Colors goes all out to market '24' on the lines of movie promotion

Extensive promotional activities run across print, radio, TV, outdoor and digital space. Phase II of the digital campaign is on the anvil

Sohini Sen | Mumbai | October 7, 2013

Colors' newest show stealer, 24, went on air on Friday, October 4 at 10 PM. Starring Anil Kapoor, Mandira Bedi, Neil Bhoopalam, Tisca Chopra and Rahul Khanna, the Indian version of the hit espionage series is the GEC major's big bet for the season.

To make sure that the show catches on with the audience, Colors has gone all out on promoting the show. So what does all out mean exactly in this case?

Colors has taken several initiatives on the outdoor front. Around 35 cities and over 1,000 media touch points have ensured that the length and breadth of the country has been plastered with 24! Besides creating impact with large format billboards at key junctions and arterial roads, the campaign has also reached out with an extensive media mix to target the audience in the most efficient and effective way along with various high frequency conventional and unconventional media formats. Four creative concepts have been executed for the campaign across major metros.

Among the more innovative themes seen in Mumbai, those crossing the Mahim Causeway can notice a huge bomb with a ticker with the number '24' on it. A Roman numeral clock with the numbers from 1-12 lighting up in sequence has also garnered attention.

Rajesh Iyer

“We are promoting this just like a movie, keeping in mind the look and feel of the show. On radio, every 23 minutes there will be a communication about the show across stations. This will go on for 10 days. In outdoor we have different ideas, and we are also promoting it across channels,” said Rajesh Iyer, Vice-President, Marketing, Colors.

While in print, a campaign has been launched to reach over 100 cities, television remains a prime focus for promoting the show. The channel has played the promos of 24 across 50 channels and across genres like English News, Hindi News, Regional, Infotainment, Music, Hindi Entertainment and Hindi Movies. Additionally, there were disruptive bugs and countdown timers to drive the tune in to the show.

Anil Kapoor, co-producer of the show, will be travelling to different cities and interact with people there. The show will also be publicised through movies, an initiative that started with Chennai Express, Grand Masti, etc. Anil Kapoor will also make an appearance in other Colors properties including Comedy Nights with Kapil and Bigg Boss, followed by fiction shows such as Balika Vadhu and Madhubala.

Users of Dish TV will also see a 'Red Button' activity, whereby the landing screen will feature a red button for viewers to directly go to Colors.

Just like the promotion of a movie, 24 will also be promoted in cinema screens. This takes forward the same idea that was launched with the first look release of the show in a movie theatre a month back. The promos will be played across 40 cities in over 1000 screen with the latest release 'Besharam'.

Digital plays a big part in every show's marketing these days. Colors has therefore launched a microsite (www.colors.in.com/24) as the one destination for all 24 fans. Social media was effectively used to establish characters and the concept of the show. Anil Kapoor, the star of the show, got on to Twitter to interact with fans on a regular basis. A twitter handle – @24india – has been launched to channel all conversations around the property. On the day of the launch there was a chat with Anil Kapoor and other stars of the show. The reactions have been fabulous with #24india trending not only in India but also worldwide with extremely positive buzz around the show.

Vivek Srivastava

Meanwhile, on the day of 24's on-air launch, i.e., October 4, 2013, Colors associated with Dainik Bhaskar's online arm to create a roadblock which increased online visibility for the show. On YouTube, there will be pre-rolls driving tune-ins for the show as well.

"Digital is very critical for 24. We were talking to the younger audiences who will be the first movers for the property. The concept in finite fiction series is new to India – we don't have 50 episodes to establish characters and story plot. The concept of the show – race against time and character in Jai Singh Rathod – had to be established in the first episode itself. We have used digital media effectively to engage with these audiences especially using social media as a tool to establish characters, the story concept. You will soon see the phase II of the digital campaign where we will take the 24 experience to the digital world," said Vivek Srivastava, Digital Head, Colors.

Sohini.Sen@BestMediaInfo.com

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