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Tag: Avengers: Age of Ultron

  • Disney India’s Captain America rings in 70 brands; raises Rs 150 crore

    Disney India’s Captain America rings in 70 brands; raises Rs 150 crore

    MUMBAI: You know you are doing something right when you beat your own record and that is exactly what Disney India has done for their chef d’oeuvre — Captain America: Civil War, which is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The studio has gone ahead and signed media and merchandising deals with 70 brands, one upping their previous record of 50 brand associations each for Star Wars: The Force Awakens  and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

    “For the India market, we have a record number of 70 brands collaborating for Captain America: Civil War, which is a testament to its growing popularity. This is by far the highest for any Hollywood or Bollywood movie,” asserted Disney India, consumer products VP and head Abhishek Maheshwari.

    Disney India’s consumer product business has associated with a wide variety of brands in categories such as apparel, toys, FMCG, ecommerce, accessories, finance and more. To make the most of these partnerships, the brands too are leaving no stone unturned in promoting the film.

    When asked why brand association with a movie like Captain America is a good opportunity for an eCommerce brand, Amazon.in category management VP Samir Kumar replied, “In the past, we have  experienced the excitement from  fans who flock to the Amazon.in marketplace and love to shop for their favourite movie merchandise as the movie readies for release. Disney movies has ardent fans, so we look forwards to making their shopping experience delightful this time too.”

    As per a source close to the development, around Rs 150 crore have been raised through these associations, with Rs 35-40 crore coming from  ATL and BTL promotions (across five brands, Lifebuoy, Axe, Nearbuy, Dell and Audi) and Rs 100-110 crore through retail sales value.

    Disney India claims that it is the growing popularity of superhero based Hollywood blockbusters in the country that is attracting brands to pump in huge amount of ATL & BTL spends. The Jungle Book’shumongous success in the Indian box office has also solidified the brands’ faith in the popularity of international movies.

    “Over the years, the Hindi audience for Marvel’s movies has grown rapidly and we are doing a lot of promotions for Marvel fans also,” shared Disney India studios VP Amrita Pandey, adding that to make the movie more relatable to the Indian audience Varun  Dhawan was the voice actor for Captain America in the movie.

    “We build our franchises through our content across Films, Television and Digital. We have a long term vision for our franchises and in the case of Marvel, we have our movie slate chalked out for the next five years, which our partners value,” Maheshwari added.

    Some of these innovative associations include, Jack & Jones’ apparel range inspired by ‘Civil War’, ICICI Bank’s co-branded Civil War Expression debit cards, Funskool’s latest range of action figures, playsets, board games and role-play items of Marvel Super Heroes.

    “Captain America: Civil War is the most anticipated movie of this year, packed with Super Heroes, making it a visual delight for fans. With the immensely strong affinity for Marvel Super Heroes, toy lines across key categories such as collectibles, role-play and construction will be the main drivers to get the excitement going. We have launched a wide range of Hasbro products including figurines and role-play sets, Lego construction sets, as well as board games for kids and young adults”, Funskool sales and marketing SVP R Jeswant quipped on their association with Disney India.

    Apart from this Lifebuoy has released 46 lakhs packs inspired by Captain America: Civil War & Iron Man movie art. Axe too is promoting their variants of Champion and Maverick with Captain America and Iron Man respectively, while Lanmart is carrying out a massive in store promotion for brand Captain America.

    While Marvel fans eagerly await 6 May for the movie’s India release to enjoy their favourite superheroes or to  flock the theaters for the stellar starcast — Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner,  and many more — brands ride high on the ‘Civil War’ wave.

  • Disney India’s Captain America rings in 70 brands; raises Rs 150 crore

    Disney India’s Captain America rings in 70 brands; raises Rs 150 crore

    MUMBAI: You know you are doing something right when you beat your own record and that is exactly what Disney India has done for their chef d’oeuvre — Captain America: Civil War, which is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The studio has gone ahead and signed media and merchandising deals with 70 brands, one upping their previous record of 50 brand associations each for Star Wars: The Force Awakens  and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

    “For the India market, we have a record number of 70 brands collaborating for Captain America: Civil War, which is a testament to its growing popularity. This is by far the highest for any Hollywood or Bollywood movie,” asserted Disney India, consumer products VP and head Abhishek Maheshwari.

    Disney India’s consumer product business has associated with a wide variety of brands in categories such as apparel, toys, FMCG, ecommerce, accessories, finance and more. To make the most of these partnerships, the brands too are leaving no stone unturned in promoting the film.

    When asked why brand association with a movie like Captain America is a good opportunity for an eCommerce brand, Amazon.in category management VP Samir Kumar replied, “In the past, we have  experienced the excitement from  fans who flock to the Amazon.in marketplace and love to shop for their favourite movie merchandise as the movie readies for release. Disney movies has ardent fans, so we look forwards to making their shopping experience delightful this time too.”

    As per a source close to the development, around Rs 150 crore have been raised through these associations, with Rs 35-40 crore coming from  ATL and BTL promotions (across five brands, Lifebuoy, Axe, Nearbuy, Dell and Audi) and Rs 100-110 crore through retail sales value.

