers show up because they had seen a movie guide!!!!!!
So Admission was maybe $5 per/person then , say 6 x 5=$30 For only spending a mere $450.oo!
whata bargain!
NOT!
Once again, as with small ads in shopper papers and other miscelanious ads.... I was buying.. Land Fill. Not wallet-fill.
"Live & Learn!"

[Jim Warfield]

Today

I advertise (cheaply) in two local campgrounds, since I am open year-round, and this does usually bring some new bodies here.
I also have a State attractions directional sign (one of those tourist-things) along the highway just outside of town that cost me a fee every year and cost me a fee to get it started. I also had to buy and erect signage from the highway to my house, which had to meet with the city's aproval since the signs are on city right of way.
Now if the driver of the one beer truck can ever stop knocking my one sign off the street light pole half a block from my house, maybe all this will "work"?
The best "ad" is to impress and amaze your customer (once they find you) and give them enough "Bang" for their "Bucks".
This makes them advertise for you, as in "Can't stop telling everyone they know."
How much actual money one would have to spend to get people to talk you up, remains a huge amount, I believe,...