Bollywood Advertising

Rebecca Sudan and Soumik Parida

Warc Exclusive

May 2011

 

 

Bollywood Advertising

Rebecca Sudan and Soumik Parida

MICA - Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad

In September 2009, Amitabh Bachchan, one of the biggest stars in India's Mumbai-based film industry (aka Bollywood), wrote

the following on his blog: "Marketing [of films] has reached such massive proportions, that an entire industry has erupted in

and around [it]. The reliance on that initial weekend of business is driving producers to make sure no effort is spared to

achieve [their] goal. And no matter what we may have to say in complaint, the system works. Good marketing has produced

good results at the box office. That old belief that the merit of the film shall eventually emerge victorious has long since been

overridden. By the time you wait for the merit to show its face, five other films have shown their merits."

Bachchan should know, having been involved in a series of innovative marketing initiatives to promote his films. His remarks

highlight the role marketing - and in particular a drive to find innovative new ways to connect with consumers - now plays in the

Bollywood industry. India produces a huge volume of films in multiple languages, meaning new releases have a very short time

to make their mark before the next big thing comes along. In this environment, smart marketing is crucial - and some of the

strategies adopted by film marketers hold lessons for marketers in other categories.

Today Bollywood is one of the major money earners for the Indian economy. India's film and television industry contributes Rs

28,305 crore ($6.2 billion) to the Indian economy. The Indian film industry has become the largest producer of films in the world

- in 2009, it produced 1288 feature films in 24 languages. Hindi was the most common language, used in 235 films, of which

163 were made in Mumbai. While Bollywood is well-known outside of India, within India it has to fight hard with regional

players.

TV, print and radio expenditure on the promotion of films totaled Rs 23.4 billion (US$526 million) in 2010, according to TAM

Media Research. A May 2009 report into the finances of the Indian entertainment sector by the Assocham Research Bureau

found that expenditure on marketing was rising quickly. The report commented: "As the sector is set for an unprecedented

growth, the Entertainment companies have become the highest spenders on advertising in the last two years. [They] spend

4.1 per cent of their total expenses on advertising in the FY 2007-08, the highest amongst the services as well as

manufacturing companies; they have also recorded one of the highest growth rate of 47 per cent.

This is a recent phenomenon. The report added that in 2005/06, the entertainment sector had been only the third-highest

advertiser on the basis of the percentage of total expenses going to marketing, behind consumer durables and liquor

companies. The entertainment sector rose to the top advertiser position in 2006-07.

   Title: Bollywood Advertising

   Author(s): Rebecca Sudan and Soumik Parida

   Source: Warc Exclusive

   Issue: May 2011

 

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Bollywood Advertising - A History

Newspapers were the original tool used to carry film advertisements. The Bombay Chronicle carried the first ad for Shri Dada

Saheb Phalke's magnum opus, Raja Harishchandra, in 1913. When the film failed to garner a good audience in a provincial

town, Phalke re-advertised it by printing leaflets and announcing that it was the first ever 'Indian picture'. It was also explained

that the film was a two-mile long strip of photographs and had 57,000 pictures.

In the early 20th Century, Hindi films were also advertised through film booklets, film song books and posters. The booklets

contained the synopsis of the story with a list of credits and lyrics of all the songs of a particular film. Lyrics written in both

Hindi and Urdu became part of film booklets with the advent of music in the 1930s, and one of the earliest song booklets was

produced to accompany the film Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946).

Over time, however, posters came to dominate - and for many years these posters were hand-painted, rather than printed, as

this proved more cost-effective. Hand-painted posters were not only used to generate hype (and in turn, more money) for any

given film, but also existed as pieces of art in their own right. Painter MF Hussain started his career by painting film posters.

The visual journey of movie posters and booklets ranging from Devi Devyani (1931) to Samadhi (1950) to Aankhen (1968) to

Sholay (1975) exhibits the advancement in the language of art.

