Brief:

• In-theater ad network National CineMedia added games to its recently released movie trivia app, Noovie Shuffle, that aims to promote Disney and Pixar’s upcoming "Toy Story 4," per an announcement. The web app challenges players to test their knowledge about Pixar favorites, including "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles" and "Inside Out."
• The trivia games include yes-no questions about Pixar movies, multiple-choice quizzes about stars that have provided voiceovers for its films and timelines about their release dates, among other questions. Players who register a username and email address can gain access to more decks of trivia cards.
• The Pixar games mark the first time a film studio has collaborated with Noovie Shuffle, which National CineMedia debuted in April at the CinemaCon exhibition in Las Vegas. Players who register in the game can see how their trivia skills rank among other movie fans on a leaderboard. National CineMedia may give fans a chance to win prizes later this year.

Insight:

While National CineMedia's core business is selling ads that moviegoers see in theaters while they wait for movies to begin, the popularity of smartphones has meant that the company needs additional ways to gain the attention of audiences. Its Noovie Shuffle web app aims to engage movie fans with film-related content even when they're not sitting in movie theaters. Gaming content has become a popular way to immerse audiences in a brand experience, with 69% of U.S. consumers saying they would rather give up social media apps or TV than lose their favorite mobile games, per a recent survey. For Disney and Pixar, the trivia games help to promote the June 21 release of "Toy Story 4" while inviting moviegoers to explore its library of past films.

While Noovie Shuffle can be played anywhere people have an internet connection, National Cinemedia also has created games aimed at mobile users when they're in theaters. The company last year worked with Disney on the studio's promotion for "Ralph Breaks the Internet" with an augmented reality (AR) smartphone game in theaters. Moviegoers who downloaded the free Noovie ARcade app could play the game during movie previews at 1,700 theaters including AMC, Cinemark and Regal Entertainment Group. Before that, National Cinemedia debuted an AR horror experience in theaters for moviegoers seeing PG-13 or R-rated movies.

The publicity for "Toy Story 4" includes tie-ins with a variety of products, such as the Adidas x Toy Story 4 collection of shoes from the sportswear brand that goes on sale next week. McDonald's, Alaska Airlines, Best Western Hotels, Chrysler, Clorox and Ziploc also are among the national brands with tie-ins to "Toy Story 4."​ Pepperidge Farm released a limited-edition version of its goldfish crackers, while Edy's ice cream debuted two new flavors inspired by the movie.