    Disney India claims that it is the growing popularity of superhero based Hollywood blockbusters in the country that is attracting brands to pump in huge amount of ATL & BTL spends. The Jungle Book’shumongous success in the Indian box office has also solidified the brands’ faith in the popularity of international movies.

    “Over the years, the Hindi audience for Marvel’s movies has grown rapidly and we are doing a lot of promotions for Marvel fans also,” shared Disney India studios VP Amrita Pandey, adding that to make the movie more relatable to the Indian audience Varun  Dhawan was the voice actor for Captain America in the movie.

    “We build our franchises through our content across Films, Television and Digital. We have a long term vision for our franchises and in the case of Marvel, we have our movie slate chalked out for the next five years, which our partners value,” Maheshwari added.

    Some of these innovative associations include, Jack & Jones’ apparel range inspired by ‘Civil War’, ICICI Bank’s co-branded Civil War Expression debit cards, Funskool’s latest range of action figures, playsets, board games and role-play items of Marvel Super Heroes.

    “Captain America: Civil War is the most anticipated movie of this year, packed with Super Heroes, making it a visual delight for fans. With the immensely strong affinity for Marvel Super Heroes, toy lines across key categories such as collectibles, role-play and construction will be the main drivers to get the excitement going. We have launched a wide range of Hasbro products including figurines and role-play sets, Lego construction sets, as well as board games for kids and young adults”, Funskool sales and marketing SVP R Jeswant quipped on their association with Disney India.

    Apart from this Lifebuoy has released 46 lakhs packs inspired by Captain America: Civil War & Iron Man movie art. Axe too is promoting their variants of Champion and Maverick with Captain America and Iron Man respectively, while Lanmart is carrying out a massive in store promotion for brand Captain America.

    While Marvel fans eagerly await 6 May for the movie’s India release to enjoy their favourite superheroes or to  flock the theaters for the stellar starcast — Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner,  and many more — brands ride high on the ‘Civil War’ wave.

  • FY-2015: Technicolor reports improved numbers

    FY-2015: Technicolor reports improved numbers

    BENGALURU: Technicolor revenues increased 12 per cent at current currency and 4.7 per cent at constant currency for the year ended 31 December, 2015 (current year, FY-2015). The company says that its growth reflects growth across the Entertainment Services and Technology segments and broadly stable Connected Home revenues. Technicolor revenue for the current year was €3,652 million as compared to €3,332 million in FY-2014.

    Technicolor CEO Frederic Rose said, “In 2015, our teams closed successfully, and in parallel, a number of large acquisitions, while remaining focused on delivering a very strong free cash flow. Moving forward, Technicolor is a much more balanced company built on three leading operating businesses and a core licensing business underpinning our material upgrade of Drive 2020 objectives.”   

    Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations reached €565 million in FY-2015, up 3.1 per cent at constant currency compared to 2014, representing a margin of 15.5 per cent, down by one point year-on-year (YoY). Technicolor says that the adjusted EBITDA increase reflected a solid Licensing revenue performance, combined with strong organic growth in Production Services, partially offset by a weak DVD Services performance in the first half, the impact of unfavourable € versus US$ exchange rate fluctuations on procurements for Connected Home in the second half, as well as a lower contribution from exited activities.

    Segment performance

    Connected Homes

    Connected Homes segment revenues totalled €1,451 million in FY-2015, up five per cent at current currency and, and up 0.3 per cent as compared to the reported €1,382 million in FY-2014. Excluding Cisco Connected Devices (CCD), revenue declined 1.2 per cent as reported and declined 5.7 per cent at constant currency in FY-2015 to €1,3,65 million as compared to $1,382 million in the previous fiscal.

    Technicolor says that even without the contribution of CCD, Connected Home continued to outpace the global CPE market despite adverse business conditions experienced in some regions, driven by a number of new awards and customer wins, including high-end products. The segment achieved in particular a sustained performance in Europe, Middle-East & Africa and Asia-Pacific, both regions reporting a double digit YoY growth in revenues, benefiting notably from a mix improvement associated with the introduction of new products and a further ramp up in the value chain. Connected Home faced however lower levels of activity in both North and Latin America, primarily reflecting cautious customer approach towards product orders and inventory management, due to pending industry consolidation in the US and unfavourable macroeconomic conditions in Brazil.

    Adjusted EBITDA reached €76 million in FY-2015 compared to €77 million in FY-2014, with a negative forex impact of €6 million. At constant currency, adjusted EBITDA was €82 million, up by 5.8 per cent compared to 2014, with a margin of 5.9 per cent, up by 0.3 point YoY.

    Entertainment Services

    Entertainment Services revenue, excluding exited activities, was €1,639 million, up 10 per cent YoY in FY-2015 at constant currency, resulting from strong organic growth, the contribution from recent acquisitions in Production Services and solid revenues recorded by DVD Services.

