Cineplex may be the largest theatre chain and entertainment companies in Canada but it didn't have the emotional connection that many other entertainment brands do. With a growing number of ways to see movies today, Cineplex knew it needed to do something to build emotional resonance and stand for something beyond its utility. It needed to do something that would result in a giant leap in unaided brand awareness relative to the plethora of competition.
The brand's inspiration came from an understanding that busy day-to-day life can consume us and, over time, we lose perspective on the things that are most important in life. Cineplex wanted to remind people of the bigger picture and that there is more to life.
Cineplex set out on a mission to help Canadians "See The Big Picture" – to rediscover the meaningful role that entertainment can play in their lives and, in the process, remind them of the unrivalled entertainment experience that the brand offers in its theatres across the country.
"Lily and the Snowman" was created by Zulu Alpha Kilo as an animated, two-minute short film about a young woman and a magical snowman. As a child, Lily discovers that her snowman friend has a special talent: he can perform cinematic shadow puppet shows on her backyard fence. Wanting to save her snowy friend come spring, Lily safely stows him in a freezer, returning to him each winter.
Their relationship grows over the years until Lily's busy adult life pulls them apart. She can't make time for fun anymore. One stressful night late at work, Lily is reminded of her snowman friend and rushes home to retrieve him from the freezer once again. This time she shares in the joy of his shadow puppet movies on the fence with her daughter.
The film features a cover of Genesis "Follow You Follow Me" performed by Canadian singer Adaline and ends with the Cineplex tagline "Make time for what you love."
"Lily and the Snowman" was released online on December 15th on Facebook and YouTube. It began playing pre-show in Cineplex theatres on December 18th. Movie posters, trailers, a "making-of" film, social media posts and more supported its release.
The film surpassed expectations. In just the first 12 days, with an online media budget of only $150,000, it achieved 21.8 million views and over 300,000 shares on Facebook and YouTube, while also surpassing objectives for visits to Cineplex.com by over 300%.
Currently, the film has surpassed 30 million views, shattering the brand's video views objective by over 1,300%, driven by over 92% organic views and its 98% positive sentiment. It's been shared over 620,000 times and generated thousands of mentions across all social media platforms.
Its success contributed to making December a record month for Cineplex, with a 24.7% increase in ticket sales. Cineplex.com visits were up 51%, Facebook followers increased by 31% and Twitter followers were also up 26% vs. last year.
Due to popular demand, the Cineplex "Follow You Follow Me" cover was featured on radio stations, streamed over 30,000 times on Apple Music, Spotify and Google Play, and sold on iTunes with proceeds going towards Free The Children. The song also made it to the Top 50 songs on Canada's National Billboard chart in early March. The film was also the most watched Canadian Ad on YouTube in December and was named one of the best Christmas Ads of the year by Digital Arts.