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Tag: Priyanka Chopra

  • Rajnigandha Pearls celebrates the spirit of motherhood

    Rajnigandha Pearls celebrates the spirit of motherhood

    MUMBAI: This mothers’ day Rajnigandha Pearls has launched a digital campaign to pay homage to the tending and affectionate mother in all women. 

    The campaign epitomises the inherent love women have for all children whether their own or not. The campaign has a short film that reflects an idea that every woman has an innate sense of being a mother, full of selfless love, which is all giving and she deserves respect, love and recognition for the same. 

    This video carries the legacy of its immensely successful #MaaKehtiHai campaign, to revere those women who may not have children of their own, but they are equally affectionate and caring.  The campaign highlights the brand’s theme, “achchai”, which comes in the purest form of the bond that a mother shares with a child.

    The film opens in an apartment in a high-end society, where Neha is shown playing hide and seek with a 5-year-old boy Rohnit, like any mother would. As the film progresses, one realises that the child is the neighbo ur’s son with whom she shares a very special bond and he too reciprocates the affection. However, at the end of the day the child needs to go back home to his mother and that, leaves Neha very unsettled and anxious about her childless life. The video goes on to showcase few such incidences that leave Neha disenchanted.

    Further, while returning from school, Rohnit wants to go straight to Neha’s house. However, his mom is adamant that he should first go home and change. Neha watches this and feels forlorn and dejected, seeing which her husband suggests that they adopt a child. Meanwhile, the doorbell rings and Rohnit excitedly runs into the house with a ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ card. Though elated, Neha is a little apprehensive too and says, “Yeh kya hai? Tumhaari mummy kya kahengi.” Rohnit’s mom then walks in with a cake and says, “Happy Mother’s Day… yehi toh kahengi.” The video ends with the line, ‘Ek maa hi jaanti hai maa ke dil ki baat’.

    DSL associate VP of marketing Rajeev Jain says, “The philosophy of our brand is ‘Achchai’, the inner goodness. With this film, we want to celebrate the pureness of motherly love, an intrinsic trait in women, who are capable of boundless affection and care. This pure form of love, goodness or achchai is above the fact of whether, the child is her own or not. It is our own way to show our admiration for motherhood and it’s all encompassing love.”

    Rajnigandha Pearls has been running #MaaKehtiHai campaign for the last three years. The last campaign received tremendous response with over 5.8 million views on brand platforms across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Besides, the content also organically propagated in other channels giving an additional view of more than two million.

    The campaign will be released across social media platforms of Rajnigandha Pearls along with an audience engagement exercise.

  • Are celebs killing their brand by endorsing too many products?

    Are celebs killing their brand by endorsing too many products?

    MUMBAI: How often do we come across an ad that features a Bollywood celebrity? Maybe, a lot, and it is mostly driven by people’s affinity for seeing their favourite celebrity on television, outside of movies.

    The brand value added by a celebrity to the product is immediate and palpable. When a celebrity signs an endorsement deal with a company, an element of legitimacy is suddenly attached to the product simply because of the power of the name backing it up. Even though viewers enjoy watching their favourite celebs on screen advertising products, more often than not, the message becomes a little too much about the celebrity rather than the product itself. 

    Today, there are numerous celebrities endorsing multiple brands. Two such popular celebrities are Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who endorse multiple brands across a range of categories from fashion, food and beverage, consumer products and others. 

    public://AMITABH-BACCHAN-COLLAGE.jpg

    Does a celebrity’s association with several brands reduce his brand equity? It is quite likely that their endorsements may not resonate as well when the same face woos them with the goodness of everything–from biscuits to oil to a direct-to-home connection to chocolates. The case is similar is for female celebrities. Deepika Padukone promotes Coca-Cola, L’Oreal, Venus and Axis Bank while Katrina Kaif backs Mango Slice, Veet, Pantene and Lux.

    But the question here is whether these celebrities actually consume or use the products that they endorse. Highly unlikely is the quick answer.