    Production Services recorded a strong double-digit increase in revenues in FY-2015 compared to FY-2014 says Technicolor. Revenues expanded by almost 40 per cent YoY at constant currency, as a result of a strong double digit organic revenue growth, mostly due to a record level of activity in Visual Effects for feature films, and the additions of Mr. X, OuiDo Productions, Mikros Images and The Mill.

    The company says that VFX for commercials and Animation activities also recorded higher revenues, resulting from increased levels of activity across facilities, while Postproduction revenues improved year-on-year.

    Technicolor provided VFX and/or Postproduction services to 10 of the top-16 grossing films of the year worldwide, including some of the best box office performers such as Furious 7 (Universal), Avengers: Age of Ultron (Disney), Spectre (Sony) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (Lionsgate).

    DVD Services revenues were generally stable at constant currency in FY-2015 compared to FY-2014, driven by resilient total Standard Definition DVD, Blu-ray and CD disc volumes, which were down less than one per cent YoY, reflecting a marked improvement compared to the 11 per cent volume decline recorded in FY-2014. Blu-ray disc volumes were up by eight per cent in FY-2015 compared to FY-2014, supported by the aforementioned factors and the ongoing growth in Xbox One games volumes, while Standard-Definition discs declined by five per cent YoY. Overall FY-2015 volume trends in Europe continued to be generally better than in North America, mostly due to regionally specific promotional activity for selected studio customers, as well as to the ongoing adoption of Blu-ray in this region (as compared to the more mature and stable US Blu-ray market).

    Total Games volumes declined by 11 per cent YoY, with ongoing erosion in prior generation video game console demand outpacing growth for the current generation Xbox One platform. Going forward, prior generation video games volumes have now reached an immaterial level and should not influence future trends to the same degree.

    Excluding exited activities, Adjusted EBITDA was €190 million, down 2.1 per cent at constant currency YoY, as the stronger Production Services contribution was almost fully offset by lower DVD Services performance. However, the free cash flow generation in DVD Services was stable year-over-year notwithstanding the adjusted EBITDA decline says the company.

    Technology

    Technology revenues excluding M-GO, which was sold in early January 2016 to Fandango, a business unit of NBCUniversal, amounted to €490 million, up 3.3 per cent year-over-year at constant currency, primarily driven by higher revenues from the MPEG LA pool, which represented 59 per cent of total Licensing revenues in FY-2015 compared to 45 per cent in FY-2014. The Group’s direct licensing programs recorded a solid performance in the first half, particularly for Digital TV, which benefited from the strong level of new contracts and contract renewals in the course of 2014. In the second half, direct licensing programs posted a lower performance as the Group did not sign any major contract renewal or new contract as some ongoing discussions with manufacturers were delayed to leverage the joint licensing program with Sony in Digital TV (DTV) and Computer Display Monitor (CDM) that was announced in September.

    Excluding M-GO, Adjusted EBITDA reached €389 million, up 3.4 per cent at constant currency year-on-year, driven by the strong contribution of the MPEG LA patent pool.

  • FY-2015: Technicolor reports improved numbers

    FY-2015: Technicolor reports improved numbers

    BENGALURU: Technicolor revenues increased 12 per cent at current currency and 4.7 per cent at constant currency for the year ended 31 December, 2015 (current year, FY-2015). The company says that its growth reflects growth across the Entertainment Services and Technology segments and broadly stable Connected Home revenues. Technicolor revenue for the current year was €3,652 million as compared to €3,332 million in FY-2014.

    Technicolor CEO Frederic Rose said, “In 2015, our teams closed successfully, and in parallel, a number of large acquisitions, while remaining focused on delivering a very strong free cash flow. Moving forward, Technicolor is a much more balanced company built on three leading operating businesses and a core licensing business underpinning our material upgrade of Drive 2020 objectives.”   

    Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations reached €565 million in FY-2015, up 3.1 per cent at constant currency compared to 2014, representing a margin of 15.5 per cent, down by one point year-on-year (YoY). Technicolor says that the adjusted EBITDA increase reflected a solid Licensing revenue performance, combined with strong organic growth in Production Services, partially offset by a weak DVD Services performance in the first half, the impact of unfavourable € versus US$ exchange rate fluctuations on procurements for Connected Home in the second half, as well as a lower contribution from exited activities.

    Segment performance

    Connected Homes

    Connected Homes segment revenues totalled €1,451 million in FY-2015, up five per cent at current currency and, and up 0.3 per cent as compared to the reported €1,382 million in FY-2014. Excluding Cisco Connected Devices (CCD), revenue declined 1.2 per cent as reported and declined 5.7 per cent at constant currency in FY-2015 to €1,3,65 million as compared to $1,382 million in the previous fiscal.

    Technicolor says that even without the contribution of CCD, Connected Home continued to outpace the global CPE market despite adverse business conditions experienced in some regions, driven by a number of new awards and customer wins, including high-end products. The segment achieved in particular a sustained performance in Europe, Middle-East & Africa and Asia-Pacific, both regions reporting a double digit YoY growth in revenues, benefiting notably from a mix improvement associated with the introduction of new products and a further ramp up in the value chain. Connected Home faced however lower levels of activity in both North and Latin America, primarily reflecting cautious customer approach towards product orders and inventory management, due to pending industry consolidation in the US and unfavourable macroeconomic conditions in Brazil.

