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The Rediff Business Special/Kanchana Suggu

Corporates to sell products 70mmmm style

Have you heard of a 70mmmm blockbuster? Manufacturers. Movie-makers. Millennium. Marketing. The four Ms make an odd but productive combination. The second millennium's last Diwali marks the first direct tie-up between a manufacturer and a movie-maker. In this age of globalisation, it is perhaps fitting that multi-national Coca-Cola, arguably the most fizzy advertiser in the world, and Rajshri Productions of Sooraj Barjatya, arguably the most effective guardian of everything desi, have formed the tie-up for the promotion of Hum Saath-Saath Hain.

"An analogy will help: it's almost like Wills or Aiwa sponsoring a cricket tournament, not merely advertising at the stadium or during the live coverage," says an industry source. Coke had it done it abroad before: it promoted Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List in a big way.

Traditionally, the link between movie-makers and manufacturers has been one of surrogate advertising (Mafatlal in Maine Pyar Kiya and Thums Up in Hum Aapke Hainn Kaun?). One got to see song sequences or some scenes filmed on sets or outdoors that displayed select advertisements. Subhash GHain's Taal went a step further when it integrated the cola king into the storyline: the lead pair romance over a bottle of Coke.

In a sense, HS-SH is a trend-setter: several big-time corporates are now keen to associate themselves, directly, with Bollywood blockbusters.

Coca-Cola India has launched a nation-wide marketing programme called 'Coca-Cola Hum Saath Saath Hainn'. The plan is to cover advertising, on-ground activation, promotion and even packaging. Coke bottles will carry a still from HS-SH. A television campaign, underlining Barjatya's favourite theme of traditional Indian family values, will air shortly.

Why this sudden tilt toward movies? Rahul Dhawan, director, external affairs and corporte communications, Coca-Cola India, says, "We believe we can reach people through feelings of togetherness, family, and, of course, the festival of Diwali."

The Diwali-time release of HS-SH was a big draw for Coke. "Diwali is one of the biggest icons of Indian values. It's all about warmth, human bonds, sharing joy with your loved ones. Coca-Cola's plan is to celebrate this festival by activating all the three consumer insights related to it: family, togetherness, gifting and shopping. Since Hum Saath-Saath Hainn is a film about family values, emotional bonds and togetherness, we decided it would be perfect to associate with it," explains Atul Agarwal, manager, media relations, Coca-Cola India.

One thought Coke had always sought the image of the soft drink of the young and the dashing. Where do family values, etc, fit in? Is Coke tweaking its image?

Apparently, research on teen values conducted by Coca-Cola indicated that the appeal of family bonds extends to teenagers as well. For them, family is the source of sustenance, strength, security and love. "For the youth, family works as a stable anchor in the face of an ever-changing and increasingly competitive outside world," says Agarwal. "In essence, Diwali is the beginning of festivities in India and is enjoyed by all, regardless of age, gender or status. It is also the time when people shop, visit others and exchange gifts."

Coca-Cola's evident joy at the exposure it is getting through HS-SH is tempting other companies to try the trick. They are willing to spend millions of rupees for a five-minute exposure in a Bollywood film.

This has spawned a new line of business. According to Sangeeta B, managing director, Achiever's Network, a firm that mediates between companies and Bollywood film producers for product placement in movies, "the business is growing tremendously". (AN's past projects include placement of Max Touch in Elizabeth. The firm is working on placing a product in Dharmendra's Dillagi.). "More and more companies want their products to be seen in films. But they do not really know how to go about it. We have contacts in both Corporate India and the film industry. So we have ventured into this business."

That corporates are willing to pump in megabucks for visibility on the silver screen, may create the impression that it is a big-buck biz. Sangeeta says it is not. "Actually it's cheaper." How? "If you want a star to feature in your advertisement, you have to pay at least Rs 1 million to the star. After that, you have to incur expenses on the making of the ad. And then, every time the ad goes on air, you have to pay for that too. On the other hand, if you opt for visibility in a film, it works out much cheaper. That's because the payment has to be made only once and the impact is much greater when a star is endorsing the product in a movie. Every time the movie is shown on cable TV, your product is also seen, for free."

Industry observers feel advertisers are getting into untested waters. "If the promotion is not done properly, the whole campaign may backfire. Already, some people feel Coke went a little overboard with the Taal bit," says a source.

Dhawan of Coke thinks otherwise. "If you ask any person who is not related to the advertising field, that is 99.99 per cent of the population, they won't think it is an overdose. We saw Shah Rukh Khan wearing Polo T-shirts throughout Kuch Kuch Hotha Hain. Now, was that too much? If a movie storyline includes scenes of an MTV award function or a BPL-sponsored show (as in Taal), there's nothing odd about it. We are not thrusting anything down people's throat. All these things are an integral part of the movie. They are not out of place. But yeah, if they were to show Shah Rukh swimming in a Polo T-shirt, then that would be an overdose."

The market is abuzz that Coca-Cola India spent some Rs 12.5 million on HS-SH promotion. True? "I can't disclose any information on that," says Dhawan. "It's too early to gauge the effectiveness of the idea. We wanted to reach out to people through this venture and we believe we've succeeded in doing that."

Not everyone is impressed. Ace film distributor Shyam Shroff of Shringar films says, "If you are smart and picking the right movie, then you get tremendous mileage for a very small amount. But if the movie flops, then it can prove to be a costly mistake."

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