Best Buy Cheers For Cell Phones in Theaters

Best Buy this week breaks an in-theater campaign that touts cell phones on the screen and in the lobby.

Nokia and Verizon co-sponsor the campaign, which centers on an ad breaking today in AMC Theaters nationally. The spot mimics movie trailers, showing a hapless hero who achieves his dream of becoming a cheerleader—only to have his team collapse during competition when a cell phone rings. The spot—which reminds moviegoers to turn off cell phones during the film—runs through March in 70 markets.

A longtime cinema advertiser, Best Buy carries the message to lobbies for the first time with P-O-P of life-size cheerleaders offering coupons for Nokia wireless phones at Best Buy. A new Web site, Pumpupthemovie.com, lets visitors download cheerleader greetings and videos. An online sweep supports. Eden Prairie, MN-based Best Buy handles in-house.

"Movie theaters are a terrific venue for us because they reach a highly desirable teen and young adult demographic, and give our advertising team another opportunity to flex its creative muscle," said VP-advertising Ruby Anik in a statement. Exit research shows that "more than 90% of moviegoers remember our message and over 60% associate Best Buy with the spot."