    Adjusted EBITDA reached €76 million in FY-2015 compared to €77 million in FY-2014, with a negative forex impact of €6 million. At constant currency, adjusted EBITDA was €82 million, up by 5.8 per cent compared to 2014, with a margin of 5.9 per cent, up by 0.3 point YoY.

    Entertainment Services

    Entertainment Services revenue, excluding exited activities, was €1,639 million, up 10 per cent YoY in FY-2015 at constant currency, resulting from strong organic growth, the contribution from recent acquisitions in Production Services and solid revenues recorded by DVD Services.

    Production Services recorded a strong double-digit increase in revenues in FY-2015 compared to FY-2014 says Technicolor. Revenues expanded by almost 40 per cent YoY at constant currency, as a result of a strong double digit organic revenue growth, mostly due to a record level of activity in Visual Effects for feature films, and the additions of Mr. X, OuiDo Productions, Mikros Images and The Mill.

    The company says that VFX for commercials and Animation activities also recorded higher revenues, resulting from increased levels of activity across facilities, while Postproduction revenues improved year-on-year.

    Technicolor provided VFX and/or Postproduction services to 10 of the top-16 grossing films of the year worldwide, including some of the best box office performers such as Furious 7 (Universal), Avengers: Age of Ultron (Disney), Spectre (Sony) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (Lionsgate).

    DVD Services revenues were generally stable at constant currency in FY-2015 compared to FY-2014, driven by resilient total Standard Definition DVD, Blu-ray and CD disc volumes, which were down less than one per cent YoY, reflecting a marked improvement compared to the 11 per cent volume decline recorded in FY-2014. Blu-ray disc volumes were up by eight per cent in FY-2015 compared to FY-2014, supported by the aforementioned factors and the ongoing growth in Xbox One games volumes, while Standard-Definition discs declined by five per cent YoY. Overall FY-2015 volume trends in Europe continued to be generally better than in North America, mostly due to regionally specific promotional activity for selected studio customers, as well as to the ongoing adoption of Blu-ray in this region (as compared to the more mature and stable US Blu-ray market).

    Total Games volumes declined by 11 per cent YoY, with ongoing erosion in prior generation video game console demand outpacing growth for the current generation Xbox One platform. Going forward, prior generation video games volumes have now reached an immaterial level and should not influence future trends to the same degree.

    Excluding exited activities, Adjusted EBITDA was €190 million, down 2.1 per cent at constant currency YoY, as the stronger Production Services contribution was almost fully offset by lower DVD Services performance. However, the free cash flow generation in DVD Services was stable year-over-year notwithstanding the adjusted EBITDA decline says the company.

    Technology

    Technology revenues excluding M-GO, which was sold in early January 2016 to Fandango, a business unit of NBCUniversal, amounted to €490 million, up 3.3 per cent year-over-year at constant currency, primarily driven by higher revenues from the MPEG LA pool, which represented 59 per cent of total Licensing revenues in FY-2015 compared to 45 per cent in FY-2014. The Group’s direct licensing programs recorded a solid performance in the first half, particularly for Digital TV, which benefited from the strong level of new contracts and contract renewals in the course of 2014. In the second half, direct licensing programs posted a lower performance as the Group did not sign any major contract renewal or new contract as some ongoing discussions with manufacturers were delayed to leverage the joint licensing program with Sony in Digital TV (DTV) and Computer Display Monitor (CDM) that was announced in September.

    Excluding M-GO, Adjusted EBITDA reached €389 million, up 3.4 per cent at constant currency year-on-year, driven by the strong contribution of the MPEG LA patent pool.

  • ‘Content innovation to govern English movie channels’ landscape:’ Kevin Vaz

    ‘Content innovation to govern English movie channels’ landscape:’ Kevin Vaz

    MUMBAI: As 2016 rolls in after an action packed 2015, people are now rolling up their sleeves setting tougher goals to meet new challenges and touch greater heights in the new year. And amongst them is Star India business head – English cluster Kevin Vaz.

    According to Vaz, the English movie channels’ landscape will be governed by content and experience that will be led by innovation. And that’s exactly what Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD plan to do this year.

    Vaz tells Indiantelevision.com, “The industry landscape will be governed by content and experience that will be led by innovation. The invitation to our viewers is not just the promise of top-of-the-line Hollywood premieres on TV, but a marketing story to match its grandeur. Advertisers are well informed and believe in the power of great content and innovations and are willing to partner on something that will drive the viewers. At Star, we have also invested in creating a very strong brand extension in the form of Star Movies Secret Screening that engages and involves viewers beyond TV and makes them a part of the brand community. Understanding the consumer psychographics and creating stories that appeal to them will continue to the motivation for the team.”

