POSTERWATCH: UIP gets Christmas crowds in mood for love

With a star-studded cast including Hugh Grant and Keira Knightley, the £2m pre-release campaign for United International Picture's (UIP) romantic comedy Love Actually was never going to be low-profile. The campaign reached sixth position in the Posterwatch table, with recall running at 37% during the first two weeks of November .

The need to attract a female audience as they went Christmas shopping meant outdoor played a key role in its media strategy.

The national outdoor campaign comprised 6000 six-sheets and 170 12-sheets and focused on major cities throughout the UK. Creative by TEA was made up of three executions: one of the cast tied up as a gift; the second featuring the words 'Love, Love, Love Actually' and the third featuring the names of the cast, saying they 'are in Love Actually'.

The campaign was weighted toward London to take advantage of the vast numbers of Christmas shoppers the capital attracts and included bus supersides and an innovative London Underground campaign. Escalator panels featuring copy such as 'All you need is Love Actually' were brought to life by buskers playing music from the film.

Media for the campaign was by Mediaedge:cia, with poster buying through Portland. According to Mediaedge:cia account manager Aaron Quinn, the campaign aimed to create a warm feeling and make the target audience feel that "love is all around" them.

The outdoor campaign was part of wider work which included TV, radio, press and online. It contributed to UIP's biggest opening weekend. The film was released on November 21 and its opening weekend takings (including paid previews) reached £6.5m.

This article was first published on Marketing