    Although the Advertising Standards Council (ASCI) has laid down guidelines for celebrity endorsements, not much seems to be followed in the industry. The ASCI’s guideline for celebrity endorsement states:

    a) Testimonials, endorsements or representations of opinions or preference of Celebrities must reflect genuine, reasonably current opinion of the individual(s) making such representations, and must be based upon adequate information about or experience with the product or service being advertised.

    b) Celebrity should do due diligence to ensure that all description, claims and comparisons made in the advertisements they appear in or endorse are capable of being objectively ascertained and capable of substantiation and should not mislead or appear deceptive.

    Celebrities that do not abide by these guidelines have to pay a fine of Rs. 20 lakh or more according to the current limit for appearing in a single advertisement or a campaign or per year, whichever is more. 

    public://SHAHRUKH-KHAN-COLLAGE.jpg

    But the celebrity ad world isn’t entirely about the money after all and not every celebrity wants the limelight all the time. Some are picky about the brands they associate themselves with. Cricketer Virat Kohli and Bollywood actor Aamir Khan are paragons for this endorsement phylosophy. 

    According to a recent report by corporate advisers Duff & Phelps, Kohli is India’s most valuable brand surpassing even Shah Rukh Khan who held the title since 2014. While the early glamour may have pushed Kohli to advocate Pepsi and Fair & Lovely Men, he eventually decided to move away from these brands. He was signed up as the brand ambassador for Pepsi in 2011 but refused to renew the contract, which ended in April 2017, saying at the time that he would not ask people to consume something that he himself does not. Kohli said, “The things that I’ve endorsed in the past—I won’t take names—but I feel that I don’t connect to [the brands] anymore. If I myself won’t consume such things, I won’t urge others to consume it just because I’m getting money out of it.”

    Many saw his move as a sign of a man who believes in himself and someone who has invested his mind, heart and body in his role as a leader in society. “I want to give something to people that I use myself. One of the reasons I decided not to sign Pepsi is that I have undergone a lifestyle change. It might have been big money for me and a very lucrative deal but I opted out as we need to have some thought behind the products we promote and we must understand that people trust us,” he added. He no longer endorses fairness creams or products of that genre since equating success with skin fairness goes against his values.

    It is no coincidence that the number of celebrity endorsements has gone up in recent years. A 2015 study by Nielsen found that famous faces work best on millennials and gen Z– the two generations most likely to spend the most compared to their predecessors and with aims of having a topnotch lifestyle.

    In 2014, Bachchan had also cut off ties with Pepsi after 16 long years of commitment, when a young girl asked him why he promoted a product her teacher branded as ‘poison’. Bachchan, having realised the impact on the minds of people, even urged his son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to be careful about their ties.

    Studies have shown that consumers have better brand recall of products backed by celebrities. Celebrity backing adds awareness, trust and familiarity–important objectives for marketers to achieve. People believe that by using products their favourite celebrities endorse, they will be able to emulate their lifestyle.

    Similarly, Aamir Khan has been known to be picky about which products he wants to endorse. Although the actor was associated with Coca-Cola, Godrej, Titan Watches, Tata Sky, Toyota Innova, Samsung, Monaco Biscuits in the past, he decided to move away from products that he does not believe in and does not consume himself. 

    The actor witnesses backlash after his intolerance comment in 2016 and the uproar impacted his endorsed brand Snapdeal that bore the brunt with more than 7 lakh customers uninstalling the app. Soon after the incident, Khan was removed as the India brand ambassador for Incredible India and was replaced by Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra. The actor did not have any endorsements for nearly two years as brands did not want to associate themselves with negative publicity. 

    The actor was recently announced as the India and Pakistan brand ambassador for Chinese handset maker Vivo, which many see as his big come back. Brands of Desire CEO Saurabh Uboweja believes that Khan, as a brand, doesn’t need comebacks to make his point. “He is a brand in every way and on the contrary, it is a big opportunity for Vivo to establish itself as a mainstream brand,” he says.

