Regal Theaters To Allow Red Band Trailers

From The Hollywood Reporter: The Regal Entertainment Group announced this weekend that they would begin to allow restricted (aka "red band") trailers to be shown before screenings of their more adult-themed features. Red Band trailers start with a red MPAA rating screen at the beginning, as seen in the image, instead of the green one you usually see. The red band trailer is only approved to show a restricted audience, so it would only be put in front of an R-rated movie.
Previously Regal Cinemas and other chains would not show red band trailers, one obvious reason being the possibility of a mix-up in the projection booth resulting in one being shown to an inappropriate audience, which has happened before. Even the wrong movie has been shown to audiences at times due to projection booth errors.

As an industry leader that operates 6,388 screens in 39 states and the District of Columbia, Regal's policy change likely will lead to similar decisions at a number of the nation's other major chains.
"This is going to be hugely helpful for us when we want to give targeted moviegoers a true sense of the kind of movies we are offering," said Adam Fogelson, Universal president of marketing and distribution. "I couldn't be happier or more grateful to the people at Regal for continuing the dialogue that has led to this decision."

When I worked at a movie theater, red bands were more common than in recent years, but still were somewhat infrequently used. The amount of red bands produced by studios dramatically reduced after the new millennium started when an FTC report was released that criticized the entertainment industry and it's advertising practices.

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