Digital Cinema Media is an advertising company, supplying cinema advertisements to the Cineworld, Odeon, and Vue cinema chains. The company was formed in July 2008 and is owned by Cineworld and Odeon equally.
Formation
In 1996, British media company Carlton Communications purchased Rank Screen Advertising from The Rank Group and subsequently renamed the operation as Carlton Screen Advertising. The new company supplied cinema advertising for Odeon, Cineworld as well as ABC and UCI Cinemas prior to their respective takeovers by Odeon. In 1999, cinema operator UGC joined the business following its buyout of Virgin Cinemas. However, its UK business was taken over by Cineworld in 2004. In July 2008, Cineworld Group plc and Odeon Cinemas Ltd acquired the company as a 50-50 joint venture. Its name was subsequently changed to Digital Cinema Media for the company's UK sites; the new look and identity first came into force on October 1, 2008. The Republic of Ireland sites continue to use the Carlton name until 2014. A deal signed in 2010 saw all Vue Cinemas sites included in the business from 1 January 2011; this has resulted in the company supplying advertisements for nearly 90% of UK cinemas. In April 2011, DCM changed their on-screen identity for the second time. In September 2012, DCM became the first UK cinema advertising company to 'go digital', though some older cinema sites, mostly those operated by Vue, continue to use standard film. In January 2013, DCM changed their idents and company logo, and also introduced a brand new strapline - 'Dynamic Advertising'. The old idents were still in use until March. In January 2014, DCM hosted a College Project in which students have to design a new ident for DCM. In December 2016, DCM was awarded a contract with Everyman Cinemas, becoming the chain's commercial partner.
Digital advertising
Beginning in 2009, when 3D films began to take a dominating force in the film market, DCM introduced reels produced in 'digital film', which were only used to precede films in 3D at the time. This eliminated such implications as 'cue dots' and graining that had become familiar on standard film. The 'fade to black' function after each advert was also removed, and thus the reel started the next advert immediately after the previous. Upon the original change of image in April 2011, all reels were produced in digital format for all films at cinemas that were capable of showing them. DCM stopped using standard film in September 2012, and is currently in the process of converting every cinema site that it supplies advertising, to digital. Following the current trend of the latest films becoming available in digital 3D, DCM announced plans to go down that route with advertising. In December 2009, Avatar was the first film in Britain to be coupled with a 3D advertising reel.
Controversy
In 2015 DCM created controversy when they did not permit the display of a Church of England advert featuring the Lord’s Prayer, due to their policies prohibiting religious advertising. The Government’s equalities watchdog also voiced alarm, suggesting it undermined "essential British values". However, the BBFC had no problem with it and passed it with a U rating.
Idents
DCM have used three different idents. The first, introduced in 2008, showed a montage of film images with a cinemagoer, accompanied by electronic music. In 2011 these were replaced with an 'illuminated glass' version of the DCM logo and new music, produced by Jump Design. In 2013, the "Dynamic Advertising" idents by Fearlessly Frank were introduced. The tagline was short-lived, however, and was changed to "Welcome To Our World" in October 2013. The 2013 rebrand included three different idents; Amazement, Laughter and Suspense, these idents were later re-edited to include the "Welcome To Our World" tagline and 'Amazement' received a new audio track in 2017.
