Cinema gold spot review

Cinema industry's search for long-term deal could end partnership with Orange.

The cinema industry is searching for an advertiser to take its £54
million "gold spot" package, a move that could spell the end of Orange's
involvement with cinema.

The deal secures advertisers a 60-second spot before the start of every

non-family film screened in the UK.

Orange signed up for the package in June 2000. However, its deal ends
next March and the Cinema Advertising Association, on behalf of the
sales houses Carlton Screen Advertising and Pearl & Dean, hopes to
strike a new long-term deal.

Cinema sales teams are hoping to speak to Orange about re-signing.
However, they have also opened talks with other advertisers about a
three-year deal commencing in April. It is believed the ratecard price
for the deal is around £18 million a year, though Orange pays
less.

Orange has used the "gold spot" package, for which Mother created a
series of ads, featuring the likes of Patrick Swayze, Darth Vader and
Sean Astin from Lord of the Rings, as a springboard for a wider
association with cinema. As part of the package, it also receives
branding rights in cinema foyers and created its "Orange Wednesdays"
ticket offer for customers.

The cinema industry is keen to pitch "gold spot" to ad agencies as a
creative opportunity. Mother's work has won both D&AD Awards and Cannes
Lions. Carlton and Pearl & Dean are keen to tie up a deal quickly
because of potentially long production times.

Mother, which recently lost the main Orange business as part of a wider
France Telecom pan-European review, has several executions for gold spot
in production. Its latest features the actor Steven Seagal relentlessly
pursuing the Orange Film Board executive Mr Dresden across a golf
course.