    With an edge over its competitors with the rights to the Oscars, this year the 88th Academy Awards will be simulcast live for the first time on Star Movies as well as Star Movies Select HD on 29 February, 2016.

    While Star believes in curating content with content filters that appeals to the audience, Vaz is not perturbed by the advent of over the top (OTT) platforms offering content to viewers at their convenience. Opining that the mushrooming OTT platforms are not something that will affect acquisition cost of content, Vaz says, “At Star, we have some of the longest running studio deals giving us access to the biggest blockbusters and franchises. Our acquisition model has always been content based and continues to focus on ensuring that our viewers get the best of Hollywood.”

    Nowadays, marketing is not just about spending more, but spending smart and driving impact for viewership and perception of brands. For the premiere of Captain America, the channel initiated a first of its kind activity giving viewers a chance to win Captain America’s Harley Davidson bike. Going a step further in content innovation, for X-Men: Days of Future Past, Star Movies had joined forces with Farhan Akhtar, Vishal Dadlani & SKRAT to create a music video for the TV premiere.

    Additionally, the network has strategically invested in creating a strong brand extension in the form of Star Movies ‘Secret Screening’ that involves viewers beyond the television and makes them a part of the brand community.

    When queried as to how viewership impacts advertisers and agencies when it comes to English entertainment channels, Vaz says, “Advertising does depend on viewership, as that’s how the format of the TV business operates in India.” However, he is quick to add that Star has a competitive edge over its rivals with the strategic content deals with 21st Century Fox and Disney, which gives it access to some of the biggest blockbusters and franchises. “Our library strength is exhaustive and cannot be replicated by anyone. These facts alone make us a natural choice for our partners. The responsibility of having the best premieres and the biggest library is well shouldered with thought through marketing stories and festivals,” he adds.

    From a content perspective, Vaz is bullish about 2016. “This year will be spectacular for our viewers as they will get to see some of the biggest titles like Avengers- Age of Ultron , Birdman, Boyhood, Fantastic Four and Ant Man being showcased as an offering month on month between Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD. We will continue with our radical content innovations like premiering unreleased movies month on month on Star Movies Select HD, something no other channel can offer,” he informs.

    Beyond the premieres, the channel will continue to offer viewers unique movie festivals on book adaptations, critically acclaimed animation and Select 7+ to name a few, which brings some of the highest rated movies together.

  • Worldwide 2015 box office sets new record with $38+ billion

    Worldwide 2015 box office sets new record with $38+ billion

    MUMBAI: The global box office crossed the $38 billion benchmark, making 2015 the highest-earning year at the global box office in movie history according to Rentrak.

    An incredibly strong line-up of movies inspired audiences worldwide to flock to cinemas in 2015 and with Rentrak data culled from more than 125,000 screens in more than 25,000 theaters across the globe, the industry posted its biggest overall revenue in worldwide box office history, with a total of $38 billion-plus projected for the year. 

    “The importance of the international marketplace to the overall success of the motion picture studios, the exhibition business and the movies themselves cannot be overstated, with key territories across the globe plus North America providing the collective horsepower to push us near the $40 billion mark for the first time ever. Following hot on the heels of a record-breaking first-time ever $11 billion-plus year at the box office in North America, this global record proves that going to the movies is a beloved pastime that is enjoyed throughout the world, with moviegoers from a wide array of backgrounds and cultures all coming together for the shared in-theater experience,” said Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

    A vast lineup of films in 2015 including this summer’s mega-hit Jurassic World, the action-packed Furious 7, the superhero-filled Avengers: Age of Ultron, the family-friendly Minions and of course the record breaking Star Wars: The Force Awakens, helped to fuel this incredible year’s record performance. Notably, global hits came from virtually every studio and included the latest James Bond installment Spectre, the action-packed Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, the final film in The Hunger Games franchise,Mockingjay, Part 2, Ridley Scott’s hit science fiction drama The Martian and Dwayne Johnson in San Andreas among many others.

    Below is a list of the top five highest-earning films at the Global box office in 2015:

     

  • Brand force is strong with Disney India for ‘Star Wars’

    Brand force is strong with Disney India for ‘Star Wars’

    MUMBAI: Even as Star Wars: The Force Awakens has set the cash registers ringing at the box office across the world, Disney India is riding high on the stupendous buzz created by the movie and has managed to multiply the buzz manifold by roping in 50 odd brand associations.

    Disney India asserts that Star Wars as a franchise fits brands like a hand to a glove. The core theme is easily relatable to audiences across cultures as the film is centred around good versus evil. India too is no exception. Which explains why Star Wars is universally preferred by most brands from a wide cross section of industry with a varied target of consumer base. Disney India has collaborated with 50 odd brands, starting with brand integration, associated promotions to product and merchandise partnerships.

    “There are few movies, if any, in history that can claim to have an iconic status similar to that of Star Wars. Its universal content appeals and entertains fans across ages. As the franchise is new to Indian audiences, we decided to start our marketing and brand associations and activations almost a year in advance. Our Consumer Products team has worked hard to get a record number of brand partners on board for the film. The growing buzz around the movie has helped us get many brands excited about the property,” Disney India MD Siddharth Roy Kapur tells Indiantelevision.com.

