Observed Signal · Apr 30, 2026 · Campaign Launch · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Vue Enlists Taika Waititi for Cinema Comeback Ad
Multinational cinema operator Vue released a two-minute brand film titled "Feel It Forever," directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, to encourage audiences back to theaters. The ad, described as a love letter to cinema, will run before screenings across Vue’s European locations, launching in the U.K. and Ireland on May 1 and subsequently rolling out to the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Poland and Lithuania. The campaign — Hijinks’ first creative work for Vue since its 2024 appointment — was produced with Hungryman on location in New Zealand and London, and will also run on social, connected TV and digital channels. Vue says the film aims to remind viewers of the emotional power of the big-screen experience amid declining European admissions.
Brand campaign from a major European cinema operator highlights industry response to declining admissions and affects cinema advertising inventory and cross-channel promotion strategies, but it is not a major platform or policy event.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- "Feel It Forever" is a two-minute brand film for Vue directed by Taika Waititi.
- The film will air before screenings across Vue’s European locations, launching in the U.K. and Ireland on May 1, 2026, then rolling out to the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Poland and Lithuania.
- Hijinks is the creative agency for the campaign (its first work for Vue since its 2024 appointment); production company Hungryman worked on location in New Zealand and London.
- The campaign will also run on social media, connected TV (CTV) and other digital channels.
- According to the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), European cinema admissions fell 5.3% in 2025 to 863.6 million.
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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Top 7 Cinematic Ads from the 2026 Oscars
Adweek highlights seven cinematic commercials that aired during the 98th Academy Awards, spotlighting creative spots from Coinbase, Burger King, Mazda, Disney Cruise Line, Credit One Bank, Panera Bread, and a L’Oréal tie-in for The Devil Wears Prada 2. Ads leaned into themes of aspiration and transformation: Coinbase’s “Your Way Out” (by Isle of Any) features a non-playable character escaping a video game; Burger King’s spot repositions the brand and features company executives onstage; Mazda released five genre short films for the all-new CX-5 directed by Paul Hunter and shot by cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema; Disney Cruise Line and Panera ran emotionally driven vignettes; Credit One Bank’s spot (by Deutsch) emphasizes accessible credit perks; and 20th Century Studios teamed with L’Oréal and Maximum Effort to tease the film sequel during the broadcast.
Ads of the Week: Creative Campaign Highlights
The Drum roundup (published 2026-06-19) highlights recent creative advertising work: Carter’s ran a ‘Dadfirmation Station’ hotline for kids to record affirmations for fathers (June 15–21); Fabletics handed a World Cup-themed film to twin directors JaBari and Malik Williams; Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders fronts Depend’s Real Fit packaging and a campaign urging men to get screened following his 2025 bladder‑cancer surgery; Molson distributed disposable cameras across Canada to build a Canada Day film from user-shot footage; Sixt installed an eight‑metre meerkat sculpture at Düsseldorf Airport as an OOH activation; Disney extended its Movie Moments hospital programme with Toy Story characters delivering x‑rays; and John Malkovich starred in a six‑minute romcom made for Croatia’s tourist promotion. The piece frames these as creative approaches that prioritise authenticity, creator authorship and experiential spectacle.
US Movie Attendance Down 248M Since 2019; Revenue Up
North American box office revenue in summer 2026 is recovering in raw dollars even as attendance lags well behind 2019 levels. Through mid‑August 2026 cinemas sold 547.1 million tickets versus 795.9 million in the same 2019 period, a decline of about 248 million admissions. Higher average ticket prices (now above $13, with premium formats like IMAX averaging $18.46) plus demand for large‑format and luxury auditoriums have pushed projected summer revenue toward roughly $4.5 billion. The physical footprint has shrunk—Omdia counted 44,283 screens in 2019 and more than 7,000 had closed by the end of last year—and studios released fewer titles this summer. Several 2026 event films crossed $1 billion worldwide, and unexpected low‑budget hits also contributed. The industry is converting fewer visits into more revenue, raising questions about long‑term reach and the health of cinema as a mass media channel.
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