The Challenge
HOYTS is one of Australia’s largest cinema chains. Cinema promotion works to a release calendar. Content has to land in the narrow window when a film is opening, and it has to drive an actual visit rather than general brand affection.
Our Approach
We ran a video-led campaign timed to the release schedule.
- Creators were briefed around specific release windows rather than the brand in general
- Video was prioritised to carry the experience of the venue and the format
- Selection favoured creators with audiences in the cities where the sites operate
- Content was approved against brand guidelines before going live
Timing content to releases turned reach into bookings within the window that matters.
The Results
The campaign reached 515,766 and generated 297,890 views at a 6.98% engagement rate, the highest engagement rate across the entertainment campaigns in this group.
Running Content to a Release Calendar
A cinema campaign cannot run to the usual months-long production timeline, the audience only cares about a film while it is in cinemas. Terrier’s shortlist and vetting process ran on a compressed schedule instead: creators were confirmed and briefed against the release date, not a fixed campaign start, so video was ready to publish inside the window when a booking decision actually gets made. Usage terms were agreed before filming so nothing held up publication once the release date arrived.
What the Engagement Rate Says About a Cinema Chain
515,766 in reach and 297,890 views describe how many people saw the content and how many watched it through, an attention figure, not a booking count. The 6.98% engagement rate, the highest across the entertainment campaigns in this set, matters more for a chain like HOYTS than raw reach: it shows people reacted to specific films rather than scrolling past a generic cinema ad, which is the difference between brand affection and a reason to visit this week.