    Of the 50 brands that hopped on to the Star Wars bandwagon, Maruti Suzuki India’s Baleno hatchback car and Hindustan Unilever’s Lifebuoy are the only two Indian brands that have tied up for the release.

    “Apart from these, there are other brands like HP India, Subway, Duracell and Amazon.in whose global tie-ups with Star Wars have extended to the Indian market as well. Therefore, we see their visibility here,” reveals a source close to the development, adding, “the net worth of the deals signed by Maruti Suzuki and Lifebuoy with Disney India over Star Wars stands at approximately Rs 4 crore.”

    While Maruti Suzuki has struck an out of movie association with Disney India, Lifebuoy’s is a media deal.

    Elaborating on the nature of such brand associations Dentsu Aegis, psLive vice president Sidharth Ghosh says, “There are fundamentally two types of brand association for a movie. One is merchandising that allows brands to launch products and other services associated with the movie, and the second is movie tie-ups that lends the brands the creative rights to do co-branded campaigns on different media.”

    Amongst the key brand associations Star Wars: The Force Awakens has done, several have launched an entire new range of products in tribute of the intergalactic saga.

    Jack & Jones and Funskool have worked with Disney India to create its new Star Wars collection to celebrate the release of the movie. The latter released a wide range of merchandise including Lightsabers, action figures, collectibles, role-play toys, construction sets and board games.

    ICICI Bank too couldn’t help but make optimum use of ‘the force.’ A tie-up with ICICI Bank Expressions Debit Card program is in place, which allowed over one crore consumers to choose from 16 designs of Star Wars characters from the original trilogy as well as Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

    E-commerce giant Amazon.in have plans to send out four lakh units of Star Wars branded jiffy packages to consumers in 25 cities for products across categories like consumer electronics, accessories and toys. Amazon has also launched a Star Wars branded shop on its site, which lists all products across categories.

    Amazon.in vice president – category management Samir Kumar said, “We have created limited edition of Star Wars packaging, a first-of-its-kind e-commerce innovation in India. We will be surprising a lot of our customers with this special packaging when they order with us online over the next few weeks. With our partnership with Disney we have combined the fervour of the movie with the trust and convenience of buying genuine memorabilia online.”

    The most eye catching is perhaps what HP India has done for the movie. The company’s special edition Star Wars premium laptop and accessories includes exclusive SW content embedded in it. The company also set up zones in HP Stores where fans can experience the force. HP also roped in VJ Hoezaay to star in a digital campaign titled Fun Side Challenge, which went viral on Twitter.

    HP India director – personal systems, PPS Ketan Patel adds, “HP is delivering an experience that is unmatched on a PC by giving customers exclusive access to rare Star Wars content so they can immerse themselves into the Star Wars universe. We are thrilled to be the only PC vendor collaborating with Disney and Lucasfilm to create a one-of-one-kind notebook for a great Star Warsexperience on a PC.”

    Apart from these, departmental stores like Hamleys and Landmark are some of the other brands, which collaborated with the movie.

    The brand associations for Star Wars The Force Awakens have been, no doubt, unprecedented. However, veteran media planner and Reliance Industries’ Vibrant Media vice president Karthik Lakshminarayan says it was expected from a movie franchise as big as Star Wars. He also rules out the thoughts of the brands cannibalising each other’s promotion with hyper visibility of the merchandising products.

    “Every brand has worked on the Star Wars fanfare in a different way and used it to their own understanding. While I do feel that for certain brands this tie-up wouldn’t be that successful, most of them are a profitable deal, in spite of the theme being used over and over again,” he opines.

    In India, the movie is slated to release on 25 December in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and some say that the delayed release may have set it up for an even bigger release in the country.

    Giving more insight on the movie’s delayed release in India, Roy Kapur shared, “India is a heavily under screened market where we have only two multiplex screens per million people. It is imperative to plan a release around school holidays and overall festive period to give the film its full capacity. Christmas Day is a holiday all over and an ideal time for the release of this epic movie, for all our Indian viewers, which is truly one of the biggest franchises ever. Star Wars has opened to rave reviews and record-shattering box office numbers globally and we are now geared up to give Indian audiences a taste of this modern classic. To add to it we believe the global fervour around the movie will travel to India and will aid in ramping up the demand further by the time we release it in Indian theatres.”

    Though Disney India took a chance with Star Wars’ worldwide fanbase, the studio didn’t leave any stone unturned in marketing the franchise in India. In fact, promotional activities for the movie began almost a year ago. From branding across theatres and multiplexes for all top releases including PK to attaching a teaser with Avengers Age of Ultron, Disney’s ABCD2 and now Dilwale, Disney India had movie buffs covered, especially in the metros.

    “We launched the franchise in India with a truly innovative year-long marketing campaign, bolstered by a record number of brand associations that provided additional visibility, impact and promotional support to the campaign. All this has not just kept the fanboys engaged with the brand but also helped introduce a new audience for the franchise all together,” Kapur states.

