Popcorn and flicks go together as readily as J.Lo and fashion crimes, which is why Alliance Atlantis has picked the popular snack to highlight its More Movies package in a new campaign – the Toronto-based broadcaster’s largest effort to date for its digital services.
A TV spot, produced by the firm’s in-house creative team with the help of Toronto shop FCB, launched Nov. 4, and stars different characters besieged by popcorn – it spills out of doorways and fills fireplaces and bathtubs. The More Movies offering bundles the Toronto-based broadcaster’s film channels; the commercial informs consumers that for $6.99 a month, almost the cost of one video rental, digital subscribers can view over 300 movies. The tagline: ‘That’s a lot of popcorn.’
‘The value proposition is what we’re playing up,’ says Walter Levitt, VP of marketing. ‘When you put together our [movie] channels, what you get is an unbelievable volume of movies and great value.’
Nielsen numbers indicate films are a key driver for satellite subscribers; for instance, within the digital universe, Alliance Atlantis movie station Showcase Action is number one, while chick flick channel Showcase Diva is also in the top 10. Plus, estimates suggest there will be close to 3.4 million digital homes across the country by the end of the year.
‘Digital cable is growing in leaps and bounds, and we think there’s a huge number of [subscribers] who would be interested [in More Movies], but haven’t yet signed up,’ says Levitt.
Print and radio advertising from FCB also revolves around the popcorn imagery; for instance, the magazine execution, running in glossies like Inside Entertainment, enRoute and Chatelaine, portrays a giant bag of popcorn standing next to a recliner, while a radio spot has an announcer getting buried by the stuff.
And since movie buffs are the principal focus, there will be a big push in Alliance Atlantis theatres, including theatre slides, trailers and posters in lobbies. ‘Our primary target is current subscribers, but a secondary target is people who don’t have a satellite [dish] yet but are looking to buy,’ says Levitt, who points out that the ads will run throughout the holidays. ‘We want to make sure the package is top of mind.’
Satellite providers Bell ExpressVu and Star Choice ponied up for the effort; as a result, their logos are evident in the creative. (Bell ExpressVu has Showcase Action, Showcase Diva, and IFC in its More Movies package; Star Choice has Showcase Diva, IFC and BBC Canada.) ‘We approached them and they thought it made sense,’ explains Levitt. ‘It benefits them, it benefits us and it benefits consumers at the end of the day.’
Credits
Print and radio:
Client: Alliance Atlantis
Agency: FCB Toronto
Creative Director: Robin Heisey
Copywriter: Joseph Nanni
Art Director: Larry Ioannou
Photographer: Robert Goshgarian
Retoucher: Jim Tinios
Production: Victor Carvalho
Television:
Director/Co-writer/Creative Director: Sandra Enns Arnell
Co-writer: Andrew Hunt
Director of Photography: Jeremy Benning
Art Director: Elisa Sauve
Editor: Laurence Robinson
Live-Action Producer: Laurie Ann Collin
Associate Producer: Shannon Lambert
VP Creative Services: David O’Brien
