Brands jump on the Archies’ bandwagon to boost visibilty, evoke nostalgia

From boAt to Vistara, and from Maybelline New York to Starbucks, a slew of players have inked brand collaborations with Netflix India for the teen musical comedy film the Archies, which was released on Thursday. These brands have launched Archies-themed limited collections accompanied by digital campaigns and social media posts in the run-up to the movie’s release.

Some see Netflix India’s strategy as being inspired by Warner Bros’ ubiquitous global marketing campaign for Barbie, which was released earlier this year.

The Archies is directed by Zoya Akhtar, who has also produced the film with Reema Kagti (Tiger Baby Films) and Sharad Devrajan (Graphic India). The film stars Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi Saigal, and Yuvraj Menda.

While Whatsapp has unveiled Archies-themed stickers, Maybelline New York has launched a limited edition Archies makeup collection. Starbucks India is offering Toffee Nut Crunch, Gingerbread Bliss, and Crunchy Red Hat Mocha, among others, on its menu, inspired by the movie. “Experience holiday joy with our ’The Archies’ movie-inspired Specials,” the brand stated on its site. Skybags has launched the Archies backpack collection. Vistara organised “Flight to Riverdale,” a retro-themed flight.

Consumer electronics brand boAt has launched a limited edition portable Bluetooth speaker called Stone Majestic Riverdale Rocker as part of its brand collaboration with the flick. Aman Gupta. Co-founder and CMO of boAt, said, “As a youth brand seeking to forge connections with Gen Z, we recognised the ideal opportunity to do so with the release of Netflix’s Archies. Our approach centers on offering a nostalgic experience rooted in the comic’s essence, reinvented for today’s audience – a concept we’ve coined as ‘Riverdale Rockers’.

The launch was announced through a campaign that included a digital video featuring the star cast of the Archies, along with Gupta, influencers, and celebs. “This thoughtful curation ensured a dynamic blend of both current and nostalgic influencers, creating a visually captivating and culturally rich campaign that resonates across diverse audiences,” added Gupta.

Experts pointed out that such strategies, on one hand, boost a brand’s visibility while ensuring more marketing dollars are spent on the promotion of the film. Payal Sakhuja, Founder, Ripple Links, which was involved with the Vistara campaign, said, “Brand and movie partnerships present a fantastic opportunity for brands to create stronger connections with their audience. Partnership with Archies allowed brands to evoke nostalgia and forge deeper emotional bonds with consumers, taking them on a journey down memory lane. It’s a savvy strategy that boosts brand visibility and fosters a more personal connection with their audience.”

Set in the 1960’s, this is the Indian adaptation of Archie comics.

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