Great stories deserve a grand setting

For nearly 140 years, *The Doll* has remained one of the most important works of Polish literature. Generation after generation returns to Wokulski, Izabela Łęcka, and a world in which ambition, social status, love, and unfulfilled dreams weave a tale that continues to stir the emotions.

On September 30, “The Doll” returned to the big screen—this time in a new, lavishly produced film adaptation by Maciej Kawalski. Its return to theaters raises a question that is important not only for filmmakers but also for marketers: how significant is the environment in which we encounter content to how we perceive it?

Because no story exists in a vacuum.

The medium is part of the message

In marketing communications, a great deal of attention is paid to the quality of creative work, tailoring the message, and precisely defining the target audience. However, the environment in which the audience comes into contact with the brand is no less important. The medium is not a neutral vehicle—it helps shape the experience of the message and, as such, can influence how the brand itself is perceived.

This is demonstrated by the British study “Maximizing Price: The Role of Media” (link: https://www.dcm.co.uk/news/new-dcm-research-reveals-cinema-drives-brand-price-premiums?utm_source=chatgpt.com), conducted in 2025 by Digital Cinema Media and the research agency Everyday People. To isolate the influence of the medium itself, the researchers used a fictional brand and examined its reception across nine different channels.

In some of the categories analyzed, the brand’s presence in the cinema raised the “optimal price”—the price consumers were willing to accept—by as much as 12% compared to the average price across all channels surveyed. This is a significant insight from a marketing perspective: the context and location of exposure can influence not only whether a message is noticed but also the perception of a brand’s quality and value.

In the movie theater, this mechanism takes on particular significance. The theater auditorium is a space designed for the reception of visuals and sound. The large screen, darkened room, high-quality projection, and sound system limit competition from other stimuli while simultaneously enhancing the sensory dimension of the message. The cinema experience, therefore, is not limited to a larger screen—it is the sum of conditions that influence how content is perceived.

From an advertiser’s perspective, this means the ability to fully leverage the creative potential—the visuals, music, narrative pace, detail, and tension built up over the course of the commercial. These elements, under the right conditions, become an integral part of the brand experience.

Emotions Create Meaning

Cinema is also a medium deeply rooted in emotions. Viewers don’t just happen to show up in a theater. They make a decision to go to the movies, choose a specific film to watch “here and now,” buy a ticket, and devote their time and attention to the experience of watching a movie. They thus engage with the content in a specific state of focus and readiness to immerse themselves in the story.

In 2025, Screenvision Media and Alter Agents examined just how significant this is for advertising in a study titled “Cinema’s Power for Deeper Consumer Connections,” conducted in the United States. The study utilized, among other methods, biometric measurements that recorded audience reactions during actual movie screenings. Ads shown in movie theaters achieved results 21% higher than Alter Agents’ advertising benchmarks in terms of emotional engagement and were 2.6 times more likely to be perceived as attention-grabbing than ads in other exposure locations.

The study also showed an increase in key brand image metrics for brands featured before the screening—including a 7% increase in positive brand attitude and a 5% increase in interest in learning more about the brand.

The Power of the Event

The new film adaptation of *Lalka* also serves as a reminder of yet another characteristic of cinema—its ability to elevate a story to the status of a major event.

In 2026, Digital Cinema Media, in collaboration with the research and strategy firm MTM, examined this phenomenon in the “Cultural Relevance” study. Among the commercial cultural moments spontaneously recalled by respondents from the past 12 months, cinema accounted for 28% of mentions. The study also highlights the importance of anticipation

and the emotions built up before an event—in the case of movie premieres, often over many weeks or months. Cinema thus allows a brand to appear within the context of an event that the viewer is waiting for, consciously chooses, and wants to experience. And that is precisely why context matters.

“Lalka” is a story that has been known for generations, but the right setting allows us to see it in a new light. Is there a certain analogy here with brand communication? Well, certainly even the best creative work needs the right environment and precisely that setting, which will allow the audience to truly see, hear, and experience it.

See at the movies!