Agencies lukewarm over new ad dimension
By : Wioletta Buczek
With last year's opening of Poland's first 3-D cinema in Warsaw, and with two more to follow, one local company is convinced there's a promising future in 3-D ad spots although advertisers have yet to be sold on the idea.
Wroclaw-based film production studio Neo Film is planning to expand its traditional advertising portfolio by producing 3-D ad spots.
Last year, the company signed a cooperation agreement with international Imax Corp. and Imax Sandde Animation to produce 3-D ads for the big screen.
"The production of advertising spots in 3-D is a wonderful opportunity for reaching viewers," said Tomasz Zielinski, director of Neo Film. "The power of this kind of broadcast is immense."
Although few Poles get to watch 3-D movies, Zielinski hopes they will eventually prove a magnet for Polish advertisers. "I see an interest from advertisers who want to reach young people through the Imax movie techniques," he said.
Zielinski would give no ballpark figures for potential profits from 3-D ad spots, but said the initial presentation to advertising agencies in Warsaw garnered a "significant" interest. The company has yet to clinch a production contract, however.
Zielinski said the costs of producing a 3-D ad spot are only slightly higher than the average rates, something that will attract advertisers although advertisers themselves said the prices would be much higher.
"Thanks to Imax's Sandde computer software, the costs of 3-D animation spots are comparable with traditional animation spots," Zielinski said. "3-D ad spots could also be broadcast in a traditional way. So the same spot can be used for different purposes. This, of course, widens the range of potential viewers beyond Imax cinema goers."
But despite Zielinski's enthusiasm, ad industry analysts have yet to show any interest in 3-D advertising. Piotr Soszynski, creative director with ad agency Hager Polska, does not think domestic advertisers will embrace 3-D ad spots any time soon. "I don't expect a domestic company will have its ad spot produced just for an Imax cinema in Warsaw," Soszynski said. "However, pan-national concerns like Volvo or PepsiCo may be interested in such productions as they can have spots broadcast in Imax cinemas worldwide."
He also said that if the production costs of 3-D spots are high, the ads would have to have a big impact on viewers if they were to tempt advertisers into committing themselves.
Potential advertisers share the ad industry's skepticism about 3-D spots. Anna Karolewska, advertising director with mobile telephone operator Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa, said the company has not done any analysis of the 3-D ad market so far. She said that because traditional advertising spots are half the price, she is not convinced 3-D ads are worthwhile.
There are about 220 Imax cinemas worldwide. Since Imax's technology debut in 1970, its 3-D shows have been viewed by 700 million cinemagoers worldwide. According to RMB media house, Poland's cinema ad market grew fivefold in the past three years.