Aankhen poster (1968)

Sholay poster (1975)

In this way, film advertising works as snapshot of not only the form, content and presentation of the film, but also of the era in

which it was made.

 

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Before TV came along, with the possibility of 'trailers' and 'teasers', 78 rpm records of film songs were released once the

popularity of a film had been ascertained. In the 1940s, studios started to release film songs before the film's release as a

promotional tool.

The link with music persisted. After television became a part of life in the 1980s, Chitrahaar (literally meaning a garland of

pictures), a famous song show that ruled Indian television screens for more than a decade, worked as a promotional tool for

selling movies to its family audience every Wednesday. Aamir Khan, one of the most popular actors, producers and directors

in India, promoted his film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) by associating with Chitrahaar during the film's pre-release

planning.

The changing face of Bollywood advertising

Movie marketing and promotions used to be the responsibility of the producers, but now distributors and multiplex operators

are also involved in the process. Bollywood advertising is conducted at two levels: the producer works on a large scale with a

big budget to create a buzz about the movie using various media on a national or international level; the distributor operates in

his/her territory at a smaller scale to inform the target audience about the theatres where the movie is playing and the timings

of the movies - though sometimes they go further. Leisure operator Inox developed 12 flavours of popcorn at its cafeteria

representing the 12 signs of the zodiac to help promote What's Your Rashee? (the film's star played 12 different zodiac-

themed characters).

With changing times, Bollywood advertising has only become complicated. The recent success stories at the box office prove

that promoting one's film is as important as the film itself; producers are pumping in more money on marketing than ever

before. And they have realized that they need to do much more than use a few billboards and TV ads to gain cut-through in a

viciously competitive industry.

New trends in Bollywood advertising

Today a Bollywood mainstream advertising campaign consists of television trailers, songs, star appearances on TV shows,

interviews, 'making of' pieces, reviews and, most interestingly, internet advertising. A typical film website allows visitors to view

multiple versions of the trailer, watch behind-the-scenes interviews, download cell-phone ringtones and desktop wallpapers

and even pre-order tickets. Television is used as an ally. It has become a trend for stars to be guests or judges on various TV

shows before the release of their movies. Bachchan even read the news one evening to promote his film Rann, in which he

played a media mogul.

Rishi Kapoor promoting his film Patiala House on dance reality show-Jhalak Dikhlaja

These promotions do not come cheap. In fact, advertising has become a major chunk of a film's total budget. The film Jaane

 

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Tu Ya Jaane Na (written and directed by Abbas Tyrewala, produced by Aamir Khan & Mansoor Khan and starring Aamir's

nephew Imran Khan and Genelia D'Souza) was marketed for Rs 40 million (US$800,000), out of its total budget of Rs 80

million (US$1.6 million). The recent Salman Khan vehicle, Dabaang, spent Rs 12 crore on its marketing budget out of the film's

total budget of Rs30 crore.

Big-budget movies such as these are spending a lot of money on marketing. But small-budget movies are finding ways to

compete. In particular, they are looking at ways to drive referrals. Participation in international film festivals has increased in

the last few years, as award-winning movies create a good amount of buzz and by the time the movie releases in India, there is

sufficient excitement among the multiplex crowd. Vikramaditya Motwani's debut movie Udaan, about a young man who dreams

of being a writer, used this strategy successfully.

Udaan poster

The movie also used a number of interesting and creative tactics. The lead actor of the movie asked the public to share their

college moments on Udaan's Facebook fan page. The campaign also involved a contest where fans were asked to share their

first grown-up film experience with the Udaan team via YouTube. As a promotional activity, the lead actor and the crew

members smashed the glasses of a car (in line with his character and the story). Although these promotional methods didn't

require a lot of expenditure, they were very effective.

Some examples of innovative methods of promotions in Bollywood

Aamir Khan has mastered the art of promoting his films in the most innovative ways. One example was a two-week cross-

country tour called Bharat Darshan to promote his film 3 Idiots (see Case Study below). He also turned barber, cutting the hair

of fans to promote his blockbuster hit Ghajini (the haircuts matched the style in Ghajini).

