WB launches Freedom at 11

Joining the fervour of India's Independence Day, WB has announced an unmatched line-up of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters with "Freedom at 11'. Starting August 3, every night from Wednesday to Sunday at 11PM is a WB night with Hollywood's best of the best in, action, adventure, comedy and fantasy.

WB "Freedom at 11' will get viewer's adrenaline pumping with action movies like The Dark Knight, Final Destination, Lara Croft Tomb Raider and 300 to name a few. "Freedom at 11' will also showcase a good dose of laughter with movies like Shrek 2, Kung Fu Panda and Scooby Doo 2. The WB roller coaster ride will next visit the fantasy land with movies like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Time Machine and many more.

Commenting on the WB "Freedom at 11' programming stunt and the promotional campaign, Monica Tata, General Manager, Entertainment Networks, South Asia, Turner International India, says, "WB is delighted to continually entertain Indian viewers with high quality Hollywood content and now we plan to do so every night of the week. As THE Hollywood television destination in India, WB yet again brings a colossal mix of Hollywood movie genres and titles to take WB viewer's entertainment quotient a notch higher this August with "Freedom at 11'. WB's focus is direct consumer interaction and we have been effectively engaging the ardent Hollywood followers in India across all platforms."

On the other hand, Krishna Desai, Director, Programming, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd., tells Adgully, "A key trend witnessed this year was the extension of the prime band from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. This year being a cricket heavy year, the World Cup followed by IPL, most channels focused on building the 11:00 p.m. slot. In addition, India still largely is a single TV household, where men get sole access to the remote post 10:30 p.m. Thus, we now bring WB "Freedom at 11', a month long programming festival that brings in the best of the best Hollywood titles and extend the WB viewing experience."

Talking about advertiser response, Desai, says, "WB has established itself as a premium Hollywood destination with advertisers who seek a premium environment for their brands and the fact that all of our initiatives have been well supported reiterates that WB promotions are innovative, interactive and slickly packaged. WB "Freedom at 11' is co presented by Samsung Galaxy S2 and P&G Head and Shoulders."

He further adds, "Our overall performance has been remarkable as well. WB has doubled its client, witnessing a 50% growth from Q1 last year to Q1 this year. Currently WB clients span across sectors including Lifestyle & Beauty, Automobiles, Financial, and Telecom amongst others. To name a few clients, WB has partnered with L'Oreal, Yamaha, Volkswagen, Tata Motors, TVS, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Edelweiss, Bajaj Allianz, Samsung, Phillips, and more."

On August 15, WB will play Hollywood's biggest blockbusters throughout the day: Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, Romeo Must Die, Golden Compass, School of Rock Scooby Doo.

WB "Freedom at 11' is co presented by Samsung Galaxy S2 and P&G Head and Shoulders. To promote this property, WB is rolling out an innovative campaign that will span across on-air consumer promotions, on-ground associations and digital activations.

The marketing campaign includes print partnerships to create buzz about the movie line-up. WB will also place interactive banners on Bookmyshow.com. On ground, WB will put up creative standees across Café Coffee Day outlets in Mumbai and Delhi, enabling passersby to catch a glimpse of the high voltage drama on WB. Movie buffs can log-on to the dedicated website www.itsonwb.com to get the full schedule for Freedom at 11 and can also visit the WB Facebook page www.facebook.com/itsonwb

Desai points out, "We at WB effectively ensure that the channel is engaged with viewers through the year across on-line, on-air and off-air. Direct consumer interaction/engagement is a key focus of WB's marketing strategy. The promotional activities are targeted at genuine movie lovers and thus our campaign aims at engaging and evoking curiosity amongst the ardent Hollywood followers." | By Prabha Hegde [prabha(at)adgully.com]