MUMBAI: Omnicom Media Group has entered into an upfront agreement with National CineMedia (NCM), America's #1 weekend network, to bring Omnicom client brands to movie patrons across NCM’s network in 2015.

The deal, which will cover approximately $50 million in advertising over the next year, is the latest example of Omnicom Media Group’s video-neutral approach to media buying, placing cinema in its premium video tier. This landmark upfront buy is fully integrated to reach moviegoers on-screen, on-site, online and on mobile devices, and includes NCM’s FirstLook pre-show, Shazam cinema interactivity, movie theater lobby activations, and online and mobile video campaigns specifically targeting NCM movie audiences.

“This represents the continued evolution of our premium video strategy, and is another step toward ensuring that our clients have preferred access to a wide range of advertising alternatives. Our clients expect us to identify the best video marketing options, and cinema fits perfectly into that category. This deal allowed us to secure some of the best NCM inventory, competitive pricing and the ability to integrate the big screen into our clients’ long term marketing plans,” said Omnicom Media Group CEO - North America Investment - John Swift.

This 2015 upfront deal is an expansion of Omnicom Media Group’s successful use of cinema over the years for a wide variety of clients.

“This expanded relationship with Omnicom Media Group is a sign of a pivotal shift in the marketplace as we head into our fourth upfront season. Cinema is now being recognized as premium video with high quality content, increasing reach, strong market coverage and great consumer engagement,” said NCM president of sales and marketing Cliff Marks.

NCM’s first-ever agency upfront deal with Omnicom Media Group is the cap to a very successful 2014-15 upfront season, which saw upfront commitments increase of nearly 100 per cent over the prior year.