After a year and a half of renovations, Filmtheater Hilversum was facing a special moment: the reopening of its refurbished building. At the same time, the Film Festival was just around the corner. The challenge was to bring both moments together in a single campaign that not only generated attention, but also told the story behind the film theater and encouraged visitors to buy tickets.
The idea
Instead of highlighting the reopening from the organization's perspective, we opted for a human perspective. Filmtheater Hilversum is supported by a close-knit group of volunteers—so committed that there is even a waiting list. Their stories formed the heart of the campaign. By telling the story of the reopening through their eyes, we created an authentic and distinctive narrative that seamlessly aligned with the identity of the film theater. This storytelling set the stage for the Film Festival, which focused on the renovated building and the program, inviting visitors to come and experience it for themselves.
The approach
Together with the editorial team at Mediahuis, we developed a comprehensive cross-media campaign. The editorial content provided depth and credibility, while commercial communications ensured visibility and activation. An editorial spread served as the kickstart for the campaign, featuring sneak previews of the reopening and the festival program.
Media deployment
In print, the reopening of Filmtheater Hilversum was promoted with in-depth advertorials, supplemented by an eye-catching front-page advertisement that directly invited visitors to buy tickets for the Film Festival. Online, the audience was taken step by step through the story: from visibility and initial introduction via a display package, to in-depth coverage with a native advertorial, and finally activation with a combination of native content and a carousel focused on ticket sales.
During a hectic period, Filmtheater Hilversum teamed up with Mediahuis to launch a broad campaign focusing on both personal stories and film programming. This increased our visibility and contributed to a record number of visitors during the Film Festival!
— Nicole Lucassen
The results
With a campaign that revolved around real stories and real people, the reopening of Filmtheater Hilversum became visible and tangible for residents of 't Gooi. The combination of editorial depth and targeted activation drew attention to the renovated cinema and the Film Festival, with ticket sales as a logical follow-up.
