MUMBAI: India loves a blockbuster but in the last decade, it wasn’t just films making waves, it was the campaigns behind them. This August, Max Marketing & Innovations, the brainchild of Varun Gupta, marked 10 years of rewriting the rules of film promotion in India, turning over 150 releases into cultural moments. From concerts that made characters come alive to billboards that became landmarks, Max’s decade-long playbook is a masterclass in spectacle. For Kabir Singh, they staged a live concert; for Satya Prem Ki Katha, they turned a white heart emoji into a trending symbol of love and acceptance. In Ayodhya, they even unfurled a 50-ft poster at Ram Ki Paidi, creating a historic fusion of cinema and sacred space.
Actors and filmmakers have been unanimous in their applause. Ranveer Singh calls Max’s campaigns “spectacle-making,” Tabu says they’re “always fresh, always impactful,” while Vishal Bhardwaj insists that “promotion today is as much storytelling as the film itself and Max weaves that magic.” From Anil Kapoor to Sooraj Barjatya, Kabir Khan to JP Dutta, the chorus is the same: Max doesn’t just market films, it creates memories.
Their portfolio reads like a greatest hits playlist: RRR, Animal, Article 370, Major, Padman, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Hanuman, all stamped with the agency’s flair for scale and innovation. Beyond splashy stunts, Max has championed inclusivity too, with campaigns like the “Common Man’s Campaign” that put films on autos, buses, and metro hoardings, ensuring cinema met audiences in their daily grind.
Reflecting on the milestone, Gupta says: “From day one, our aim was to craft experiences, not campaigns. The next ten years are about pushing boundaries further, creating stories that outlast opening weekends.”
As Max steps into its second decade, the stage is set for an even bigger act where cinema, technology, and culture collide. If the last 10 years proved anything, it’s this: when Max is in the picture, the marketing itself is part of the show.
