Branding For Jewellery It is an established fact that a bestseller is read by thousands of people. On the other hand, even a not so successful film is watched by at least a million people. In addition to the release in theatres, a film is watched on television and on DVDs by millions of consumers in India and abroad. In this scenario, association with films is extremely cost effective. In a film, product placement and branding can work wonders for the product brand that is being promoted. If done smartly, it can provide an instant emotional connect and positioning for the brand with the audience in addition to the visibility and brand recall. Anil Prabhakar shares his observations and experience of marketing alliances with films. Anil Prabhakar Films have been used very effectively as a medium for brand promotion. They have been used to promote not just consumer products but services such as banking (The in-film branding of ICICI in Baghbaan is a case in point), training institutes (Frankfinn in Welcome) and even destinations like Switzerland, Singapore etc; Tourism boards of countries such as Switzerland, Spain, Singapore and New Zealand have worked with Bollywood producers to promote tourism. The credit of popularizing Switzerland as an ultimate holiday destination to a large extent goes to Bollywood producers in general and to Yash Chopra in particular. Rakesh Roshan had a tie-up with New Zealand and Singapore Tourism boards for Kaho Na Pyar Hai and Krrish respectively. During my visit to Tanjung Rhu beach at Langkawi island the tour guide fondly pointed out the spots where songs of Kaho Na Pyaar Hai were picturised. He also mentioned that Indians call Tanjung Rhu beach as KNPH beach even after 11 years of the film s release. Similarly on a visit to a museum of vintage cars in Udaipur, the guide pointed out that the Rolls Royce displayed in the garage was used in the Hollywood block-buster Octopussy. The bond flick had Kabir Bedi in it and some sequences 94
were shot in Udaipur. Though the film was released in 1983, it is still associated with India in general and Udaipur, in particular. Such is the power of cinema. James Bond films have done wonders for product categories such as watches (always Omega), liquor (Martini shaken not stirred); suits (Brioni and Tom Ford) and cars (earlier it was BMW and now Aston Martin). In the next film, Carte Blanche, however, Bond will drive a Bentley. The recently released film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is almost entirely shot in Spain. The film projects Spain as an exciting holiday destination filled with fun and adventure. The co-branded print ad campaign with Spain tourism with the logo I need Spain has generated a lot of curiosity among potential travellers about exotic Spanish locations such as Costa Brava. The same film also has product placement for Hermes Kelly bag. The bag has been projected as a must have and must gift (to one s fiancée). There are many close ups of the bag and the orange coloured carry bag with the Hermes logo on it. The aspirational value is emphasized as the characters discuss about its price (12,000 euros, if you please). I had an opportunity to meet Marco Casanova, founder of Branding- Institute CMR AG in Switzerland, during his recent visit to Mumbai. He shared with me an example of how the film Australia is a 90-minute product placement for the country. He also spoke how the Robert Redford starrer The Horse Whisperer reminds a smoker about Marlboro without there being a single shot of the cigarette pack in the film. This is by virtue of the imagery and the theme of the film. The film is about horses and is shot at locations that resemble the Marlboro country. In films like Paheli and Jodhaa Akbar the product placement for Tanishq was done very effectively. Both the films had A grade stars and jewellery was an integral part of the film. In the Indian context, both the films are benchmarks on how product placement for jewellery needs to be done. Product placement defined: `Product placement refers to the practice of including a brand name product, package, signage or other trademark merchandise within a motion picture, television or other media vehicles for increasing the brand recall for instant recognition at the point of purchase. In the context of movies, product 95
96 placement can be classified into four types: That which provides only clear visibility ie. Product/brand name shown. That which is used in a scene. That which has a spoken reference. That which provides hands-on use and mentioned by a main star in a dialogue. In other words, placement provides visual, verbal and plot connection. Product placements thus can be: Implicit: where brand is shown without verbal reference to name or benefits. Non-integrated explicit placements: where the brand is formally expressed, but not integrated within the content of the programme. The sponsor name may be presented at the beginning, middle or end of the programme or it may be a part of the programme title.
