Cinema and Theatre Advertising

Advertising bought inside cinemas, covering both the film reel and the building. On-screen formats run in the pre-show reel or at interval, as full video ads or as static slides. Off-screen formats use the lobby, ticket counters, standees, posters, seat backs, food and beverage packaging, washrooms and parking, and can extend to sampling stalls that put the product in a customer's hand before the show.

Who it reaches. Ticket-buying cinema audiences in a specific city or catchment, watching in a dark room with no way to skip.

Cinema and theatre advertising covers everything that appears inside the venue from the moment a patron enters until the show ends. On-screen work includes video clips and static slides that run before the film or during the interval, while placements in the lobby, at ticket counters, on seat backs, in washrooms and near food counters cover the rest of the space. The audience is already inside the building, settled in a dark hall with phones away, so the message is delivered without distraction. AdChowk lists 290 sites in this category, split across 15 types that range from the big screen to quiet corners such as parking areas.

Before you commit, check whether your plan needs the glamour of a video clip on the big screen or the repetition of lobby posters that patrons see while buying popcorn. The format you pick changes how the creative is produced and how long the campaign stays live. AdChowk lists 1 format in cinema and theatre advertising and also shows neighbouring categories such as Corporate and Office Advertising, Coworking Space Advertising and Restaurant, Cafe and QSR Advertising if you want to extend the same audience journey outside the hall.

On-screen advertising is bought by screen and by week, and the week runs Friday to Thursday because Indian releases open on Friday. Video is sold by duration in seconds within the pre-show or interval reel, while slides are sold as static exposures; you select screens by city, property, locality or the film's language and certification. In-cinema branding and food and beverage formats are usually bought per property for a month or fortnight, and sampling is priced by property per day with promoter staff arranged separately.

Planner tip. Plan against the release calendar rather than the calendar month, because which films open in your weeks decides your audience far more than which screens you pick.

A cinema plan usually starts with the film release calendar, because the crowd that walks in on an opening weekend is different from the crowd that comes in week three. Most planners pick screens by city, locality or language, then decide whether to book video seconds in the pre-show and interval reels or to take static slides that rotate between shows. Lobby and food-counter branding is typically bought per property for a fortnight or a month, while sampling stalls need a daily plan and separate promoter staff. AdChowk delivers GPS-tagged photo proof after the campaign is live, so you can verify that your spots ran in the correct halls.