Why Cinema Advertising Has “Real Momentum” Right Now

“Cinema advertising has real momentum right now and it’s being driven by cultural and behavioural shifts,” says Kevin McGaw, SVP, head of marketing at leading American cinema advertising network, Screenvision Media.

According to Kevin, younger audiences – especially gen z – are choosing the cinema as a shared cultural destination. And he believes it’s the medium that best delivers on what they’re looking for: “emotional, social and memorable experiences”.

“90% of gen z went to a movie in 2024, and they plan to buy over 460 million tickets this year,” he says, noting that, in 2025 already, titles like ‘Lilo & Stitch’, ‘The Minecraft Movie’, ‘Mission Impossible’ and ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ have fuelled advertiser confidence in cinema as “the home of big, predictable cultural moments”.

LBB’s Ben Conway caught up with Kevin to find out why these cultural moments are stronger than ever, and how more and more brands are embedding themselves in the moviegoing experience with enhanced pre-show experiences.

^{Above: Kevin McGaw}

LBB> > Covid was obviously a huge reason for a falloff in cinema advertising in recent years, but you say it’s experiencing a comeback. Do you have any data you can share which supports that claim?

Kevin> Yes! While I can’t share specific advertiser spend figures, we’re seeing clear momentum, with increased investment across a range of categories — particularly automotive and several service-based brands. Advertisers are leaning into cinema because the audience and cultural moments are stronger and more predictable than ever. 95% of moviegoers say they plan to see as many or more movies this year as last, which translates to sustained reach and relevance for brands.

Memorial Day weekend box office hit an all-time high at $329.8m, driven by ‘Lilo & Stitch’, ‘The Minecraft Movie’, and other major titles, showing just how powerful these cultural moments are for advertisers to align with. Recent blockbusters like ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, and the Formula 1 movie have further demonstrated cinema’s ability to draw massive, engaged audiences. With admissions projected to grow +33% YOY in 2025 to 845 million, cinema continues to deliver scale, excitement, and cultural relevance for brands.

LBB> Are any long-term trends having an impact on this medium?

Kevin> Covid was a short-term disruption, but the long-term trends actually favour cinema. We’re seeing that audiences, especially gen z, are rejecting the idea that going to the movies is a ‘niche’ or ‘occasional’ habit; they see it as an important cultural ritual and a way to connect with their communities. The rise of fandom culture, cosplay, memes and communal viewing experiences (Minecraft comes to mind) play right into what cinema uniquely delivers.

At the same time, as streaming matures and becomes more fragmented and less predictable, cinema stands out as one of the few mass cultural moments brands can reliably tap into.

LBB> What are your metrics for success or effectiveness with this medium? Are those changing?

Kevin> We continue to measure success in two primary ways: cultural impact and brand lift. Cinema’s power lies in creating strong, memorable connections in a premium, distraction-free environment, and we regularly see double-digit lifts in brand awareness, recall, and purchase intent after in-theatre campaigns.

What’s evolving is how we extend and amplify those moments beyond the screen. Our pre-show is becoming a dynamic brand stage built for precision targeting, emotional participation and guaranteed, measurable outcomes that drive real business growth. While our core measurement still centres on the in-theater impact of brand lift, recall and purchase intent, we’re increasingly focused on how campaigns perform across the broader marketing mix. That includes integrations with partners like iSpot, LiveRamp and OpenAP, enabling advanced measurement, attribution and targeting that connect cinema to the full-funnel performance ecosystem.

LBB> In what ways has cinema advertising evolved most dramatically in the last few years? You speak about ‘deeper integration’ with your recent M&Ms x Jurassic World Rebirth work — what does that look like?

Kevin> The biggest shift has been moving from ‘ads before the movie’ to truly integrated, story-driven partnerships. The ‘M&Ms x Jurassic World’ campaign is a great example. It wasn’t just a spot, it was a full, sequential pre-show experience tied directly to the film’s narrative and fandom. The custom creative played out across the entire on-screen experience, building anticipation and reinforcing brand connection in a way that felt native to the moviegoing ritual.

We’re working with brands to weave themselves into the very fabric of the moviegoing experience. Costumes, QR activations, giveaways and social challenges are a few of the many ways we are making partners feel more like a part of the night out than an interruption.

LBB> Which other brands or campaigns have been particularly successful recently?

Kevin> Beyond the M&Ms x Jurassic World partnership, we’re actively bringing new concepts to life across categories. We’re partnering with a national health and wellness retailer on an in-lobby photo booth experience designed to immerse audiences before they even take their seats. A flavoured popcorn promotion with a leading CPG brand is launching at concessions, turning a familiar moment into something unexpected. And we’re executing another full pre-show takeover with a gaming brand, tied to the highly anticipated ‘Wicked for Good’, delivering a fully immersive in-theatre brand presence from the moment audiences sit down.

LBB> What do you see as the future of this medium? What’s giving you reason for optimism and excitement?

Kevin> The future of cinema advertising is incredibly bright because it’s more than just media, it’s cultural infrastructure. Moviegoing is one of the last predictable, mass cultural moments left in media and it’s only growing more important as audiences seek meaningful, social and emotional experiences. With 150+ new titles in 2025, record-breaking box office trends and an audience that’s eager to keep coming back, the opportunities for brands to create authentic, memorable integrations have never been stronger.

Personally, I’m excited about the continued creativity in how brands show up. More interactive, more culturally attuned and more deeply tied to what audiences love about going to the movies.