Cinema advertising finally comes to the US

Commericals steal show at the movies

"Cinema advertising becomes a viable option when "you've got a brand that's connected to the fabric of the culture and if you've got great creative that fits the environment," said Steve Moynihan, managing director at ArnoldMPG, a media-planning agency in Boston. "It's not the best place to sell diapers or green beans."

Regal CineMedia plans to kick off a digitally formatted pre-show full of content and advertising, beginning in select markets at the end of this month. The pre-show is slated to begin about 20 minutes before the advertised movie time. "The idea is to give patrons a better experience and give the marketer a better environment," Mr. Marks said. "Rather than showing trivia, we'll give them a real entertaining bonus. We know they came there for the movie."