Ad Platform for Film Studios
Reel Promote is a 0 to 1 ad platform for independent film studios that simplifies campaign creation, reduces setup time by 52%, and supports Reel Talk’s monetization goals.
See the Opportunity
Independent film studios need a faster way to launch promotional campaigns, but most ad tools are built for larger teams and generic workflows. This created an opportunity to design a more guided platform tailored to film marketing.
Role
Product Designer
Company
Reel Talk
Project Type
0 to 1 Product Design
Year
2025
Problem
Existing ad platforms are often too complex and too generic for smaller film studios. Launching a campaign can require more time and marketing expertise than these teams realistically have.
Business Goal
Design a simpler campaign workflow that helps studios launch promotions faster, strengthens Reel Talk as a film marketing channel, and supports long term revenue growth.
Measure the Impact
After 10+ sprints, the redesign reduced setup time from 25 minutes to 12 minutes, and increased advertiser retention by 55%.
Ad Creation Time
52% Reduction
Reduced setup time from 25 minutes to 12 minutes, enabling studios to launch faster.
Advertiser Retention
55% Increase
Repeat campaign creation increased, boosting long-term revenue potential and platform growth.
Although the redesigned flow did not fully hit the 10 minute goal, it reduced setup time by 52% and came close enough to give the team confidence to explore AI assisted creation as the next step.
Know the Users
I interviewed 12 users across independent film studios and lean marketing teams and identified two recurring user types that shaped the workflow.
Across roles, they faced the same constraints: limited time, limited campaign expertise, and no dedicated advertising support.
Start with Research
Through interviews, surveys, and market research, I found that studios think in terms of film, timing, audience, and creative, not the layered logic of traditional ad managers.
Rethink the Campaign Model
Because Reel Talk, movie social platform, already serves movie focused audiences, I removed the traditional ad set layer and simplified the structure into Film Project → Ads.
Start by creating a film project
Each release begins as a single project with its core campaign details.
Then create ads within the project
Related trailer or ticket campaigns can be set up under the same film project.
Shape the Manual Flow
I designed a guided manual flow that streamlined campaign setup while keeping key controls like budget, audience, device, language, and ad format.
I grouped campaign decisions into clearer steps so users could focus on one task at a time instead of navigating a heavy setup flow all at once.
The flow removed unnecessary complexity while preserving the controls studios still needed to tailor campaigns around release goals, audience, and budget.
Validate the First Direction
Testing with five film studio managers showed the new flow reduced setup time to about 12 minutes, but it also revealed two missing needs: more flexible scheduling and more ad format options.
Add more flexible scheduling
Users wanted more control over when campaigns would run so they could align promotions with release timing and avoid wasting budget during low traffic hours. I added daypart scheduling to let studios choose specific time windows instead of relying on a fixed schedule.
Expand ad format options
Users also wanted more flexibility in how campaigns appeared across Reel Talk. I expanded ad format options so studios could choose formats that better matched their promotion goals and creative assets.
Design the AI Path
While the manual flow simplified setup, content creation still depended on users gathering information from multiple sources. I explored AI assisted creation to streamline that step and support faster campaign drafting without taking away user control.
What This Project Really Taught Me
Define the model, not just the screens
The key design decision was simplifying the platform into Film Project → Ads, which showed me that product design often starts with reshaping the system itself.
Think end-to-end
This project taught me to look beyond the builder itself and consider how B2B setup decisions would carry through to the final ad experience for movie audiences.
Reduce complexity through collaboration
Working closely with product and engineering helped clarify what complexity was necessary, what could be removed, and what the team could realistically build.
Use AI to support, not replace
This project reinforced that AI is most effective when it helps users move faster while keeping campaign decisions visible and editable.
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