    While the over exposure does harm the brand equity of celebrities in the long term, being selective with endorsements is beneficial to the star as well as the brands.

    Also Read :

    Pepe Jeans launches India centric ad with Siddharth Malhotra

    The ins and outs of femvertising

    The influence of influencer marketing

    Kohli brand driving on the up

    Gender stereotyping remains the template for weight-loss ads

  • HARMAN announces Priyanka Chopra as global brand ambassador

    HARMAN announces Priyanka Chopra as global brand ambassador

    HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, today announced that actress, singer, producer and philanthropist Priyanka Chopra has been named a global brand ambassador for the company’s JBL and Harman Kardon® audio brands. Chopra will participate in a series of marketing initiatives including social media and brand awareness events for JBL and Harman Kardon. As ambassador of these brands, Chopra will walk the red carpet at the Clive Davis Pre-GRAMMY® Gala Salute to Industry Icons with other luminaries as part of this weekend’s GRAMMY® celebration. HARMAN is the official sound of the GRAMMYs and a recipient of three technical awards for its JBL, AKG and Lexicon brands. 

    “Priyanka Chopra is the epitome of a barrier-breaking performer, bringing her iconic style and grace to everything that she does, from her award-winning entertainment career to her philanthropic work, and reaching fans all over the world,” said Ralph Santana, Chief Marketing Officer of HARMAN. “She is a force to be reckoned with and we look forward to working with her to develop innovative and engaging collaborations for our audio brands that are truly unique and first of their kind.” 

    After being crowned Miss World, Chopra made her foray into the entertainment industry and soon catapulted to international stardom. In 2015, Chopra made her American TV debut, making history as the first Indian actress to headline the lead role in an U.S. television series, starring in ABC’s Quantico. She was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2017. Chopra is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is also involved in a number of philanthropic efforts to promote gender equality and the health and education of children around the world.

    “Music brings the world together. It defies boarders, colors and norms, often bridging cultures, genders, and generations,” said Priyanka Chopra. “Songs often become symbols of moments throughout our lives, encouraging, inspiring, empowering, and at times, healing us. I’ve long admired the sophistication of Harman Kardon and vibrant energy of JBL, and am honored to be collaborating with such iconic brands.”

    Chopra joins a diverse roster of HARMAN brand ambassadors from music, sports and entertainment, including American multi-platinum performing artist Demi Lovato; prolific musician, producer and humanitarian Quincy Jones; Indian music mogul Dr. A. R. Rahman, world-renowned pianist, educator and philanthropist Lang Lang, 2015-16 NBA Kia Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry; NBA All-Star and musician Damian Lillard; and soccer star Jerome Boateng, among others. HARMAN’s ambassador team reflects the brand’s continued emphasis on forging unique and integrated partnerships that reach deeply into culture.

  • Rajnigandha Pearls radiates goodness in new TVC

    Rajnigandha Pearls radiates goodness in new TVC

    MUMBAI: Mouth freshener brand, Rajnigandha Pearls has rolled out its new TVC with Bollywood actor and its brand ambassador, Priyanka Chopra. The brand showcases acts of kindness extended to strangers with heart-warming narratives reflecting the brand’s philosophy.

    The TVC, conceptualised by L&K Saatchi & Saatchi has a unique and interesting plot, which weaves in unpredictable instances, shrouded in surprises and is narrated in anecdotes. The commercial, with its stillomatic presentation, is devised to intrigue and hold the viewers’ attention.

    The film revolves around Priyanka who comes across various situations that have a flip side and are initially deceptive. It begins with her walking in a market street. She observes that people around her, are behaving unusually as she sees a waiter pushing a woman with shopping bags in her hands. She is momentarily disturbed, but within seconds, realises that the waiter was saving the lady from a flower pot that had toppled and is about to hit her. Gradually as she moves ahead, she comes across a series of such events that look offending or demeaning at first sight, but the goodness hidden behind these acts come alive after a slight pause.

