Be honest: when was the last time you were excited to see an ad? Most of us skip them, mute them or use them as a signal to go and make a cup of tea.
Now imagine a giant cinema screen, a packed room, and a crowd cheering, booing and arguing about commercials like it's a football final. Welcome to La Nuit de l'Advertising, also known as The Night of the Ad Eaters, a French cult event that has been turning the ad break into the main feature for more than four decades. On Thursday 22 October, it makes its return to Australia at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne.
In short: the world's best commercials, on the big screen, in one unforgettable night. Think deliriously creative,
beautiful, exotic, moving, gloriously kitsch and, very often, hilarious. Turns out ads can be great cinema.
This year's programme brings together more than 170 films from over 45 countries, spanning more than 70 years of advertising. Expect everything from recent Cannes Lions winners to old-school classics, from Japan to Brazil, from India to the UK. Everything is fully subtitled, so you won't miss a joke.
The story begins in 1981, in France, with a man named Jean-Marie Boursicot. A lifelong advertising obsessive, he had spent years collecting commercials from around the world, and he had a problem: a growing archive that needed to be stored and preserved.
His solution was brilliantly simple. He organised a public screening of part of his collection and sold tickets to fund the archive. The audience loved it, so he did it again the next year. And the next. Before long, this event had become an iconic evening at the legendary Grand Rex cinema.
Today, Boursicot's collection counts more than a million advertising films, one of the largest advertising cinema libraries on the planet. Every year he personally selects the programme, which is why no two nights are ever the same.
What started as a one-off in Paris turned into a worldwide phenomenon. The Night of the Ad Eaters has travelled to dozens of countries and well over a hundred cities, from New York to Casablanca to Belgrade. Everywhere it lands, the formula is the same: a crowd that is part audience, part commentator, part cheerleader.
Why people love it
It's the opposite of a polite, silent screening. People burst out laughing at the corny adverts, applaud the best ones and chat as they leave, discussing what makes a good advert. It’s a cinema full of strangers who, all of a sudden, all have strong opinions.
Why it's a big deal for Sydney
The Alliance Française de Sydney is bringing this French tradition to the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace's giant screen for one night only. If you've ever heard friends abroad rave about it, this is your chance to finally find out what the fuss is about.
Two curated sessions. The programme is split into two screenings, so you get the full ride without losing the plot.
A live stage intermission. Between the sessions, the show continues on stage. Stretch your legs, grab a drink and enjoy the surprises.
Zero dull moments. Cannes Lions heroes, retro gems, strange discoveries and a few "wait, did they really just show that?" moments. The kind of ads that make you wish you had been in the room when someone pitched them.
A crowd that joins in. Cheering, booing and debating are not just allowed, they're encouraged. Leave your cinema-silence manners at the door.
You work in marketing or creative
It's a masterclass in storytelling, humour and visual ideas from all over the world, without the conference lanyard. Bring your team and call it research.
You love cinema
Ads are tiny films with huge budgets and big ideas. Seeing them on a vintage picture palace screen is a whole different experience.
You want a fun night out that isn't dinner and drinks
A proper shared experience, with friends, colleagues or a date, that gives you something to talk about for weeks.
You're curious about French culture
Created in France and brought to Sydney by the Alliance Française, it's the perfect excuse to enjoy a slice of French creativity and a sense of humour that only the French could invent.
