Why finance brands should be rolling out the red carpet for silver screen advertising opportunities

Clare Turner, Chief Commercial Officer at Pearl & Dean, explores why finance brands should be making more of cinema.

Whether its Lloyds Bank’s “Best Grandparents” ad which advertises Link Pay in an amusing way while barely saying a word, or Nationwide’s “A good way to bank” campaign that leans on Dominic West’s pompous businessman to focus on its member-first approach, there’s new energy afoot in finance advertising. Both are great examples of how finance brands harness creativity to successfully engage viewers.

However there’s a plot twist. Although finance brands are well-versed in playing to the television gallery, they shouldn’t overlook a stage with unmatched potential: the silver screen.

It’s time for brands to diversify their marketing strategies, and cinema advertising is the perfect channel for them to speak directly to large-scale audiences – our storytelling capabilities know no bounds. Not only this, but cinema’s flexibility means there’s plenty of opportunities to cast it in a leading role.

Pull the curtain back

Cinema has been a cornerstone of the media landscape for some time. The channel’s influence is expanding, the Advertising Association/WARC Christmas ad spend figures predict that cinema spending over this festive season is set to increase by more than 5% year-on-year.

This enduring appeal shouldn’t come as a surprise. Cinema’s ability to capture viewers’ undivided attention is well-documented. Their eyes are glued to the big screen from the moment they take their seats. Phones are safely in their pockets. Save for the occasional rustle of popcorn, distractions are kept to the bare minimum.

However, it’s the power of the cinema environment and its effect on the brain that’s even more noteworthy. Cinema ads have consistently higher levels of memory and personal engagement compared to other mediums.

This is an unheralded opportunity for businesses in the financial space. A chance to take full control of an 85-feet wide screen and showcase their premium creative to great cinematic effect. And there’s no shortage of ways for these brands to become the star of the show.

Advertising within the cinema offers a premium environment by default however brands can also appear in premium positions – longer, high-impact spots that are positioned closer to the film – to maximise their visibility and creativity. Alternatively brands can opt for a more innovative route, such as a brand takeover of  the P&D idents that top and tail an ad reel before the film begins (the famous pa pa pa pah!). Leveraging this asset would be a powerful strategy for any finance brand by utilising our iconic sonic identity, as its existing audience recognition  lends credibility to campaigns.

There is also the option to truly own the cinema environment and work with individual cinemas to be the sole sponsor. Lloyds had a platinum partnership such as this with BFI Southbank for over 3 years.

Finance brands might also want to leverage a film’s audience depending on the market they are communicating to. 2025 sees multiple releases that might offer this opportunity. How about a dragon themed ad in How to Train Your Dragon talking directly to younger customers around savings or financial education? Or partnering with the latest instalment of Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy in order to talk to a more female audience?

Stay for the second act

The opportunities for finance brands to tell their story don’t have to end at the ad-reel – or even when the film credits roll. Cinematic partnerships can be a long-term platform for building brand awareness and deepening audience connections.

Lloyds Bank has embraced this strategy through the sponsorship of ‘Pearl & Dean Premieres’, a series of branded content film showcasing red carpet and behind the scenes interviews with  Hollywood’s biggest stars. With the bank’s iconic green branding and black horse logo prominently displayed in every episode, the partnership ensured Lloyds is front and centre for viewers, both in-cinema and online.

Another way to build affinity with new and existing customers is offering added value to their customers. Compare the Market has adopted this approach for more than a decade, with its ‘two-for-one’ ticket offer, a simple, yet effective example of embracing innovative solutions.

The insurance firm has also been a market leader thanks to its use of mascots – in this case, a host of beloved meerkats (and the more recent addition of a wombat). Done correctly, mascots are a tried-and-tested tool for driving brand recognition. However, launching these initiatives is far from straightforward; they require significant market research to ensure they connect with the target audience.

This is where films can be part of the solution. Many beloved franchises come with their own established fan bases, ready to embrace their favourite characters and, by extension, the brands they’re partnered with. Few examples highlight this better than Barbie. Boots capitalised on the character’s star power to amplify their campaigns (in this case promoting Soltan sun protection).

Time to go off script

It’s natural for finance brands to be wary about investing in a brand-new marketing strategy – particularly when television has brought it significant success over the years. However, if they want to become a real blockbuster, it’s important to remember the value of an all-star ensemble cast. And the one-two punch of deeper engagement and powerful storytelling means that cinema more than earns its place in a multichannel media campaign.