    Actor Priyanka Chopra says, “I don’t think there is anything better than spreading goodness in this world and it’s great that Rajnigandha Pearls has decided to highlight that. We all have goodness inside us, and all around us, we just have to open our minds to see it. It’s these random acts of kindness that make the world go round.”

    DS Group associate VP marketing Rajeev Jain adds, “Goodness inside, shines outside’ is an aphorism fostered by Rajnigandha Pearls. Being the brand’s core essence, this inner goodness or achchai not only stands out in all our communication but also goes into the making of Rajnigandha Pearls, a premium mouth freshener. In this thought-provoking campaign, we are highlighting such acts of goodness. The TVC leaves a feel good factor with a memorable message that reveals goodness in various little situations.”

    L&K Saatchi & Saatchi executive vice president Sanjeev Gauba mentions, “The tagline and the philosophy is what we wanted to showcase it by depicting caring individuals going out of their way to help strangers.”

    Leveraging on the success of earlier campaigns and growing demand, this new integrated campaign will be advertised on TV, radio, digital, outdoor, print and BTL

  • Lilly Singh & Priyanka Chopra promote Pantene hair oil replacement

    Lilly Singh & Priyanka Chopra promote Pantene hair oil replacement

    MUMBAI: The memory of our mothers chasing us to apply oil in our hair while we bounce around to escape it is a memory almost every Indian woman remembers. To solve this, Pantene has roped in YouTuber Lilly Singh and Priyanka Chopra.

    To address the oiling issue, Pantene has launched a replacement for oil. With the power of nourishing oils and pro-vitamins, Pantene claims the new Oil Replacement makes hair 2X stronger than oil and oh-so smooth without the hassles associated with oiling. The product can be used on both damp and dry hair.

    Priyanka Chopra explains, “Since childhood, Indian girls have been told to oil our hair to make it thicker, stronger and healthier. I do, but oiling has a lot of hassles! For me, the biggest turn off was definitely the ‘chip-chip’ (sticky) feeling.”

    Priyanka TVC:

    Pantene India ambassador, Lilly Singh says, “I was sceptical. I have long hair and have always heard everyone in my family talk about how important oiling is. Oiling my long hair was such a nightmare! Getting into old clothes, massaging it in for hours and then spend even more time rinsing it off! Priyanka recommended it to me and I tried the new Pantene Oil Replacement. I absolutely love this product! It has completely eliminated the long hours I would take to oil my hair. It takes me just three minutes to apply it to my hair.

    Lilly Singh TVC:

  • Women filmmakers’ northeast works to be highlighted at India fest in NY

    Women filmmakers’ northeast works to be highlighted at India fest in NY

    NEW DELHI: Three films from northeast India and a special focus on films made by women filmmakers will be the highlights of the second edition of the India Kaleidoscope Film Festival (IKFF) to be held in New York next month. The festival is being presented by the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) and The India Centre Foundation (ICF) from 9 to 12 November 2017.

    Drishyam Films’ Kadvi Hawa directed by Nila Madhab Panda will open the festival and it will close with Director Prakash Kunte’s Cycle. Actor-turned-produced Priyanka Chopra’s Pahuna and Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz will also feature at the festival.

    The films to be screened will explore the most relevant and pressing topics facing the subcontinent, are being made by today’s most progressive filmmakers working in regional languages. This year, India Kaleidoscope will span seven different regional Indian languages and include new programming initiatives that bring independent regional Indian cinema to an even wider audience.

    The India Centre Foundation Founding Director Priya Giri Desai said “It is an honour to offer these cinematic works to the film-going community and to give exposure to new sights, sounds and languages from across the Indian subcontinent.”

    Museum of the Moving Image Chief Curator David Schwartz said, “India Kaleidoscope, in just its second year, is already making a great impact as a showcase for the incredible diversity of Indian cinema, with its focus on artistic and independent films from the many regions of this sprawling, culturally rich country.”

