The Art of Collaboration

BY Aryan Khanna

Martin Scoresese has a famous saying – “Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out.” In today’s time, when cinema is reviving, nobody wants to be outside the frame, especially brands. All it took was Fahadh Faasil to vow to only wear Lunar slippers in Maheshinte Prathikaram to shoot up the sales of such an ordinary product in Kerala. Furthermore, after the mega success of Malayalam movies like Premalu, The Goat Life and Manjummel Boys, be prepared to hear many more hit stories like Lunar’s.

Sumith G, Chief Media Officer and Key Accounts Head, Maitri Advertising Works, an independent marketing agency, while talking about ad spends in the space, brings to our attention, “Brand-movie collaborations and cinema advertising constitute hardly 5% of the total AdEx in Kerala. However, the recent blockbusters are creating an upward momentum in this direction.”

Recently, there has been a noticeable surge in brand collaborations and placements within cinema. From subtle product integrations in movie plots like how River Scooters did it in Premalu to more overt brand tie-ups during promotional events involving A-listers, the integration of brands into the cinematic narrative has become increasingly prevalent.

“Collaborations and campaigns within the realm of cinema offer brands a unique opportunity to connect with consumers in a highly engaging and emotionally resonant environment,” notes Vivek Ramadevan, Managing Director of Catalyst Entertainment Consultancy, a Kerala-based celebrity management and movie marketing agency. He adds, “By aligning their products or services with popular films and celebrities, brands can tap into the existing fan base and leverage the influence of cinematic storytelling to enhance brand perception, drive sales, and foster long-term customer loyalty.”

Shedding more light on growing numbers in the space, Sri Harsha, AVP and Cluster Head, Mudramax shares “Currently, about 20% of all films made in the region have in-film branding. Given the marketing ROI, the trend is expected to increase year-on-year and grow by about 15-20%. In-film collaborations which are done subtly, where products/services are embedded as part of the storyline, the advertisers see phenomenal results.”

Muthoot FinCorp is one brand that forms collaborations with movies throughout the country. From Bollywood hits like Jawan to Malayalam successes like Minnal Murali, the brand aims to reach people in a way they seem to cherish.

Jimmy Thomas, Director, Brand Communication, Organic BPS who has worked on both these campaigns, while talking about Minnal Murali collab, shares, “A couple of years ago, we collaborated with Muthoot FinCorp and Netflix in a Minnal Murali themed campaign. Through the campaign, we tried to link the lightning-struck hero of the movie with Muthoot FinCorp’s gold loan services, and even called the services Minnal Gold Loan.” Talking about the results of such campaigns, he adds, “This campaign was a success, even in terms of numbers for the brand. Muthoot, which sees most of its business coming from store visits, saw the walk-ins surge by around 10% post the campaign.”

Similarly, Bisleri has understood that cinema is a good way into people’s hearts. As part of its marketing strategy, the brand partners with movies throughout the country and launches special movie-themed editions around their releases. Having an impression even down South, the brand has partnered with around 10 movies, across all states.

Elucidating it further, Tushar Malhotra, Director of Sales and Marketing, Bisleri says, “The South market is one of the biggest markets for any branded commodity with its fair share of languages and cultures. But movies are a good way to generate brand love as they are an integral part of the culture. We started with our limited-edition initiative, collaborating with RRR, and after its mega success, we collaborated with Vikram, King of Kotha, Jailer and 6 other big movies in the South. Even from a KPI perspective, such initiatives lead to an increase in all brand imagery parameters.”

Experts observe that big marketers often do not know much about the cultural nuances in the South; hence, movies are a simple and safe way to make brands’ voices heard. FMCG players such as Dabur are collaborating with regional stars to woo audiences in the south.

Talking about his brand’s association with cinema, Rajiv Dubey, Head of Media, Dabur shares, “We partner with movies from the South when they are launched on TV and OTT. And even during our regional campaigns and launches, we try to work with local stars like Nagarjuna. Therefore, our spends around South Cinema are relatively high. While launching new products, onboarding local stars gives more eyeballs and helps reach the target audience efficiently.”

