Sony Max 2 is a brand about reliving moments & memories: Vaishali Sharma

Sony MAX2, a Hindi movie channel from Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has rolled out its latest TV campaign highlighting its brand essence – ‘Kuch filmon ka jadu kabhi kam nahi hota’. 

Conceptualised by DDB Mudra, the campaign promotes an engaging and massive television plan across all genres and will run over a period of 4 weeks during November. The channel is also planning an intricate impact and reach-driven digital campaign spread over the launch month. 

The TVC launched highlights the magic of iconic Hindi movie dialogues that still have an aura and impact. It shows the touching bond between a father and son, wherein the son takes care of his elderly father in the hospital who is undergoing chemotherapy. After having a word with the doctor on his father’s deteriorating health, the teary-eyed son puts on a brave face and meets his father who is getting ready to shave. As the son picks up a razor to shave his father’s beard, the father teases him in a filmy way by saying ‘Yeh bacchhon ke khelne ki cheez nahi, haath kat jaaye toh khoon nikal aata hai’ from the classic film ‘Waqt’, to which the son has a witty comeback from the movie ‘Tiranga’, ‘Na talwaar ki dhaar se, na goliyon ki bauchaar se. Banda darta hai to sirf parvardigaar se’. As the banter between the father and son continues, the father starts coughing and is unable to finish his dialogue. Looking at his ailing father, the son breaks down. To cheer up his son, the bed-ridden father steps in to lighten up the moment, saying, ‘Zindagi aur maut uparwale ke haath hai jahanpana’, making his son smile. 

Along with the mammoth collection of evergreen movies, the channel will celebrate the lives well lived with their key programming initiatives like ‘Lights Camera Kissey’ and ‘Take 2’ and ‘Sitaare’, consumer experiential activations like ‘Film, Family Aur Fun’ and unique digital initiatives like MAX2 Timeless Awards. 

Speaking to Adgully, Vaishali Sharma, Senior VP - Marketing and Communications, Sony MAX and MAX2, shares her insights on the ad campaign. She said, “MAX2 as a brand has always celebrated human emotions and relationships. In the over-cluttered Hindi movie genre, we want to continue to differentiate our brand positioning – ‘Kuch filmo ka jadu kabhi kam nahi hota’ through our TVC. A few films have had an impact on us and still continue to touch our lives in more ways than one. Sony MAX2’s rich heritage inspires the beautiful equation shared by the father and son in the TVC. Cherishing human relationships, the TVC conveys the message that the memories of some movies run parallel to human emotions.” 

On why there is a long gap that the channel takes to break out new campaigns, Sharma said, “We roll out ad campaigns only once a year generally, as a lot goes into the thinking and theme setting. Older campaigns don’t get a play-out spin-out.” 

When asked whether there is a conscious effort behind giving the ad campaigns a family-oriented feel to them, she replied, “Consciously, we don’t call it a family channel, but the nature of the channel and the films goes across generations and they connect the entire family with the films shown. We tend to cater to both men and women, but mostly female viewers are inclined towards Max 2. Therefore, from that perspective it’s a ‘family inclusive’ and not a deliberately effort. Sony Max 2 is a brand about reliving moments and memories. The whole brand essence from this view has more meaning in life, the movies that have enriched our cinema for decades and that’s what Max 2 about, so it’s natural to be more inclusive and have more pitch-groups into the fold.” 

The channel continues to share the same brand essence all throughout their ad campaigns. According to Sharma, “The magic of good cinema continues to live with us and gratifies the value of our lives. We are true to our tagline, ‘Kuch filmon ka jaadu kabhi kam nahi hota’. We are consciously different in showcasing films differently from both our cluster of channels and other competitor channels. Where we have taken this campaign forward is one of the insights that applies to this is to relive and rediscover the beautiful memories again. Therefore, there was no more beautiful way than to show through the bond of a father and son. The son has grown up, yet the bond is still fresh as if it was just yesterday. It’s like juxtaposing Max 2 with the bond that never dries out. The brand is very intrinsic to the story and to the insight.” 

Speaking in the future course of action for the channel, Sharma said, “We have continued to grow and have been leaders all through last year and this year. We are happy with the growth; we have seen influx of new audience. We will continue to expand out footprint and will serve to our consumers to continue our base.” 

On the channel’s plans to beef up the content library, she informed, “As part of our acquisition strategy for the brand, every year we re-infuse brand new set of movies and the same is for this year as well. Our premium destination for new blockbusters and premier is Sony Max and Max 2 will only show movies up to the year 2000. For the new ones, it’s Sony Max.” 

Talking about the response that the channel has received, Sharma said, “We have received very good response. We have been leading and this category has only grown. The genre of movies that we show has helped us build the growth trajectory in the last three years.”

Watch the ad here.