    “Indian cinema today is independent and regional language cinema, and these films represent the best and most exciting work from the country. We are thrilled to present this eclectic and wholly original selection of films and filmmakers to the New York and US audience,” said Sudeep Sharma, Festival Programmer.

    India Kaleidoscope Film Festival 2017 will screen eight feature films, seven of which will be US or North American premieres. Most of the films will feature directors in person, and a major chunk of the programming lineup feature films directed by women filmmakers.

    In an effort to expand IKFF to wider audiences, this year’s closing night screening will be held at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Theatre in Manhattan. All films will be screened with English subtitles.

    The IKFF 2017 programming committee includes Priya Giri Desai (The India Center Foundation), Ashok Sinha (The India Center Foundation), Priyadarshini Shanker (NYU Cinema Studies), Anupama Kapse (Loyola Marymount), Tristine Skyler (Writer and Producer), Ritesh Mehta (Film Independent) and Sudeep Sharma (Film Programmer); with additional programming support from Uma da Cunha and Christina Marouda (Museum of the Moving Image, IFFLA).

    The films are: Kadvi Hawa in Hindi stars Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey, and Tillotama Shome;  Mukkabaaz in Hindi has Vineet Kumar Singh, Zoya Hussain, and Jimmy Shergill; Sonar Baran Pakhi by director Bobby Sarma Baruah in Rajbangshi stars Pranami Borah, Arati Barua, and Pranjal Saikia; Prakasan by Director Bash Mohammed stars Dinesh Prabhakar, and Laya Krishna; Pahuna by director Paakhi Tyrewala in Sikkimese stars Ishika Gurung, Anmoul Limboo, and Manju KC Nanu; and Cycle by director: Prakash Kunte in Marathi stars Hrishikesh Joshi, Priyadarshan Jadhav, and Bhalachandra Kadam.

    The documentaries are Up Down And Sideways (Kho ki pa lü) by directors Anushka Meenakshi and Iswar Srikumar in Chokri on rice cultivators, and Last Days. Last Shot by director Sumira Roy in Hindi/Bengali/Bhojpuri on how Life and death co-exist every day on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi.

    ALSO READ :

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    NY Indian Filmfest: ‘Mukti Bhawan’ is best feature, short on  Kejriwal is best docu

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  • Oscars vote: 20 Indians & NRIs including Big B invited

    Oscars vote: 20 Indians & NRIs including Big B invited

    NEW DELHI: Actor-producer Aamir Khan is the only producer of an Oscar nominee among around 20 Indians or people of Indian origin including megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra who have been invited to join the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to vote for the Oscars.

    Interestingly, Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are the only father and daughter-in-law in the list of 774 persons invited from 57 countries.

    The total includes some persons – like eminent directors Mrinal Sen and Goutam Ghose – who have figured in more than one category in the total, as director and writer. Priyanka Chopra, Irfan Khan and Deepika Padukone who have also featured in international cinema are also in the list, which includes actor Salman Khan.

    Designers include Arjun Bhasin who designed the costumes of  “Monsoon Wedding” (which was also nominated); the renowned Mrinal Sen; Indian origin designer Geeta Gandbhir whose films include “The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington” and “Music by Prudence”, and award-winning director Anand Patwardhan.

    The list includes visual effects and animation filmmaker Mohit Kallianpur –“Frozen,” “Tangled” and Indian origin filmmaker Mahesh Ramasubramanian – “Home,” “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” in the short feature category.

    The award-winning directors Buddhadeb Das Gupta and Sooni Taraporevala figure in the list of writers of films they directed.

    Others include executive Abhijay Prakash and film curator Rajendra Roy apart from Ujwal Narayan Nirgudkar.

    “We’re proud to invite our newest class to the Academy. The entire motion picture community is what we make of it,” Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy President, said in a statement.

    Some eminent international personalities include Fatih Akin, Kim-ki-Duk, Garth Davis, Lav Diaz, Tom Ford, Anna Hui, Takashi Miike, and Guy Ritchie among others.

