A while ago, whenever you saw a brand name in a film you knew it was a product placement. It was always very obvious and even promotional lines were part of the script. Now filmmakers are making product promotion more a part of the script. It is not so in your face as it was before but certain tie-ins are still showcased.
Film director Ravi Chopra says, “I do not promote brands in my film if they don’t fit in with the script of the film. If I think that incorporating of the brand might work against the movie, I will not promote the brand. I am very particular about it.”
There is now more of a partnership between the filmmakers and the companies in regards to product promotion. A two-way deal, both the film and the products will get publicity.
In two recent films you can see this new way which showcases both the product and the movie: Ta Ra Rum Pum promoted General Motors and Metro will be promoting Shaadi.com
P Bolendra, vice president, General Motors said of the pairing with Ta Ra Rum Pum that besides the movie being about cars, “ Since both Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan are our brand ambassadors, it made a lot of sense to promote our brand through the movie.”
Anurag Basu, director of Metro said that it is difficult to incorporate a brand but if it is done subtly like the introduction of Shaadi.com in Metro, then it looks good.
Vibhas Mehta, business head of Shaadi.com agrees and said that; “We found the Konkana Sen and Irfan Khan’s plot apt for promoting our brand. The duo meets through the Internet; Shaadi.com enters in the film at this point.”
“They also cater to people whom we cater to. Hence our target audience is similar and most importantly, it’s a two-way deal. We promote the brand in the film and their website promotes our film,” added Siddharth Roy Kapur, the marketing head of UTV, the producers of Metro.
Movies, products and marketing go hand in hand and this two-way partnership seems a step in the right direction. While watching the films it will be nice to notice the brands but not be jarred by their presence. We hope this trend continues in many upcoming movies!
