The cultural moments that will matter to media in 2026

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Brands are increasingly turning to major cultural moments to help lead their ad campaigns, and cinema has been a significant beneficiary.

According to the latest AA/Warc adspend figures, cinema adspend is forecast to have jumped 17% in 2025. Digital Cinema Media (DCM), the UK’s largest cinema ad sales house, indicated to The Media Leader full-year revenues grew 12% in 2025, thanks in part to renewed advertiser interest in using the medium to launch AV campaigns.

What are the indispensible moments that will matter to audiences throughout this year?

Michael Bensley, head of client and Digital Cinema Media (DCM), and Tracey Middleton, head of media and entertainment at Mail Metro Media, sat down with senior reporter Jack Benjamin to offer a preview.

The trio talked through how brands can tap into cross-generational cultural moments, like the FIFA World Cup this summer, as well as titles like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Toy Story 5.

Speaking to communities and fandoms has also become core to many brands’ media strategies. For Marvel fans, brands can look forward to Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day; horror fans had their appetites satiated with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple this month. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is likely to be a key cultural moment this summer for the core 16-34 demographic.

Nostalgia also has a role to play this year, with an apparent focus on the noughties with The Devil Wears Prada 2.

“They’re massive moments that brands can lean into,” said Bensley. “For consumers, it’s just an opportunity to come together and lean into content and zeitgeisty moments that matter. They get people excited and maximise their joy.”

Watch the video

This video was filmed in partnership with DCM.

Highlights

3:30: Finding and capitalising on cross-generational cultural moments

5:33: Tapping into communities, fandom, and franchises

16:41: Sleeper hits to know

18:17: The power of nostalgia