Since it is not easy for companies to take their products to movies, considering the risks and heavy costs, some companies are introducing cinema and pop culture into their campaigns. ESAF Small Finance Bank is one brand that has benefited a lot from movie spin-off campaigns.

Dominic Savio, Managing Director, Buzzstop, a Kochi-based advertising agency that conceptualised and produced a remake of a Malayalam feature film for the brand ESAF Small Finance Bank, voices, “In a first-ever move of cinematic innovation, we recreated the Malayalam blockbuster, Katha Parayumbol. In this novel initiative of branded content creation, the storyline was crafted to integrate the ESAF brand offering, with fun and entertainment for family audiences. At a time when everyone does brand placements within the movie, we produced a star-studded feature film for our client's brand promotion."

Dominic Savio shares that the celebrity market in Kerala is estimated to be about INR 2000cr. today. Therefore, considering the strong affinity for cinema and stars, it is not surprising that in addition to brands, political parties have also started incorporating cinema and popular culture into their marketing initiatives. For the upcoming elections, the Left Democratic (LDF) has made campaigns using dialogues/themes from recent hits like Bramayugam and Premalu.

Venugopal R. Nair, Director – Ideation, Maitri Advertising Works who has worked on the recent LDF campaigns, remarks, “In a 30-second film, running on Digital, TV and Cinema, we used themes from Mammootty-starrer Bramayugam and showcased the LDF’s vision of secularism and democracy. Similarly, in another recent campaign for LDF, we used the famous ‘just kidding’ line from Premalu to question the Centre. I believe that standing on the back of movies, such campaigns increase the reach of the brand.”

Milma is another brand that doesn’t shy away from using cinema references for its communications and campaigns to extend its reach. From Manjummel Boys to Goat Life to Aavesham, the brand has worked with Stark Communications to build social media communications around the most recent Malayalam hits. Experts find that moment marketing initiatives like these help brands increase top-of-mind awareness.

Observing the growth in brand-movie collaborations, Shelton Pinheiro, Executive Creative Director, Stark Communications says, “Kerala was not always pro-collaboration, but the emergence of new sets of brands and audiences in a social media world are paving the way for collaborations. OTT is allowing people to consume content in other regional languages, and with the release of recent blockbusters, the collaborations will only increase in the state.”

Along similar lines, movie director Fellini TP who has directed movies like Ottu and Nizhal voices, “Movies having A-listers generally tend to attract brands for collaborations. Brand collaborations have existed in Malayalam cinema for the last 10-15 years, but earlier, product placement was very obvious. With time, these integrations are becoming subtle and products are better blended into the movies.”

Industry professionals are propounding that it’s integral for these integrations to be seamless and relevant. Therefore, effective brand collaboration in films requires alignment with the narrative—ensuring the brand enhances, not undermines, the story and its characters. While many brands are trying to work on the script with creators in real time, some are trying to place ads in the film in the post-production stage.

Paul Philip, Business Head, Human Stories, a Kochi-based advertising agency, acknowledges that Cinema holds the potential to hit people at the right time. “In the multiverse of choices and distractions, brands try to sail consumers through the chaos, not just with catchy slogans, but by integrating seamlessly into the fabric of popular culture, speaking to us at the right time, in the right context. What better time than movies– when you are out to watch a movie of your liking with your friends and families?”

The increasing trend of brand-film partnerships in India marks a significant transformation in marketing tactics, capitalising on the compelling nature of movies to captivate viewers. Whether through nuanced product placements or explicit associations, companies are tapping into the allure of hit movies and star power to boost their image and stimulate consumer spending. With the industry’s progression, the art of blending branding with storytelling is key, heralding an exciting era for brand-cinema collaborations in Kerala and is surrounding regions.

Tags : #e4m #Impact #ADEX #Kerala #brandmovie #collaborations #KeralaMovies #MalyaliCinema #moviesandads