Zee TV rolls out blockbuster-sized marketing blitz for Dangal premiere

Zee TV has pulled out all stops to market and promote Bollywood’s biggest blockbuster ‘Dangal’, which is premiering on the channel at 12 noon on Sunday, May 21, 2017. Zee TV has taken truly unique route to invite audiences to watch the ‘Dangal’ World Television Premiere. 

Zee TV has created an exclusive sand art in collaboration with Guinness World Record-holding sand artist Padmashree Sudarshan Patnaik. A larger-than-life sand sculpture with a ‘Keep the Beach Clean’ message has left everyone spellbound.

Brandscope India, the Out of home agency from Dentsu Aegis Network partnered with television broadcaster Zee TV for their world television premier of the Amir Khan-starrer and super blockbuster Dangal. The movie, which has collected more than Rs. 1000 crores worldwide post its release in China, premiered on television on May 21, 2017. As part of the partnership, Brandscope India designed and crafted multiple innovations to announce the launch. As an industry-first initiative, the agency has replicated the movie poster with Sand-Art on the Versova beach, Mumbai. The Sand-Art is created by none other than Sudarshan Pattnaik, the Padmashri recipient from the state of Odisha. Recently he also entered the Guinness World Record for building world’s tallest sandcastle. 

Meanwhile, an aggressive outdoor campaign at impact locations across Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat depicts the most iconic moments of the movie. Giving viewers a traditional flavour of the Akhada (wrestling arena), Mumbai bus stops have been given a Dangal Akhada make-over for the week. 

Shedding more light on marketing has gone behind the television premier of ‘Dangal’ on Zee, Deepak Rajadhyaksha, Deputy Business Head, Zee TV, said, “‘Dangal’ is the first Bollywood and second Indian movie to cross Rs 1,000-crore benchmark globally and in itself the film is very profound and the viewers have experienced this movie in a different way, not just as a movie but as a thought which relates to their lives. The movie has also become life changing moment in viewers’ lives in many ways. So it’s our responsibility to promote it in that manner in a biggest ever strategic and larger than life way to reach out to those viewers who have seen the film in theatres and to give them this experience again with a different perspective by underlining various elements in the film and also who could not see unfortunately on screens, they will also experience this film in that particular way. In terms of marketing strategy, we have created a sand art with Guinness World Record holding sand artist Padmashree Sudarshan Patnaik at Versova, which has created a huge impact and it’s an iconic moment in the film. Also, we have recreated those iconic moments in terms of bus stops, bus panels, we have created akhadas in various malls and that was a challenge.”

 

Talking about the challenging aspects of marketing the blockbuster, he said, “The movie has already crossed the benchmark in terms of promotions, viewership, impact and breaking box office records. So how do we recreate that experience in our way on our platform (Zee TV). And my entire team has come up with lot many real term innovations which have not been done with any film earlier on television. This is a very proud moment for us to share all these moments and also what we have done is we have set up Dangal Melas in some of the malls of Mumbai, Delhi in which we have created akhadas and there will be live wrestling matches with live matches for the people to experience the thrill of that element. The thought in terms of the promotion of the film in theatres was – ‘Maari Choriyan Choron Se Kam Hai Ke’. We have extended that by saying that ‘Saara Khel Hi Palat Daala’. Dangal has changed the game in terms of Bollywood films and Indian films across the world. It has done a fantastic job in terms of box office collection in the China market. The innovation is consistently happening in terms of theatre distribution.  We tried to expand that thought of ‘Saara Khel Hi Palat Daala’ Dangal being a game changer in various ways.” 

Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, rest of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and to some extent to Punjab have been the key markets where the campaign has been rolled out. There are high impact and high frequency outdoor sites up in Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Baroda and Surat).  

Sharing his views on the changing dynamics of movie marketing and growing digital penetration, Rajadhyaksha said, “If you look at the digital campaign there are a lot of innovations happening in terms of ‘Dangal’. The only way to penetrate and to cater it to our viewers which are spread across the market is to keep on innovating and recreate the experience for the viewers who have seen the movie in theatres and for those who have heard about the movie and want to see it.” 

“The question is how do you make the film relatable to them. Zee TV is considered as a family member and not just a channel. Family member approach to family is a route always for any film or anything we do on air. There are life changing moments in our life and so ‘Dangal’ should reach out to that moments and not just to the mind and of the viewers, also recreating their own experiences. Thus they need to experience this movie and get inspired to live life in a far better way and evolve in life with a thoughtful journey. That was the thought behind everything we did whether on digital platform or on air,” he said. After the premiere at 12 PM, we are having an hour special chat show with the cast of Dangal and director. All the ZEE TV fans and Dangal fans via digital contest are going to be a part of the show and will get an opportunity to meet and interact with them. The same will be telecasted at 4 PM on Sunday.

By way of a customer-centric innovation that is aimed to engage viewers, exciting Dangal Melas have been setup at leading malls, where visitors will experience a live ‘Dangal’ match with real-time wrestlers, exciting photo-ops with super-sized medals; a wall of fame with Dangal messages and much more. The talent of India’s top-rated singing reality show ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs’ will set the stage on fire by performing at the Dangal Melas on teh chartbuster songs of Dangal on May 19 and 20 in Mumbai and Delhi. Below are the details: 

19th and 20th May – R City Mall, Ghatkopar (Mumbai)

19th and 20th May - TGIP (Noida)

20th May – Inorbit Mall, Malad, Mumbai 

Zee TV will also offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to audiences to meet and interact with Aamir Khan. Supported with a contest that will run on local radio stations and social media, fans who will share the most exciting questions to Aamir Khan will get a chance to meet and interact with him live – during the shoot of an engaging chat show – ‘Dangal Dangal Baat Chali Hai’, which will be telecast at 4 pm on May 21 right after the film’s world television premiere. 

‘Dangal’ succeeded in changing the game by questioning age-old Indian middle-class stereotypes, unshackling self-laid restrictions and doubts about one’s capabilities, redefining gender roles and raising a toast to women’s empowerment. Zee TV is now creating the same ‘misaal’ in the history of world television premieres by pulling out all stops, pushing the envelope and promoting the premiere like never before.

 

 

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