    Counting theater activations during big ticket releases like Phantom, Brothers and MI5, the marketing measures covered over five lakh fans.

    From an experiential marketing standpoint, the Star Wars Lightsaber Challenge travelled to several cities including Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad with footfalls of 1,00,000.

    With a build up like this, one can’t help but be drawn in the phenomenon that is Star Wars. Now it remains to be seen the box office records that the movie shatters in India.

  • Disney hits $4 billion at global box office in record time; lines up 22 films till 2020

    Disney hits $4 billion at global box office in record time; lines up 22 films till 2020

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney Studios has crossed the $4 billion mark at the global box office, beating its previous studio record by nearly six weeks.

     

    As of 7 October, 2015, Disney collected $1.4 billion in the US and Canada and $2.575 billion at in international markets. This is the third consecutive year the studio has breached the $4-billion box office milestone. 

     

    The studio’s revenues in 2015 were driven by the worldwide success of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out, Disney’s Cinderella and Marvel’s Ant-Man.

     

    In addition, Inside Out has crossed the $800 million mark at the global box office. It’s the third highest grossing Pixar film of all time and made its debut in China this week.

     

    Additionally, Walt Disney Studios has also unveiled new and updated release dates for several upcoming projects.

     

    Marvel unveiled Ant-Man and the Wasp, a sequel to this summer’s Ant-Man, which is set for release on 6 July, 2018. Black Panther will now open 16 February, 2018, and Captain Marvel is set for 8 March, 2019. 

     

    Three new films are set for 2020, the titles of which will be revealed at a later date.

     

    Pixar will release Cars 3 on 16 June, 2017, Coco on 22 November, 2017, and The Incredibles 2 on 21 June, 2019. Toy Story 4 will now debut 15 June, 2018. Two new (as-yet-untitled) Pixar films are set for 2020.

     

    Building upon the success of films such as Cinderella and Maleficent, Disney Live Action selected release dates for four fairy tale films in the coming years: one in 2017, one in 2018, and two in 2019.

     

    Next up is The Jungle Book in April 2016, followed by Alice Through the Looking Glass in May and Pete’s Dragon in August.

     

    Finally, Gigantic, a unique take on Jack and the Beanstalk from Walt Disney Animation Studios featuring music from Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, will be released on 9 March, 2018. A new Walt Disney Animation Studios film is set for November 2020 and a new Disneytoon Studios film is due out in April 2019.

     

    Walt Disney Studios head of distribution said, “2015 has been a record-setting year both domestically and internationally thanks to a strong slate of films from all of our brands. With an incredible pipeline of both original stories and anticipated sequels featuring our most beloved characters, we are set to deliver some fantastic movies well into the future.” 

  • Disney Movies Anywhere partners Amazon & Microsoft’s stores

    Disney Movies Anywhere partners Amazon & Microsoft’s stores

    MUMBAI: Just in time for the early digital release of one of the biggest movies of the year, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, Disney has named significant partner and device additions to its cloud-based digital movie service, Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA).

     

    Continuing to expand upon its promise to provide more ways to buy and watch Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies at home or on the go, DMA has partnered with azon Video and Microsoft Movies & TV.

     

    Starting today in the US, Amazon Video and Microsoft Movies & TV customers can connect to Disney Movies Anywhere and access their digital collection across the Disney Movies Anywhere ecosystem, including via the new Disney Movies Anywhere app for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and for Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick.

     

    In addition to the Disney Movies Anywhere app, customers can access and watch titles in their Disney digital collection directly through the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo, and via the Microsoft Movies and TV service on Windows and Microsoft Xbox devices or at microsoft.com/en-us/store/movies-and-tv.

     

    Launching on 15 September, with the release of Disney’s live action Cinderella, the Disney Movies Anywhere app will become available on the Roku platform and Android TV allowing consumers to access their DMA movie collections. Disney Movies Anywhere already works with iTunes, Google Play, and Walmart’s VUDU.

     

    “We’re thrilled to bring these new partners to Disney Movies Anywhere, expanding its reach into the living room and beyond with an unprecedented Disney experience that is both easy and fun. As consumers seek to build their digital libraries and protect their purchases for the long term, Disney Movies Anywhere makes it easier than ever to buy once and watch anywhere,” said Disney/ABC Home Entertainment & Television Distribution president Janice Marinelli.

     

    In celebration of this partner launch, for a limited time Disney Movies Anywhere is offering a free digital copy of Disney•Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. to new and existing members who connect an iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Microsoft Movies & TV or Google Play account for the first time.

  • Q1-2016: PVR PAT improves more than sevenfold; to raise Rs 500 crore

    Q1-2016: PVR PAT improves more than sevenfold; to raise Rs 500 crore

    BENGALURU: Indian motion picture exhibition, production and distribution house PVR Limited (PVR) reported more than sevenfold increase in profit after tax (PAT) in the quarter ended 30 June, 2015 (Q1-2016) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter. 

