CIFF needed a campaign that solidified its values of being inclusive, welcoming & accessible.

Film festivals are often perceived as being only for elite, educated or hardcore cinema lovers. And films with subtitles are perceived as being the most elite of the bunch.

We needed to find a way to show people from all walks of life that the Chicago International Film Festival has a story for everyone.

Turning everyday life into a cinematic experience through a series of Location-based OOH.

Since the beginning of film, subtitles have helped break down barriers and make the foreign more accessible. To celebrate the 58th Chicago International Film Festival and bring the romance, intrigue, and drama of foreign film to life, we gave the city and its inhabitants their very own subtitles.

By applying this cinematic device to everyday life, we made the film festival accessible to everyone, bringing people together to connect and communicate, even in the most unlikely places.

Film festivals are often perceived as being only for elite, educated or hardcore cinema lovers. And films with subtitles are perceived as being the most elite of the bunch. So we decided to take that perceived barrier and turn it on its head, by taking the subtitles out of the cinema and onto the streets, giving the entire city and its inhabitants their very own subtitles. From dumpsters to lawn signs, guerilla wild postings and contextual OOH, we used unconventional media placements to subtitle everyday moments in an innovative way. Delivering our message straight to consumers and making them reconsider who international film festivals are for.

Number of unique visitors during the festival period increased by 32% from 2021, up to 152,000. The campaign also received over 1.4million social impressions.

For 58 years, The Chicago International Film Festival has been bringing the best in international cinema to the city. Their mission is to enrich Chicago’s cultural environment by presenting film in contexts that encourage discussion and debate and to promote a deeper understanding of a diverse body of cultures, thus contributing to Chicago’s identity and orientation as an international city.