Twitter and Foursquare Partner With Movie Ads Firm
National CineMedia's Upfront shows potential third screen to big screen connections
Twitter and Foursquare have inked intriguing deals with National CineMedia, which announced the partnerships in front of a packed movie theater on New York's Upper Westside this afternoon at the cinema ads firm's Upfront presentation.
NCM will produce a weekly series that highlights the latest trending movie topics based on Twitter data. The videos will be distributed via NCM's network of thousands of movie screens nationwide, while also appearing on the social media site. In the coming weeks, the two companies will pitch sponsorships around the videos to agencies and brands.
"It will give movie audiences the chance to continue the conversation and even influence the upcoming episodes," said Cliff Marks, NCM president.
And, NCM is teaming with Foursquare to provide users of the mobile app local offers that aim to be relevant to the movie-going experience. NCM's regional sales team, per the company, will offer local brands some kind of advertising play centering on Foursquare's check-ins and local search. No other details were revealed. Marks also said his brand's FirstLook Sync mobile app will integrate with theater partner Regal Entertainment Group's mobile app and offer advertisers another marketing touchpoint through his company.
"Movie-goers spend a lot of time on those small screens, too," Marks said. "For the first time, advertisers will be able to connect their ad on the big screen with the audience's mobile device."
It was NCM's second Upfront, and the New York-based company certainly put on a show. Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro took stage and provided sneak peeks of his upcoming Warner Bros.' sci-fi film, "Pacific Rim," which opens July 12. Expect a lot of humongous-monster-versus-gigantic-robot fighting action.
Comedian Colin Quinn also made an appearance, riffing on the program's "Bigger Is Better" theme while poking fun at New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and beleaguered politician Andrew Weiner. Perhaps his best bit, though, concerned the glut of food festivals in New York City nowadays.
"Every time two sausage-and-peppers heroes get together in this city, it's time for a g-damned food festival," Quinn said. "It's like, 'I got a hot dog, I got a Coke—close the streets.'"
