How we built a paid media architecture to expand international reach for Berlin's humanitarian film festival — without compromising the character of the event.
Cinema for Peace is an internationally recognised film festival and humanitarian organisation based in Berlin. Each year it brings together filmmakers, political leaders, and activists to use storytelling as a vehicle for global change — drawing international media attention and a culturally engaged audience.
The challenge: awareness was heavily concentrated among existing networks and press coverage. Growing attendance and engagement required reaching people based on values and interests — not familiarity with the brand. Digital advertising had not been used systematically to build that reach.
Cinema for Peace had genuine cultural weight, but its audience was defined by network proximity — journalists, policy circles, and established festival contacts. People who cared deeply about human rights, documentary film, and international politics were not finding the event through those channels.
The goal was to build paid media campaigns that felt consistent with the event's mission — not generic awareness advertising, but targeted communication connecting the right message to the right audience based on what they cared about, not who they already knew.
Three core segments were identified — documentary and art film audiences, international human rights communities, and politically engaged cultural consumers — with separate targeting on both Google and Meta for each, across key international markets.
Each audience segment received messaging built around their primary reason to care: film appreciation, activist alignment, or cultural prestige. The same event, communicated through the lens that resonated with each group — not a one-size creative broadcast.
Campaigns ran in phases: broad awareness first to build familiarity and audience pools, followed by retargeting with event-specific messaging as dates approached. Google Search captured active intent; Meta reached culturally engaged people who weren't yet searching.
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