US Movie ads to include text message call-to-actions

Link: Movie theaters ads linking to cell phones – The Business Journal of Phoenix:

Phoenix has been chosen as the first city to roll out an interactive advertising program created by a partnership between Chicago-based Cellit LLC and Cinema Screen Media in Georgia.

CSM will use Cellit’s technology to give on-screen advertisers the option of incorporating text messaging features in their pre-movie ads. Moviegoers will be able to text the advertisers’ keywords to a five-digit phone number to obtain product information, vote on a topic, or participate in games and contests.

I remember my colleague speaking with some North American movie theatre owners about text messaging two years ago. They didn’t have a clue. Not one molecule of a clue and didn’t care about the potential of the medium. Still don’t.

However it’s good to read that CSM are going to deploy text call to actions. I especially like the idea of being able to closely target customers — e.g. showing an advert for a nearby restaurant, receiving an enquiry text, then sending out a voucher to the person.

There’s a slight issue in terms of encouraging people to get their handsets out and text when the handsets should be switched off for the movie. As the current Orange cinema advertising goes, ‘Sometimes you need to switch off to switch on.’ Or something like that.