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| Author | Mia Blakeney |
The ninth annual Digital Cinema Media Awards, held in partnership with Campaign, took place last night (Wednesday 17 September) at BAFTA’s glamorous premises in Piccadilly to celebrate the very best in cinema advertising.
Specsavers and MG OMD’s “Should've Gone To... Cinema” campaign was the evening’s standout winner, taking home the Best Creative Use of Cinema award and overall Grand Prix.
Building on more than 20 years of Specsavers’ iconic “Should’ve Gone to Specsavers”, the 2025 campaign saw Specsavers partner with DCM to deliver new, relatable sight gags focused on cinema. They disrupted the traditional cinema experience with clever, unexpected “Should’ve” moments like mistaken on-screen cleaners, reversed idents, and phone announcements.
The results were striking - brand likeability rose 3%, brand consideration among cinemagoers increased 15%, recommendations to friends jumped 40%, and one-third of viewers said they intended to book an eye test, reinforcing Specsavers’ position as the UK’s leading optician through cinema-specific creativity.
Karen Stacey, CEO of Digital Cinema Media, commented: “Creativity and technical ingenuity stole the show at this year's Awards. The nominees demonstrated how brands are transforming the big screen into a powerful communication channel, building campaigns driven by data, insight and bold ideas that deliver measurable ROI.
“The judges and I were impressed by the planning, craft, and intelligent thinking behind every entry, reminding us that context matters more than ever. Once again, cinema proves itself as the ultimate stage for advertising in media.”
There was strong competition across all categories. Savills and Bountiful Cow won the award for Best Use of Cinema (Small) for a campaign that reasserted Savills’ leadership position among high-net-worth audiences, driving a two-year high in salience, consideration and market appraisals.
Bethesda Softworks LLC and Arena Media were highly commended in this category for their ‘Doom: The Dark Ages - Stand & Fight’ campaign, which was praised for being well-crafted, data-driven and strategically executed.
In the Best Use of Cinema (Large) category, Magnum and Mindshare won for their ‘Nothing Cracks Like a Magnum’ campaign. Facing increased competition from copycat brands and upcoming LHF regulations, Magnum secured the premium Silver Spot before Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, using cinema’s immersive AV environment to amplify the Magnum crack, delivering a +13% significant uplift in being able to identify ‘Nothing cracks like Magnum’ to reinforce brand differentiation.
Sky Glass and EssenceMediacom earned a high commendation in Best Use of Cinema (Large), which stood out for its strategic innovation, leveraging cinema’s premium AV environment to demonstrate product parity and results that proved significant shifts in perception and intent.
NHS Blood & Transplant (NHSBT) and MG OMD were awarded Best ‘Marketing For Good’ campaign, which saw a collaboration with Marvel Studios’ iconic antiheroes Deadpool and Wolverine. Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman fronted the campaign, inspiring audiences to book blood donations, positioning everyday donors as real-life heroes. Judges also highly commended Dove and Mindshare for 'Dove Imagine’, a culturally resonant campaign that used cinema’s immersive storytelling power to confront societal issues with strong brand purpose.
The Royal Air Force and OmniGOV at MG OMD received the award for Best Long-term Use of Cinema with their ‘Flight, Film, and Firsts: RAF’s Trailblazing Recruitment Through Cinema’ campaign. Partnering with DCM and Cineworld, the “Thrill Seekers” campaign used immersive cinema formats like 4DX and Screen X for powerful storytelling, alongside digital foyer screens, branded experiences and a dedicated film season to deliver strong results including awareness hitting its highest since 2019, and consideration to join surging over 200%.
In the category of Cinema Champion of the Year, both an individual and a team were celebrated for going above and beyond to champion smart-planning for cinema. Rob Powell at Dentsu was honoured as individual Cinema Champion of the Year for his understanding of cinema’s ability to drive tangible business results. The Unilever AV team received the team award for demonstrating creativity across formats, portfolio-wide expansion and strong commercial outcomes.
Below is a full list of winner and high commendations for the 2025 DCM Awards. Visit www.dcm.co.uk/awards to find out more about the winners, where you can also download the 2025 Digital Cinema Media awards brochure with insight from the judges in each category.
Best Use of Cinema Small
WINNER - Savills, Bountiful Cow – Taking back the Crown
HIGHLY COMMENDED - Bethesda Softworks LLC, Arena Media – Doom: The Dark Ages - Stand & Fight
Best Use of Cinema Large
WINNER - Magnum, Mindshare – 'Nothing Cracks Like a Magnum'
HIGHLY COMMENDED - Sky Glass, EssenceMediacom (now Publicis) - Bringing Cinema To A Living Room Near You
Best Creative Use of Cinema
WINNER - Specsavers, MG OMD – Should've Gone To... Cinema
Best Marketing for Good
WINNER - NHS Blood & Transplant, MG OMD – Super Hero Alliance: NHSBT and Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine
HIGHLY COMMENDED - Dove, Mindshare – Dove Imagine
Best Long-term Use
WINNER - The Royal Air Force, OmniGOV at MG OMD – Flight, Film, and Firsts: RAF’s Trailblazing Recruitment Through Cinema
Cinema Champion
WINNER TEAM - Unilever AV Team – Mindshare
WINNER INDIVIDUAL - Rob Powell – Dentsu
Grand Prix
WINNER - Specsavers, MG OMD – Should've Gone To... Cinema