    Also Read :

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  • #Noconditionsapply to dreams: TOI

    MUMBAI: True freedom comes with a right to choose between ‘Yes’and‘No’. But, almost half of the country lives with freedom that comes with *conditions apply. Right from her birth, a girl is told what she should do and what she should not. She grows up in an environment where freedom is a permission that is sometimes granted to her, sometimes not. The degree of gender discrimination might change with geographies, communities and affluence. Increasingly, women are rejecting the notion of freedom with *conditions, but it is very much present as a part of our society and unsaid family rules across larger parts of the country.

    This International Women’s Day, The Times of India brings together multiple voices and discovers inspiring stories where women across the country are winning over *conditions to achieve their aspirations.The campaign is joined by Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Deepa Malik, Shalini Saraswathi, Sakshi Malik and many other achievers who share their stories of how have shattered *conditions put on them to achieve their dreams. The campaign #NoConditionsApply raises pertinent questions as to why the society still has different rules for daughters and sons. Why people expect her to be strong,yet her independent views are trolled. Why people tell her to dream big, but don’t allow her to challenge traditions. Why she is expected to work hard, but not have an expectation of equal pay. The crimes against women make it to headlines often, but few see the daylight of true justice. And, in the end, the shame is always a burden for her to bear. Across the country, the rules for men and women are almost always never the same.

    The Times of India is celebrating #NoConditionsApply across all its 45+ youth centric supplements like Bombay Times, Delhi Times, Chennai Times, Bangalore Times, Ahmedabad Times, Calcutta Times, Hyderabad Times, Pune Times etc., through inspiring stories of women achievers who have busted the *conditions put on their dreams.

    The campaign features Delhi’s MMA fighters who share what it means to fight-like-a-girl, ace women comedians who quip with smart repartee on sexist comments, Pune’s warrior women excelling in Mardani Khel, college theatre groups that blatantly question gender biases and many more unique stories. Flagging off the campaign, Alia Bhatt says “We would’ve lost so much talent across fields, had women not decided to give their aspirations a shot”.

    Talking about her views on #NoConditionsApply, Priyanka Chopra says “It starts with a bigger conversation around feminism which is about making decisions for ourselves without being judged, and with the same freedom that men have enjoyed for so many years. “Deepa Malik shares her secret to beat the conditions, “When you are passionate about something, the whole universe comes together to help. It all starts with faith in yourself and your determination. No conditions apply when it comes to achieving your dreams.”

    Share your stories and wish every woman you know “Happy Women’s Day” and wish her a life in which #NoConditionsApply.

    Show your support, share your stories and spread the message at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/campaignlanding/57458215.cms and tag your friends, family and partner. Because when everyone joins the conversation, she will live free.

  • xXx India blitz cost Viacom 18 over Rs 10 crore

    xXx India blitz cost Viacom 18 over Rs 10 crore

    MUMBAI: Have you wondered if a Hollywood movie could have its maiden release in India? It’s rare and exceptional. What it takes to be that big? Is it a large-scale promotion or a marketing stunt? It’s a not a stunt but the right marketing strategy that can make a film as big as a grand award ceremony.  

    The recent release of XXX: Return of Xander Cage in India before its global release has said it all.

    Viacom 18 gave the audience a first-hand experience of the film acclaimed for its extreme action in a grand event which was organised in Mumbai. The visit of megastar Vin Diesel to India along with the co-star Deepika Padukone and the director DJ Caruso has made the premiere more ravishing.  

    Five years ago, Viacom18 had undertaken a massive marketing campaign for ‘Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol’ for which Tom Cruise flew down to India.

