Dallas-based Studio Movie Grill (SMG) surprised patrons across its 20 locations during the holidays, with the first of many “It’s On Us” activations, which will continue throughout 2024. The campaign was created to express appreciation for visitors at SMG by paying the food and beverage tab of every moviegoer in an auditorium during a randomly selected showtime. The brand covered over 750 guests in its first activation to kickoff Christmas weekend and the surge of year-end movies hitting big screens across the country.
The “It’s on Us” campaign continues into 2024 with activations occurring randomly across all 20 locations on different dates, movie titles, and showtimes. It will run in parallel to SMG’s Special Needs Screenings that feature a new release title with unique screening considerations for thousands of special needs guests. Special Needs Screenings are free for attendees and take sensory-friendly considerations that include low volume, lights up, and allowance of moving around, talking, and even dancing in the aisles. In 2023, SMG gifted over 20,000 tickets to special needs families nationwide.
Guests that are a part of the giveaways are encouraged to socialize about their experiences across social media. They’re also encouraged to talk about what movie they saw and remind other movie lovers why going to the movies is the only way to truly experience a film.
“We knew it was going to be a great season for holiday movie-going,” said SMG’s CEO Ted Croft. “We thought, ‘What better way to express our gratitude to these guests than to pay for it?’ So we did. Besides planning the first activation around the biggest gift-giving of the year, I think the best part was the excitement of our teams to make the announcement to unexpecting guests at the front of the auditorium before the credits finished.”
“Our outreach efforts are a big part of our business,” said Michael McCreary, SMG’s vice president of operations. “From the home office to our teams in the field, it’s ingrained into what we do and why we do it. The ‘It’s On Us’ giveaway is another example of giving back at the local level. We got high-fives and hugs from long-time guests and first-timers alike on the way out of the auditorium. It was pretty special.”
“I like that folks were coming to SMG because they wanted to see one of these great holiday movies and we got to surprise them,” said Ted Low, SMG’s vice president of brand and marketing. “We later heard about birthday parties, anniversaries and family traditions made sweeter with our activation. It’s a season of giving so we decided to think through a customer experience at SMG that would wow our guests. And we’re going to do it again.”
Follow SMG on social media or visit studiomoviegrill.com for more information.
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