Bunnings carpark becomes a pop-up cinema for PAW Patrol

What happened at Minchinbury

On 11 September 2026, a Bunnings carpark in western Sydney became one of the more unusual media environments of the year. Bunnings Minchinbury hosted a free screening of PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, with meet-and-greet appearances by Chase and Marshall, children's activities, face painting, a community sausage sizzle, and popcorn and movie treats.^[1] In effect, it was a managed cinema event staged inside a hardware retailer's outdoor space.

Limited carpark capacity meant families had to reserve in advance.^[1] That compulsory booking step turned a free giveaway into something closer to a ticketed, trackable audience, which is the part media buyers will find most interesting.

How the deal was structured

PHD brokered the arrangement, bringing Val Morgan Cinema and Paramount together for the activation. Val Morgan's core business is selling advertising inside cinemas, so deploying that screen and event expertise into a retail carpark rather than a multiplex is a concrete example of cinema ad networks chasing audiences beyond traditional venues.

Deb Poole, Chief Operating Officer at Bunnings, said the sausage sizzle element reflects a broader community ambition. "We know community groups and our customers are pleased to see our community sausage sizzles back up and running at their local Bunnings," Poole said.^[4] Framing the activation around that established ritual gave Paramount access to the trust Bunnings already holds with Australian families.

The timing was deliberate

PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie opened in cinemas on 14 August 2026.^[3] The Minchinbury event came four weeks later, and that gap was planned. Paramount had already staged family-day screenings in 29 US cities the weekend before the film opened theatrically on 12 August 2026, building early awareness in its home market.^[2] Australia followed as a second-wave market, with the Bunnings event designed to sustain box-office momentum after opening-weekend buzz had settled.

Doug Wadleigh, President of Toys at Spin Master, which co-produced the film and released a toy range at major retailers from 1 July 2026, said the franchise's appeal comes down to a simple combination. "There's something instantly exciting for kids about bringing together two themes they love, puppies and dinosaurs," Wadleigh said.^[3] That combination also made Bunnings, where families already shop on weekends, a natural venue to exploit it.

Why retail media is paying attention

Retail media has spent the past three years moving from banner ads on grocery apps toward richer, harder-to-ignore formats. A pop-up cinema in a carpark sits about as far from a shelf-edge screen as the format has yet travelled. At Minchinbury, a child had to sit still, watch a film, and interact with costumed characters, all inside a Bunnings property with the retailer's brand present throughout.

For Val Morgan, the opportunity is structural. Cinema attendance in Australia remains below pre-2020 levels, which puts pressure on in-cinema advertising revenue. Taking the screen to where the audience already gathers on a Saturday morning addresses that directly. The Minchinbury event on 11 September 2026 gives the industry a concrete case study for the next family franchise that needs a second-wave activation outside a multiplex.