Action-packed commercial is the first ad to be shot entirely in IMAX

Imax has built its business on superhero blockbusters, frenetic action movies and visually stunning epics. 

So naturally, the film-format proprietor wants to capture the same visceral thrill people get from seeing those movies on the big screen in its latest advertising campaign.

The campaign is kicking off with a minute-long tribute to popcorn flicks of all kinds — a montage of generic action and adventure scenes, some of which look as if they might have come from off-brand versions of Deadpool, Where the Wild Things Are and Watchmen.

But instead of pulling footage from existing films, the company painstakingly shot the entire spot for a super-sized screen on its own brand-name cameras — marking the first time a commercial has ever been filmed in Imax format.

The original idea for the commercial started with a poem the ad agency's creatives had written about their love of film, said Mistress Agency creative director Damien Eley in a making-of video accompanying the ad. The poem was to be read by a narrator as a voiceover for the montage.

But director Ash Boliand thought the commercial would be more affecting if the characters actually broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the viewers.

"It makes it more intimate," Boliand says in the behind-the-scenes video. "When you're watching it you feel like you're a part of the film as well."

A Chinese-language scene of two dueling martial artists is a nod to Imax's business ambitions in the country, where big-budget blockbusters are finding a growing portion of their audiences. China is expected to surpass the U.S. in box-office sales by next year.

The Toronto-based company even took a subsidiary public on the Hong Kong stock exchange last fall to strengthen its presence in the region, becoming one of the first North American companies to do so. 

The ad campaign comes as Hollywood and the theater business are becoming increasingly reliant on the type of fare that Imax does best: explosive, effects-filled action films and franchise tentpoles that have overseas appeal.

Other components of the campaign include animated theater posters featuring various lines from the commercial.