Integrated explicit placements where the brand is formally mentioned within the programme. In this type the attributes and benefits of the product are clearly demonstrated. Purpose and advantages of in-film product placements: Product placement heightens the visibility of a branded product or service. Product placement in films are liked (unless there are too many) by the consumers as they enhance realism. They aid in character development. Provide historical subtext and a sense of familiarity. They are effective in grabbing the attention of the audience. A brand will get a consumer s undivided attention while watching a film. On the other hand while watching a TV programme, consumers tend to surf channels during commercial breaks. This behaviour makes TV advertisements less effective and more expensive. As consumers buy the tickets for the film they watch, they do so willingly without any coercion. Their involvement is high as they have spent their time and money for entertainment. They are therefore more responsive to the information provided to them in the movie hall setting. Gitanjali s Bollywood association: Gitanjali group has been involved with films and Bollywood ever since it forayed in the branded jewellery business. The association can be categorized as follows; Brand Endorsements: Appointing A grade stars as brand ambassadors for the various brands in its product portfolio. There are about 20 active brands in the Gitanjali portfolio. Some of the stars who endorse Gitanjali group brands are: Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Celina Jaitley, Raima Sen, Ria Sen, Moonmoon Sen, Neha Dhupia, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Sanjay Dutt, Dino Morea, Prachi Desai, Shazahn Padamsee, Salman Khan, Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan. Sponsorship of film award ceremonies: Gitanjali sponsors many film awards such as that of IIFA and Filmfare. The association with IIFA is since its inception and is now in its eleventh year. In 2011, Gitanjali sponsored a new property titled Global Film and Television Honours. During these awards, leading starlets walk the red carpet wearing jewellery from Gitanjali group. A senior representative gives away important category award trophies on stage. Sponsorship of Fashion Weeks on a pan India basis. In all of these, the showstoppers are Bollywood stars sporting jewellery from Gitanjali brands. Co-branded advertising with production houses for their films starring leading actors. In film branding and product placements. The rationale behind associating with fashion and glamour is to position Gitanjali brands as aspirational. The strategic objective is to make jewellery a fashion accessory to be worn and purchased frequently. In India jewellery is either purchased for investment or for wearing at occasions such as festivals and marriage. The tactical objectives differ from case to case basis but may be generalized as follows: To use the platform of films to create, showcase and launch a special collection of jewellery/watches. To use the footage from the film with the jewellery adorned by the star to create a co branded TV commercial. To use the actor/actress and the crew to directly or indirectly endorse the jewellery collection/brand. Promotion at retail outlets: Special theme decors are created before the release of the film at stores. The jewellery /watch collections are prominently displayed in the stores by creating special counters and show windows. This is backed by consumer contests to attract footfalls to the store. Events and programmes: Exclusive meet and greet sessions with customers are organized at retail level. Journalists from leading newspapers, magazines and television channels are invited to strengthen and publicize the association of the brand with the film. Movie making is an expensive and risky business. The production cost for films with big stars run into crores. Moreover, the magic formula is very elusive as the audience tastes are changing rapidly. Film makers therefore are looking at brand partners to subsidize their costs. On the other hand they are also making niche films for the multiplex goers at a lower cost. This gives Gitanjali an opportunity to partner with big as well as small films. With over 20 active brands in its portfolio, it has become possible to choose projects targeted at consumers covering a broad spectrum. With big studios and corporate houses entering the fray, the film industry is hiring professionals. These professionals are open to collaborating with brands to build long lasting relationships, and work out associations and placements in a planned manner. Gitanjali recently had a four-film deal with Balaji Telefilms for Love Sex aur Dhoka (LSD), Once upon a Time in Mumbai, Shor in the City and Taryanche Bait (Marathi). LSD, a path breaking cult film, was associated with Lucera targeted at young urban adults. Once Upon... was a big budget film with A grade stars such as Ajay Devgn and Kangana Ranaut. There was an opportunity to reach out to a wider audience. However, the challenge was that it was a period film of the late sixties and 98
early seventies. For product placement a brand had to be chosen that had a period feel in order not to compromise on the authenticity. It was therefore decided to showcase the brand Nizam collection in the film. An entire sequence was shot in the film featuring Emraan Hashmi and Prachi Desai. The location was a jewellery store (where Prachi is employed) branded as Nizam Collection. Close shots of jewellery and branding were prominently filmed for instant recognition and recall. The film was a super hit all over India. Shor in the City, a niche film for discerning viewers, was a dark comedy. Being a male oriented film, there was little or no opportunity to showcase a jewellery brand. It was therefore decided to associate the watch brand Chronotech with Shor. In the film, Chronotech is worn by Sendhill Ramamurthy who plays the character of an NRI in the film. His love interest, Preeti Desai, is a fashion model. This provided a perfect fit for an international fashion brand like Chronotech, Shor was applauded by critics and was appreciated by discerning audiences in India. Lara Dutta s home production Chalo Dilli did well at the box office. It had a sequence towards the end of the film where Akshay Kumar proposes to Lara with a diamond ring from Asmi. There was a close up of the ring and the logo on the box. A co-branded TV commercial with Asmi was aired on major TV channels. Lara Dutta and Vinay Pathak, lead stars of Chalo Dilli, visited Gitanjali outlets in Mumbai and Delhi. Lara unveiled a new collection from Asmi in presence of chosen customers and media representatives. Taryanche Bait was the first regional film supported by Gitanjali group. The film had won the best film award at the Pune international film festival. Its release coincided with the opening of Gitanjali s first department store (Maya) in Mumbai at Dadar. As a majority of Maya customers in Dadar are Maharashtrians, it was decided to associate Maya with the film. The Maya store is situated diagonally opposite Plaza cinema, the centre for Marathi films, a consumer offer was made for free tickets with every purchase at Maya. A contest was devised offering the lucky winner a dinner date with Sachin Khedekar and other stars of the film. Many other promotional activities were tied up with the film. With the success of Taryanche Bait, Gitanjali plans to support more regional films in the future. This optimism is echoed in a recent article in Business Standard. According to this article, with the increase in the disposable income in rural areas, product placements in regional films will become a regular feature. In addition to FMCG brands, even lifestyle and luxury brands will adopt this route. Regional movies give brands a much better reach to the target audience as the market is clearly identified. According to the World Gold Council figures 60% of India s annual consumption of gold and gold jewellery comes from semi- urban and rural areas. For jewellery brands, association with regional films makes sense as it will ensure reaching out to an audience with specific needs that may not be relevant to other regions. It therefore makes business sense for PN Gadgil Jewellers from Pune to associate with the Marathi biopic Balgandharva. The film has done excellent business at the box office. The jewellery is an integral part of the central character s attire. The jewellery collection showcased in the film is timeless and will appeal to Maharashtrian sensibilities more than others. Gitanjali s association with films will continue in the current year as well. Discussions are in advance stages for product placement in films like Players (starring Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and Neil Nitin Mukesh), Vidya Balan starrer Dirty Pictures and Shanghai. For jewellery brands, association with regional films makes sense as it will ensure reaching out to an audience with specific needs that may not be relevant to other regions." 100