In a nonstop digital world, how do you get young people to really pause? For Rialto, it meant creating a moment to stop scrolling and start experiencing new stories. This is the story behind the PAUSE campaign.
The brief
Rialto is a film house in Amsterdam specializing in non-Western and arthouse films. The challenge was to engage more young people and increase ticket sales, with a strong focus on student discounts. In an era where scrolling and swiping on phones is constant, we wanted to invite them to hit PAUSE. To pause everything, step into a new story, and experience something different from the endless digital noise.
Our concept
The campaign is called “PAUSE” — a call to pause life, the endless scroll, and the constant flow of information. Just like pressing pause on a film to take a moment to breathe or reflect, we invited young people to discover a different world at Rialto.
We created a series of posts, stories, and animations that visualized the contrast between digital overload and the calm of the film house. The focus was on authenticity and relatability, with a fresh, modern tone that connected with students’ lives. Student discounts featured prominently as a direct incentive. The campaign used visually strong, minimalist animations symbolizing the title PAUSE and short clips from various non-Western and arthouse films to spark curiosity.
Distribution strategy
The campaign was primarily rolled out via Meta ads (Instagram Reels, Stories, and In-Feed), supported by organic posts and user-generated content. We tested both English and Dutch copy to target locals as well as expats. Within the Dutch copy, we experimented with Gen Z slang, abbreviations, and more neutral language to appeal to a wider age range. The PAUSE animations also proved a strong visual anchor in busy social feeds.
“Working with BOLD & SOUND brought a fresh perspective to the campaign that truly captured Rialto’s unique spirit. Their creative approach perfectly balanced authenticity with a modern touch, helping us connect with young audiences in a meaningful way. The PAUSE campaign boosted our ticket sales and created a genuine invitation to step back and experience something different.”
— Marketing Manager, Rialto
©bold & sound