    The industry has now estimated the marketing spend on xXx premiere in India to be above Rs 10 crore. “Of course, it is under Rs 15 crore,” an industry source quipped. A Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios movie, xXx: Return of Xander Cage has been exclusively distributed in India by Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

    So what made Hollywood to launch the movie in India before any than other country. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Viacom 18 Motion marketing head  Rudrarup Datta said, “For this film, India is a very important market for Paramount which is distributing the film globally. Having Deepika in the film made it more relevant for the India market. India was actually a T-1 market  in the film, hence we were pushing for the release earlier in India and, thankfully, Paramount gave a go-head.” The film thus released in India before anywhere else, not even in the US.

    “That’s a big step and an indication of the growing importance of the India market,” Datta said.

    The event was organised with a spectacular lineup of entertainment ranging from BMX stunt-bikers to skateboarders and B-Boying troupes. Nucleya further took the stage and kept the fans in a trance up until Diesel and Padukone made their entrance to greet the fans.

    Datta further explained, “It’s a mix of a global plan and India plan. So, if one plan is executed globally, a reflection of that will come to India, but, in this case especially, a special India plan was created because Padukone is a part of the film which, of course, gave us the advantage and opportunity to localise the film. And, that’s was we did. We started October last year where we actually convinced Paramount to create a specific Padukone trailer for India.”

    “Normally,” he said, “it was not done in any market.” “We created a trailer for India, and we launched the trailer on Bigg Boss and also launched a Hindi trailer then,” he added. “The whole idea on the campaign from day one was three pronged:
    A. Scale – whatever we do, we need to do it big.
    B. Penetration – we need to reach as deep as possible in India and new markets to respond to a Hollywood content and primarily Hollywood dubbed content. And,
    C. Localisation – to make it connect to the Indian audience as much as possible.”

    Viacom 18 has done multi tie-ups with brands like PVR where fans were greeted with a first-of-its-kind movie takeover of PVR cinemas with PVR ECX-Mumbai, PVR Priya- Delhi and PVR Phoenix-Bangalore, being transformed into ‘xXx – PVR’ starting 24 December  2016 and continuing till the release of the film in India on the 14 January 2017.

    Presence in the form of branding across the cinemas to virtual reality experience, from xXx meal combos to xXx selfie spots and gaming zones, Xander Cage is sure going to rule PVR Cinemas and audience’s hearts.

    “Right from large-scale outdoor branding, we embarked on innovative marketing — we had mall branding, railway station branding, and actually it was a first time that for a Hollywood film, we have covered OOH extensively across India.”

    The share of Hollywood films in India has seen a steady rise over the last couple of years, currently hitting 20 per cent plus figures. The share of theatrical business for Hollywood is growing at five per cent plus year-on-year. “In the last three years, the contribution of Hollywood to the overall business has gone up steeply,” Datta said.

    xXx released in 841 locations on 1,092 screens. This includes 3D, IMAX 3D and 4DX. The 2D version released on 18 January, and the number of screens were 200, “We have the weekend figure which is Rs 30 crore, but one needs to understand that it had two days quarter kind of a weekend.”

    In comparison, Disney’s The Jungle Book, in 2016, made Rs 40.47 crore in its opening weekend. Later, Marvel’s superhero movie Captain America : Civil War touched Rs 27 crore in its initial three days. But, none of these films could break the record set by Diesel’s Fast and Furious 7 which earned over Rs 70 crore in the first weekend. 

    The next big release of 2017 will be Dwayne Johnson, Zac Effron and Priyanka Chopra starring Baywatch which is set to release in May. It will be interesting to watch that the Indian audience will get lucky again with its India release first in the world.

  • xXx India blitz cost Viacom 18 over Rs 10 crore

    xXx India blitz cost Viacom 18 over Rs 10 crore

    MUMBAI: Have you wondered if a Hollywood movie could have its maiden release in India? It’s rare and exceptional. What it takes to be that big? Is it a large-scale promotion or a marketing stunt? It’s a not a stunt but the right marketing strategy that can make a film as big as a grand award ceremony.  

    The recent release of XXX: Return of Xander Cage in India before its global release has said it all.

