Campaign against film piracy tells moviegoers how precious they are

Heavy-handed commercials that run before films and DVDs reminding consumers that piracy is a crime are to be replaced with a positive message thanking viewers for supporting the industry in a series of ads spoofing classic films such as Jaws, Life of Brian and Lord of the Rings.

The ads, part of an anti-piracy campaign called "You Make the Movies", mark a shift by film and TV content owners from a "stick" to a "carrot" strategy in marketing their message about copyright theft.

Rather than trying to shame the public into not buying pirated DVDs, the entertainment industry is now trying to get people to appreciate that the money they spend legitimately on film and TV merchandising helps pay for more high quality content.

Three new ads, which go live in cinemas from this Friday, have been directed by Steve Bendelack, director of TV comedies such as League of Gentlemen and Little Britain, and feature a voiceover by Adulthood actor Noel Clarke.

The 30-second Lord of the Rings trailer, shows a man who mimics Gollum staring at a gold ring he refers to over and over as "my precious".

The shot pans back to reveal he is the best man at a wedding and that he is in fact embarrassingly refusing to give up the ring to the groom. The ad ends with Clarke's voiceover saying: "Your cinema ticket helps support the film industry in the UK. Thank you."

All three commercials have been made by ad agency Creative Partnership, with the other two spoofing Jaws and Life of Brian. Each ad ends by urging consumers to visit a website, www.youmakethemovies.co.uk.

The previous campaign, also developed by the Industry Trust for IP Awareness, used the "piracy is a crime" approach with a heavy-handed message that illegal downloading is the same as stealing a car, handbag or TV from someone. The ads ran in cinemas from 2004 to 2007 and for a further year at the start of DVDs in the UK.

"Against the recessionary backdrop it is more important than ever for the public to continue to support UK filmmakers by buying the real deal," said Liz Bales, director general of the ITIPA.

"We've already seen the demise of favourite high street stores like Woolworths and Zavvi. If unauthorised digital downloading persists at the levels it has been, future investment in film and TV will be threatened and our enviable industry would falter."

The ITIPA has more than 30 members including the UK Film Council, Blockbuster, eBay, HMV, Morrisons, WHSmith, Lovefilm, Play.com, Cineworld, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Odeon, Granada Ventures, Pathe, Walt Disney, Buena Vista, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Universal, Paramount and Sony Pictures.

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