Experience agency DIVE developed a headline partnership with Curzon Cinemas to demonstrate Kia’s support of independent cinema and Curzon’s 90th anniversary. The campaign included a programme of films showcasing iconic movies from various eras, reflecting on Curzon’s rich history and contribution to cinema.
O Street worked with DIVE to build the campaign creative to showcase Kia’s electric vehicles, connecting them with the spirit and ethos of independent cinema, resulting in a powerful multi-channel creative concept to engage and inspire.
A key challenge was finding a way of blending existing footage from Kia with bespoke Curzon cinema footage – ensuring both brands seamlessly interacted.
We developed a campaign framework inspired by classic film posters and the Brutalist architecture featured in the inherited Kia footage. The concept draws a parallel between the deconstructed stone structures seen in the ads and the unique architecture of Curzon cinemas.
The campaign framework uses blocks of content and strips of static imagery or footage, overlaying and interplaying, to mimic the Saul Bass inspired cinema poster aesthetic.
Taking inspiration from Kia’s global strapline ‘Movement that Inspires’, DIVE and O Street collaborated to create the ‘Journeys that Inspire’ tagline that was used throughout the 20 second film. We gave the typography a unique style and behaviour aligning to the overall concept of the campaign.
We also had a role in refining the soundtrack options and selecting a suitable track for the advert. The chosen piece evokes a sense of inspiration gradually building throughout.
O Street directed a film and photography shoot at several of the prestigious Curzon Cinemas in London.
Partnering with long-term collaborators, Pretend Lovers, we captured the unique atmosphere of these iconic venues. For the exterior shots, we focused on wide pans of the cinemas, highlighting the Kia cars in action across their diverse locations.
Inside, we captured the distinctive interior design and architecture of the Curzon cinemas, featuring beautiful ambient lighting and rich, jewel-toned decor.
In addition to the film, the O Street creative team developed a full suite of multi-channel assets and accompanying campaign guidelines.
This modular approach provided a cohesive system that was easily adaptable across various campaign touchpoints.
“O Street consistently deliver the quality and creativity demanded by the global brands we work with and they didn’t let us down with this campaign. They brought solid strategic thinking, creativity and their usual technical excellence to what was a tricky brief. We can’t wait to see it on the big screen.”
— Gemma, DIVE (Pearl & Dean)
“Seeing our work on the big cinema screen will always bring us goosebumps. Add in stylish cars, iconic London buildings and our pals at Pretend Lovers and you’ve got the perfect combination for a great piece of work. It’s a thrill and an honour to work with brands like Curzon and Kia”.
— David Freer, O Street