     

    PVR’s PAT for Q1-2015 was Rs 58.45 crore (12 per cent of Total Income from Operations or TIO), while in Q1-2015, it was Rs 7.66 crore (2.1 per cent of TIO). The company had reported a loss of Rs 35.66 crore in the immediate trailing quarter (Q4-2015) citing impact by poor movie content and World Cup Cricket towards the end of FY-2015. 

     

     Note:  100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

    All numbers are consolidated unless stated otherwise.

     

    Additionally, PVR’s board of directors has also approved to raise a sum of Rs 500 crore by issuing Non Convertible Debentures (NCD) subject to approval by the members of the company in the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

     

    The board also approved the scheme of merger of PVR Leisure Limited and Lettuce Entertain You Limited with the Company.

     

    Approval was also given for the allotment of 50,00,000 equity shares priced at Rs 700 per share of face value Rs 10 each equity share at a premium of Rs 690 per share aggregating to Rs 350 crore on preferential basis to Plenty Cl Fund I Limited, Multiples Private Equity Fund II LLP and Plenty Private Equity Fund I Limited.

     

    Box Office performance

     

    This quarter has seen the release of some hits and super hits like Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Gross Box Office or GBO Rs 46.9 crore, 25 lakh admits, Average Ticket Price or ATP Rs 185); Piku (GBO Rs 27.7 crore, 15 lakh admits, ATP Rs 186); Fast and Furious 7 (GBO Rs 26.6 crore, 15 lakh admits, ATP Rs 174); ABCD2 (GBO Rs 23.4 crore, 13 lakh admits, ATP Rs 183); and Avengers-Age of Ultron (GBO Rs 24.4 crore, 13 lakh admits, ATP Rs 182) that have driven the resurgence in revenue as well as PAT.

     

    Net Box Office (NBO) collections in the current quarter increased 34.96 per cent to Rs 274.19 crore from Rs 203.16 crore in Q1-2015. Q1-2016 saw admits increasing by 25 per cent to 1.9 crore with an occupancy of 38 per cent as compared to 1.52 crore with an occupancy of 32 per cent in Q1-2015. ATP in the current quarter also improved to Rs 183 from Rs 176 in Q1-2015.

     

    While the share of NBO as percentage of TIO has gone up fractionally in Q1-2016 to 59.3 per cent (Rs 249.12 crore) from 59.2 per cent (Rs 197.61 crore) in Q1-2015, Food and Beverage (F&B) share has gone up to 28 per cent (Rs 117.87 crore) from 25.9 per cent (87.04 crore) in Q1-2015, advertising share has dropped in percentage terms but increased in value terms to Rs 41.62 crore (9.9 per cent) in the current quarter from Rs 35.2 crore (10.2 per cent) and others contribution has dropped to 2.8 per cent (Rs 12 crore) from Rs 14.95 crore (4.5 per cent).

     

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by PVR

     

    The company has reported positive results in Q1-2015 from all its revenue generating segments, which include movie exhibition, movie production and distribution as well as ‘Others,’ which includes bowling, gaming and restaurant services, etc. As a matter of fact, the ‘Others’ segment has returned an operating profit of Rs 0.82 crore in Q1-2016 as compared to operating losses of Rs 2.46 crore and Rs 1.46 crore in Q1-2015 and Q4-2015 respectively.

     

    TIO in Q1-2016 at Rs 486.02 crore was 34.2 per cent more than the Rs 362.26 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter and was 62.3 per cent more than the Rs 299.55 crore in Q4-2015.

     

    Net F&B revenue increased by 45.9 per cent in Q1-2016 to Rs 129.79 crore from Rs 88.97 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. Spend per head has increased 16 per cent to Rs 74 in Q1-2016 from Rs 63 in Q1-2015. The company says that it has managed to lower the cost of goods and sold (COGS) by 4.1 per cent in Q1-2016 to 24.9 per cent from 29 per cent in Q1-2015.

     

    PVR’s sponsorship revenue has gone up 27.5 per cent to Rs 45.69 crore in Q1-2016 from Rs 35.84 crore in Q1-2015. The company says that eight blockbusters in the quarter helped maximizing revenues namely Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Fast & Furious 7, Piku, Avengers, ABCD2, Jurassic World, Dil Dhadakne Do and Gabbar is Back.

     

    Total expense in Q1-2016 at Rs 402.77 crore (82.9 per cent of TIO) was 19.6 per cent more than the Rs 336.68 crore (92.9 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 28.2 per cent more than the Rs 314.12 crore (104.9 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    The company’s film exhibition cost increased 30 per cent to Rs 113.69 crore (23.4 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2016 as compared to the Rs 87.48 crore (24.1 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and increased a massive 80.6 per cent as compared to the Rs 62.96 crore (21 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

     

    F&B and other cost in Q1-2016 increased 25.2 per cent to Rs 34.59 crore (7.1 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 27.63 crore (7.2 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015. 

     

    Other expense in Q1-2016 increased 33.8 per cent to Rs 37.72 crore (7.8 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 28.20 crore (7.8 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was 16.9 per cent lower than the Rs 45.38 crore (15.1 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.