 

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Aamir Khan giving the Ghajini cut to fans

Abhishek Bachchan is a close competitor when it comes to promoting his films. He was nominated for a Guinness World

Record for the most public appearances in 24 hours while promoting Delhi-6 (he made appearances in five cities). And

Amitabh Bachchan, for the film Paa (in which he played a 13-year-old with a disease that has prematurely aged him) visited

schools wearing uniform and commentated on a cricket match.

A common thread is that the strategies are gimmick-heavy, but each is unique and built around the subject of the film and its

main stars. Giving fans a chance to interact with the stars, either via online platforms or in live events, is also a common

feature.

Brand relationships

Primarily, brands get involved with movies through product placements. According to a research paper presented during the

IIM-Ahmadabad conference on Marketing Paradigms for Emerging Economies, 71% of Indian consumers think that product

placement is a good way of informing consumers about products and services. 85% of consumers understood product

placement as a medium to generate revenue by film makers, and 50% said that product placement was unrealistic.

This relationship between brands and Bollywood started in 1973 with the yellow Rajdoot bike in Raj Kapoor's hit movie Bobby.

Some movies have been able to integrate brands with the storyline successfully. In the 2008 movie Dostana (starring former

Miss World Priyanka Chopra, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham), the magazine brand Verve capitalised on the storyline

(Priyanka Chopra played the role of the editor of the magazine). It also defined Priyanka's character. The brand was an

integral part of the script.

However, tie-ups with third-party brands in merchandising deals are less common. Unlike in Hollywood, film merchandising is

at a nascent stage in India. It began for Bollywood in 1989 with the release of Maine Pyar Kiya. The producers of the film

entered into a tie-up with retail chain Archies, which sold the same cap donned by Salman Khan in the film. That remained an

isolated example for many years, and this avenue was largely untapped.

But merchandising has become more popular. The producer of India's superhero film, Krrish, released in 2006, rolled out

 

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masks, key chains, colouring books, watches, school bags, activity books and T-shirts in collaboration with Pantaloons, a

retail store.

Similarly, Farah Khan, producer of Om Shanti Om (2007), joined forces with Shopper's Stop (a leading high-end apparel

store). The brand displayed the film-based clothing line and products almost six weeks prior to the release of the film,

coinciding with the festival of Diwali. The merchandise generated sales worth Rs 5 crore.

The 2008 film Jodhaa Akbar continued the trend. The jewellery worn by Aishwarya Rai in the film was produced by Tanishq,

which created a special collection that remains on sale. The brand invested close to Rs 5 crore in research and detailing.

Tanishq used film imagery and visuals in its stores to promote the range.

Krrish face masks, inspired by the mask of the Indian superhero

In India most tie-ups have been with retail stores; FMCG brands have not yet invested in this area. There may be huge scope

for brands to build an association with Bollywood. The challenge is to create iconic characters (the equivalents of Superman

or Batman) in India and then build creative associations between brands and production houses.

The Jodha Akbar Collection inspired by the movie

Marketing lessons from Bollywood

While the marketing requirements of Bollywood are in some respects unique to the sector, there are certain lessons other

marketers can draw. The studios and the stars take care to make every movie a unique brand in its own right, and to market it

as such; the marketing activity, therefore, is often crafted around the key attributes of the film. The advent of small-budget

movies also demonstrates the importance of being able to serve niche products, along with carefully targeted marketing, to

specific audiences.

Bollywood marketers also have a clear understanding of the value of 'earned' and 'owned' media, as well as paid-for activity.

 

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Websites allow actors to chat with fans online and share exclusive information about a movie to keep them hooked. Social

media and new online channels such as gaming are increasingly being used to build interest around films. At a time when

there is a lot of interest in driving online 'buzz' around products and services, Bollywood's marketers are masters of the art.