    Viacom 18 gave the audience a first-hand experience of the film acclaimed for its extreme action in a grand event which was organised in Mumbai. The visit of megastar Vin Diesel to India along with the co-star Deepika Padukone and the director DJ Caruso has made the premiere more ravishing.  

    Five years ago, Viacom18 had undertaken a massive marketing campaign for ‘Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol’ for which Tom Cruise flew down to India.

    The industry has now estimated the marketing spend on xXx premiere in India to be above Rs 10 crore. “Of course, it is under Rs 15 crore,” an industry source quipped. A Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios movie, xXx: Return of Xander Cage has been exclusively distributed in India by Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

    So what made Hollywood to launch the movie in India before any than other country. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Viacom 18 Motion marketing head  Rudrarup Datta said, “For this film, India is a very important market for Paramount which is distributing the film globally. Having Deepika in the film made it more relevant for the India market. India was actually a T-1 market  in the film, hence we were pushing for the release earlier in India and, thankfully, Paramount gave a go-head.” The film thus released in India before anywhere else, not even in the US.

    “That’s a big step and an indication of the growing importance of the India market,” Datta said.

    The event was organised with a spectacular lineup of entertainment ranging from BMX stunt-bikers to skateboarders and B-Boying troupes. Nucleya further took the stage and kept the fans in a trance up until Diesel and Padukone made their entrance to greet the fans.

    Datta further explained, “It’s a mix of a global plan and India plan. So, if one plan is executed globally, a reflection of that will come to India, but, in this case especially, a special India plan was created because Padukone is a part of the film which, of course, gave us the advantage and opportunity to localise the film. And, that’s was we did. We started October last year where we actually convinced Paramount to create a specific Padukone trailer for India.”

    “Normally,” he said, “it was not done in any market.” “We created a trailer for India, and we launched the trailer on Bigg Boss and also launched a Hindi trailer then,” he added. “The whole idea on the campaign from day one was three pronged:
    A. Scale – whatever we do, we need to do it big.
    B. Penetration – we need to reach as deep as possible in India and new markets to respond to a Hollywood content and primarily Hollywood dubbed content. And,
    C. Localisation – to make it connect to the Indian audience as much as possible.”

    Viacom 18 has done multi tie-ups with brands like PVR where fans were greeted with a first-of-its-kind movie takeover of PVR cinemas with PVR ECX-Mumbai, PVR Priya- Delhi and PVR Phoenix-Bangalore, being transformed into ‘xXx – PVR’ starting 24 December  2016 and continuing till the release of the film in India on the 14 January 2017.

    Presence in the form of branding across the cinemas to virtual reality experience, from xXx meal combos to xXx selfie spots and gaming zones, Xander Cage is sure going to rule PVR Cinemas and audience’s hearts.

    “Right from large-scale outdoor branding, we embarked on innovative marketing — we had mall branding, railway station branding, and actually it was a first time that for a Hollywood film, we have covered OOH extensively across India.”

    The share of Hollywood films in India has seen a steady rise over the last couple of years, currently hitting 20 per cent plus figures. The share of theatrical business for Hollywood is growing at five per cent plus year-on-year. “In the last three years, the contribution of Hollywood to the overall business has gone up steeply,” Datta said.

    xXx released in 841 locations on 1,092 screens. This includes 3D, IMAX 3D and 4DX. The 2D version released on 18 January, and the number of screens were 200, “We have the weekend figure which is Rs 30 crore, but one needs to understand that it had two days quarter kind of a weekend.”

    In comparison, Disney’s The Jungle Book, in 2016, made Rs 40.47 crore in its opening weekend. Later, Marvel’s superhero movie Captain America : Civil War touched Rs 27 crore in its initial three days. But, none of these films could break the record set by Diesel’s Fast and Furious 7 which earned over Rs 70 crore in the first weekend. 

    The next big release of 2017 will be Dwayne Johnson, Zac Effron and Priyanka Chopra starring Baywatch which is set to release in May. It will be interesting to watch that the Indian audience will get lucky again with its India release first in the world.