The Hindu Business Line : Films get innovative with brand promos

While clips of latest blockbuster movies are being utilised to promote brands that have not been placed in films, there are others which are using film formats such as trailers to push brands.

For instance, in Baghban — the latest Amitabh Bachchan-Hema Malini box office hit — Procter & Gamble's detergent powder brand, Tide, has been using scenes from the film in its latest television commercial. While Absolut Pictures is planning to unveil advertisements in film trailer format coinciding with the launch of its vodka brand later this month.

"Corporates are beginning to realise the potential of brand associations with high-profile movies. Therefore, in the case of Tide now and Thums Up earlier, though the brands were not directly present in the films, they were integrated through their respective television commercials," said Mr Sanjay Bhutiani, Head of Leo Entertainment, a specialised wing of Leo Burnett.

Other brands such as 8PM whisky and Reliance Infocomm have also gone on an overdrive. The whisky brand has entered into a deal with the Sanjay Dutt-starrer, Plan, while Reliance Infocomm is associating itself with Karan Johar's forthcoming Kal Ho Na Ho and Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Munnabhai MBBS.

Reliance IndiaMobile's association will enable its customers to watch movie trailers on their phones, download wallpapers of the movie stars, read the storyline and participate in interactive programmes and contests.

According to Mr Kaushik Roy, Head, Marketing, Reliance Infocomm, "We are not only looking at Hindi films but also at regional language films. Since cricket is an expensive proposition and is crowded, we would like to be associated with movies, which is a popular past-time."

Even as Absolut claims that the success of such short films has enhanced the credibility of its brand in the film-making world, agency professionals caution about the risks involved in-film brand associations. Mr Prasoon Joshi, National Creative Director, McCann-Erickson, said, "Brand associations in films work only if they are done intelligently. In-film associations that do not fit with the brand character can end up causing harm to the concerned brands."

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