At the heart of all this is the truism that content is king. Bollywood is a content business, and it has access to people and

movies that consumers want to engage with.

CASE STUDY: 3 Idiots (2009)

In a year when the Hindi film industry had only a handful of hits, 3 Idiots - launched in December - came as a saving grace. A

heart-touching story based on three friends and the Indian education system, 3 Idiots became extraordinarily successful and

earned a huge Rs 335 crore ($75 million).

Given the studio's high hopes for the film - and the popularity of its star, Aamir Khan - the marketing strategy was carefully

planned. It all began with a meeting of 25 marketing people four months prior to the film's release. The idea was to reach and

connect to people across the country, even those in rural areas who traditionally opted for locally made films rather than

Bollywood blockbusters. The answer was to run a game that would bring Aamir Khan to towns and cities across India.

The first step was a deal with the online gaming firm, Zapak.com, and creating an 'alternate reality' game. Using the game's

site, the audiences could interact with actors from the film. They could also find out more about the characters' stories, play

puzzles and stay connected through email, phone and online. On the back of this online activity, the marketing team came up

with a Facebook profile titled 'Aamir the Pucca Idiot'. The profile page was controlled by Aamir Khan himself.

The teaser strategy was built, based on the first part of the film story where Aamir is lost and his friends try to find him. Up to

first half of October, there were no hoardings or posters at theatres. All that people witnessed were stickers in washrooms that

read 'You are the fourth Idiot', or printed stickers saying 'Capacity: 3 Idiots' on nearly 10,000 auto rickshaws in various cities

across the country.

By the end of October, the 3 Idiots team broke their silence and launched the film's first trailer. A promotion titled 'Sabse BIG

Idiot' ('the biggest idiot') was launched in collaboration with Big 92.7 FM (a leading radio channel) to find the fourth idiot.

Listeners were invited to show how idiotic they were on the station's shows. In addition, Aamir Khan scribbled designs that

were used to create a T-shirt and 3 Idiots-branded Converse shoes.

On December 12, 2009, Aamir Khan 'disappeared', leaving a video on the film's website www.idiotsacademy.com, asking his

fans to be a part of the game in locating him as he travelled across the country, leaving them with seven hints. During this

crafted travel game, Aamir made appearances in different get-ups, visiting towns and villages and giving interviews to only

regional print and audio-visual media.

The alternate reality game that was used to connect with the audience initially became a game where fans competed against

each other to find out where Aamir Khan was. In the middle of his hide-and-seek exercise, Aamir Khan held a live chat with

100,000 fans on Facebook from across the globe. The film opened on 25th December 2009 to an excited audience and

collected Rs 13 crore ($2.9 million) on the very first day.

References

 

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l Assocham Research Bureau (2009) Assocham Financial Pulse Study: "India Entertainment Sector - A Financial

Stock-Taking"

l Castillo, D. (2009, January 13) Product placement going strong in Bollywood. Retrieved on February 16th 2010,

from Product placement news (PPN)

l Dwyer, R., & Patel, D. (2002). Cinema India - The visual culture of Hindi films (2nd ed., pp. 101-182). New Delhi,

India: Oxford University press

l Flock, E. (2010). Why Aamir Khan is Marketing Genius- Aamir Khan's strategy to market 3 Idiots in smaller

towns via regional media has been an unqualified success. Retrieved March 10, 2011

l Indiaglitz (2010, March 23) Contribution from TV and Film industry to Indian economy $ 6 billion+

l Joshi, L. M. (2002). Bollywood, popular Indian Cinema (2nd ed., pp. 211-212). London, AL: Dakini Books Ltd.

Pandey, R. (2009, January 22) Bollywood's burgeoning baptism online. Retrieved on February 15th 2010

l Business Line. 2008. Tanishq embarks on retail expansion to double sales.

l The Economic Times. 2008. Movie merchandise a hit with consumers.

l Box office India. 2010. Gold-Maal.

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