The paid social strategy that filled cinema seats across Australia and New Zealand
We partnered with an Australian film company to help drive ticket sales for their upcoming cinema release. With screenings running across Australia and New Zealand, the goal was simple, fill seats, generate excitement, and make sure every session counted.
Independent film release campaign results
Impressions
809,987
Total Reach
411,679
Link clicks
16,844
CPC
$0.36
The Challenge
Releasing an independent film across two countries is no small feat. Before working with us, our client had no structured paid social strategy in place, they'd relied on organic reach and broad awareness activity that wasn't converting to ticket sales. With screenings running simultaneously across 27 locations in two countries, that approach wouldn't move tickets. Every screening had its own local audience, and every empty seat was revenue left on the table.
They needed a targeted, location-specific paid social strategy that could drive real ticket sales fast, without blowing the budget on irrelevant impressions.
Our Approach
Rather than running one broad national campaign, we built a three-campaign structure designed specifically for the complexity of a multi-location cinema release.
First, an event response campaign to build awareness and generate excitement in the lead-up to release. Then two dedicated ticket sales campaigns one targeting Australian audiences, one targeting New Zealand each geo-targeted to reach people within proximity of their nearest screening location.
Every dollar was working with purpose. No wasted spend. No irrelevant impressions. Just the right message, in front of the right people, at exactly the right time.
Why This Worked
Cinema releases rise and fall on local relevance. Nobody books a ticket to a film screening two hours away, so a single national campaign was never going to work. By separating markets and targeting locally, we made every dollar work harder.
The results back that up. Our ticket sales campaigns delivered clicks at just $0.36, and a 4.71% CTR confirmed the creative was resonating strongly with local audiences.
That's not luck. That's what a structured, geo-targeted campaign built around local relevance delivers every time.
Over 800,000 impressions and 411,000 people reached across Australia and New Zealand — at a CPC more than 50% below the industry average and a CTR more than double the benchmark. The film company reported strong audience turnout and high public engagement across both markets, and described the campaign as exceeding their expectations for an independent release of this scale.
Key Takeaways
01 Local targeting beats broad reach every time
Before this campaign, the client relied on organic reach with no paid social structure. By building geo-targeted campaigns around each screening location, we turned a broad awareness play into a precision ticket-sales engine.
02 Structure drives efficiency
Separating event response from ticket sales allowed us to optimise each campaign independently — keeping costs low and performance high. The result was a $0.36 CPC against an industry average of $1.00–$2.00.
03 $0.36 CPC doesn't happen by accident.
Precise targeting and high-relevance creative delivered a 4.71% CTR — more than double the industry average — stretching every dollar of the client's $11,584 budget further than a traditional campaign ever could.
04 Paid social works for an independent film
With the right strategy, a focused budget can generate 800k+ impressions, reach 400k+ people, and drive real ticket sales across 27 locations in two countries. You don't need a blockbuster budget to make a real impact.
Want results like this?
At Launcher Lab, we don't just talk a big game – our performance marketing speaks for itself. We'll help you scale fast and achieve results that actually move the needle.
What makes us different? Simple: a straightforward retainer plus success fees tied directly to performance. No lock-in contracts. No BS. Just accountability and killer results.
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