In a bid to reach the oft-elusive college students arriving at school with cash in their pockets, some advertisers are sponsoring free movies on campus.

To find out how to get your client’s message in view of college students across the country with more than $200 billion in spending power, read on.

This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.

Fast Facts

What
Sponsorship of movies on college campuses.

Who
Alloy Media + Marketing, headquartered in New York, and Youth Media & Marketing Networks (Y2M), headquartered in Boston.

How it works
Advertisers sponsor movie showings on college campuses as a vehicle to reach students during their leisure time. The advertiser’s message is plastered on pre-event publicity and at the venue.

Alloy’s program focuses on screening major motion pictures just prior to their public release.

“It provides a free venue for college students to hang out and experience a brand new film and fits the idea of a product launch. New film, new characters, new product,” says senior vice president Samantha Skey.

Y2M links advertisers with movie classics and DVD releases. They also match advertisers with existing movie series on college campuses.

Posters, fliers, street teams and ads in campus publications, print and online, are used to publicize the free movies. Alloy distributes free tickets ahead of time. Seats at Y2M showings can be reserved online, but tickets aren’t necessary.

Ads for the movies appear on campus a week or two prior to the screening, says Y2M media services coordinator Lauren Simmons.

Alloy’s program has the option of product demonstration and sampling. Additionally, tickets are branded.

“The entertainment platform creates an organic sampling platform,” Skey says.

It’s important for the product and movie type to be matched, Skey says. “The films used range from comedy and drama to horror and do I dare say chick flick? We try to choose the right film for the product.”

Examples include “Mean Girls,” sponsored by Dove soap, and “Shopgirl,” sponsored by Polo through Alloy.

Agencies generally provide creative. “There’s definitely more customized messaging referencing students’ lives on campus,” Skey says.

Sponsored movies can stand alone but are more often part of a media mix.

Currently Dentyne is working with Alloy to offer free showings of Jessica Simpson’s new film “Employee of the Month” from Lions Gate and “Gridiron Gang” from Sony Pictures starring Dwayne Johnson (The Rock). Broadcast, online and print ads are also part of the larger “Happy Hunting” Dentyne campaign. Additionally, “Happy Hunting” displays and mirror clings will be placed in restrooms in 220 bar venues in campus market.

Y2M is coordinating showings of “Godzilla” to promote the DVD release. It’s a stand-alone campaign.

The majority of movies are shown on campus, Simmons says. “Student unions have theaters as well as large lecture halls with screens.”

Markets
Alloy’s program is available on 160 campuses in the top 60 DMAs. Y2M is willing to put a program together in any market, Pradel says. Both companies work with both private and public universities and colleges.

Numbers
There are 16.5 million college students in the U.S., who spend more than $231 billion annually, according to a College Explorer Harris Interactive 2006 study provided by Alloy.

How it is measured
Ticket redemption and attendance are the basic measurement tools. Surveys as well as pre- and post-campaign studies are also used.

“When measuring we look at how many went to the event, how many heard about it, how many know who sponsored it, how many wish they had attended, and how many went to the same movie at a regular theater showing because they heard about it on campus,” Skey says.

Research
According to a recent College Explorer Study conducted by Harris Interactive for Alloy:
-92 percent of college students report that they have attended at least one movie in the last six months
-On average, a college student sees 10 movies at a theater each year
-College students spend $806 million on movie tickets annually

What product categories do well
Entertainment, health and beauty aids, beverages, wireless, fashion and other retail, food and travel are top categories. 

Alcohol and tobacco aren’t accepted. Also, the brand can’t conflict with a brand that’s part of production sponsorship of the film, Skey says.

Demographics
“In the overall college universe, campuses can be targeted based on their composition,” Skey says. First, overall numbers and enrollment are evaluated and then the type of school and then if they turn out to a concentration of math majors, for example, or have a high ethnic enrollment.

Making the buy
Alloy: Lead time is a minimum of six weeks, though longer is preferred.
Y2M: Lead time is two to three months but can vary with the film and time of year.

Who’s already on college campuses
Alloy is currently working with Dentyne. Other recent advertisers include Polo, Nivea for Men, Maxim and Dove.

Y2M is launching its campus movie program with Classic Media sponsoring the re-release of Godzilla on DVD.

What they’re saying
“The amount of buzz that will emerge from a screening is considerable. And there’s a positive ruboff for the product that’s sponsoring the film.” – Samantha Skey, vice president at Alloy Media + Marketing

Web site info
Alloy at www.alloymarketing.com
Y2M at www.y2m.com