THE CINEMA MAN

TitleTHE CINEMA MAN
BrandMASTERCARD
Product/ServiceMASTERCARD PRICELESS SURPRISE, MASTERCARD BERLINALE SPONSORING
Category A03. Online: Fiction & Non-Fiction
Entrant McCANN WORLDGROUP GERMANY Frankfurt, GERMANY
Idea Creation McCANN WORLDGROUP GERMANY Frankfurt, GERMANY
Production MARKENFILM CROSSING Hamburg, GERMANY
Credits
Name Company Position
Thomas Auerswald McCANN Worldgrouo Germany Creative Director, Writer
Olaf Haarsma MRM/McCann Creative Director
Hugo Rohrbeck McCann Art Director
Elke Klinkhammer McCANN Worldgrouo Germany Chief Creative Officer
Chris Endecott MRM//McCANN Copywriter
Cornelia Ulaga McCann Senior Account Manager
Susanne Thill McCann Management Supervisor
Michelle Heinemann McCANN Worldgrouo Germany Senior Art Buyer
Julia Glock-Kiolbassa McCann Account Director
Jörg Offer Markenfilm Crossing Director
Oliver Waldhauer Markenfilm Crossing Director
Thomas Bartl Markenfilm Crossing Executive Producer
Nina Icks Markenfilm Crossing Producer
David Janus Lava Studios Composer
Lars Hesse Lava Studios Composer
Martin Biela MRM//McCANN Executive Creative Director

The Campaign

Helmut Göldner is a one of a kind. He has been in the cinema business for more than 50 years and drives from one village to the next with his van, a vintage projector and a portable screen, recreating that special movie feeling. He has brought the magic of Hollywood to the remotest corners of Germany and knows everything about movies. His tireless engagement and passion went public when Helmut Göldner himself became a star on the red carpet during the Berlinale 2016. MasterCard invited him to the opening night in Berlin, surprised him with a once-in-a-lifetime experience and rewarded him with the MasterCard Award for Culture & Art.

Creative Execution

The element of surprise is essential to the idea of a MasterCard Priceless Surprise. Helmut thinks he’s been invited to Berlin for something else. Then he is welcomed by his favourite German actor, Gojko Mitic. Mitic acts as his host in Berlin, starting off at a tailor’s and ending the visit on the red carpet at the Berlinale. In contrast to Priceless Surprises involving celebrities, this one is focused on a person like you and me.

Starts on Facebook as part of the Berlinale social hub #BerlinaleUncut 1.600 000 clicks on Facebook after 6 days 3.400 000 clicks after 12 days (during the Berlinale) 130.000 views on YouTube after 3 days 330.000 views on YouTube after 12 days

This is the story of 74-year-old Helmut Göldner, Germany’s last real cinema hero. For decades he has packed his mobile film projector in a van and shown movies in remote villages that don’t have a cinema. MasterCard surprised him with a priceless moment, when Helmut met his favourite actor and became a star on the red carpet at the Berlinale 2016 International Film Festival. His story touched the hearts of millions on Facebook and YouTube.

The experiential Surprises campaign grew out of MasterCard's 17-year-old Priceless effort with the tagline: "For everything else, there's MasterCard." The goal is to create a positive an emotional bond between the company and its users while showing the unlimited possibilities that comes with owning a MasterCard.