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| Author | Zoe Aresti |
Paddington 2 has been one of the most highly anticipated films of 2017 and, after finally being released last Friday, it has lived up to all expectations.
The first film opened in November 2014 with £5.2m, on its way to £37.9m. The sequel grossed £8.3m at the UK box office in just three days (up 60%), the seventh biggest opening weekend of the year. The film delivered almost 1m industry admissions (at 1+ cover) over the weekend, proving great content pulls in huge audiences for cinema.
Paddington 2 is expected to have a long and successful run all the way to Christmas and beyond, and should total nearer to a final blockbusting figure of £50m. Paddington 2 is estimated to be the second biggest film in H2 2017 – bigger than Thor: Ragnarok, Justice League and Murder on the Orient Express, second only to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
The first Paddington reached a heavily skewed ABC1 (77%) and over 25 (62%) audience, with the sequel offering unbeatable stand out in front of a similar audience base in the lead up to the festive season.
The sequel has also seen advertisers invest heavily in cinema activity around the film, with a whole range of brands taking full advantage of the Paddington effect.
Marks & Spencer’s Christmas campaign features Paddington at its heart and the 90-second ad is running in the Gold Spot, the last commercial message after the trailers and before the main feature, ahead of all Paddington 2 screenings. Other advertisers to have booked in to the film include Disney on Ice, Garmin, Rakuten, ASDA and Despicable Me 3 DVD, with captive audiences engaging with these ads in their entirety in cinema’s unique environment.
Digital Cinema Media’s CEO, Karen Stacey, commented: “Paddington 2’s immense pull to both consumers at the box office and advertisers is no surprise. Brands are aware of cinema’s ability to build brand fame and drive sustainable long-term growth, particularly when aligning with top quality film content. Long-copy campaigns such as M&S’s Christmas ad maximise emotional impact and prove perfect for the big screen.”