There’s nothing like escaping the summer heat for a few hours, cozying up with a tub of popcorn, and watching the latest movie release. Now that cinemas are finally reopening post-pandemic, many people are eager to experience that feeling again.
Some say that the pandemic has opened their eyes to a wonderfully lazy new world, where leaving the house isn’t nearly as necessary as we once believed. While those people might not make it back to the movie theater, there’s just something about it that keeps others coming back.
Whether you’ll be curled up on your couch or venturing out to watch on the big screen, it is undeniable that the films that are being released this summer have the huge job of making up for a year of cinema deprivation. Can they handle the challenge?
Predicting Performance with AI
Pattern89 predicts creative performance with artificial intelligence. It analyzes over 500 billion data points and 49,000 creative dimensions of every digital ad in its proprietary data set.
So, while we may not be able to see into the future to find out which of these summer movies will have the most commercial success, AI can analyze each trailer’s creative strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Important reminder: Humans are the artists, composers, directors, actors… AI does not evaluate artistic credibility or take into account the stories or emotions portrayed. It only seeks to improve ad performance through data-driven analysis of measurable creative elements.
Now, let’s meet the contenders.
1. In the Heights
This movie is the highly-anticipated adaptation of the Tony-winning musical by Lin Manuel Miranda, creator of Hamilton. It tells the story of the close-knit community of Washington Heights, a predominantly Latinx neighborhood in New York City.
Strengths: People are engaging with ads that depict a return to normal post-pandemic, with live events and socializing being two of the top-performing content directions.
Weaknesses: Warm pinks, reds, and yellows are driving down CTRs this quarter.
Opportunities: There are a few related image tags that are driving especially high engagement. They are: microphones, tuxedos, studios, and stages. Consider adding any of these to your ad!
Threats: While audiences are interested in content that shows socialization, they are still hesitant about imagery or videos that include large crowds.
2. Black Widow
The next Marvel release finally tells the origin story of the Black Widow, a trained assassin who has long been a key member of the intergalactic-crime-fighting Avengers.
Strengths: Videos with text are best for brand awareness campaigns.
Weaknesses: Video ads that include people are less cost-effective than those without people.
Opportunities: The optimal length for a video ad is between 50-55 seconds long. Consider choosing a segment of the trailer within this time frame if running it as an ad!
Threats: Stay away from running this ad on Facebook Audience Network. Instead, opt for Instagram, which has the highest engagement, and lowest CPM, for video ads.
3. Luca
Disney + Pixar are at it again with this coming-of-age story about a boy in the Italian Riviera with a deep secret… he is actually a sea monster.
Strengths: Shades of blue and teal, which dominate the scenes of the ocean and sea monsters, are driving high CTRs this quarter.
Weaknesses: Images and videos that include waterfronts and seashells are currently tanking engagement.
Opportunities: People are engaging with content that includes swimwear, bare feet, luggage, and other vacation-related things. Are there places to add more of this imagery to the trailer?
Threats: Image ads and video ads have similar CTRs, but image ads deliver a higher number of clicks.
Create Your Oscar-Worthy Ad Campaign Today
You’ve seen the way that AI can analyze ad creative in order to help you create the most successful campaign without ever having to waste time and resources on A/B testing. Now, it’s time to get your own SWOT analysis. Find out what you’re doing right… and more importantly, what you’re not, with Pattern89’s newest release, Creative Insights.
If you are not a customer, you can still try it out by scheduling a demo! Or, get a free custom Creative SWOT Analysis here.