Of the everyday consumer rituals and experiences that have been put on pause because of the coronavirus crisis few have been as much missed by consumers as cinema. Arguably at a time when escapism was top of the consumer agenda the loss of the big screen experience was more keenly felt.

There is no question that the industry has been hard hit, with some film industry analysts reportedly estimating that the outbreak could wipe £3.9 billion ($5 billion) off the global box office.

As global lockdowns extended, major box office hits, like the new Bond film No Time To Die were postponed, premieres cancelled, with some even moving straight onto streaming platforms. And now, with some movie theatres opening back up, another struggle presents itself in the form of convincing audiences that it is safe to return.

But cinema is back, as a new slot from Cinema First proclaims, at last. Because, as the film so says, “great stories deserve big screens.” Backed by the entire UK cinema industry, the #LoveCinema campaign reminds audiences of the excitement of the big screen in a cinematic montage created by Empire Design, interspersing iconic movie scenes with others in which characters sit captivated by the cinema screen.

The campaign captures the sheer escapism that a couple of hours at the cinema can bring, celebrating people’s love for it and demonstrating just how powerful storytelling can be. The soundtrack, This Little Light of Mine, comes from a track originally written in the 1920s. The slot features three versions of it, one by the Rend Collective, another by Dionne Warwick and another recorded exclusively for the campaign.

Iain Jacob, Chair of Cinema First, said: “Cinemas are ready to welcome audiences back, and we are calling on the great British film-loving public to escape back to the cinema and enjoy a safer big screen experience.”

Cinemagoing has been repeatedly highlighted as the third most missed out-of-home activity during lockdown, as revealed in the regular audience surveys conducted by MetrixLab on behalf of the industry. As we tentatively take steps towards a world that feels more familiar, a trip to the cinema feels like a luxury we deserve. Having taken the experience for granted pre-coronavirus, the industry is inviting people to return to the big screens, to enjoy storytelling at its finest.