MAM
Star World in marketing push for fifth season of ‘Lost’
MUMBAI: Star World, The English general enetertainment channel from the Star stable, is set to kick off the fifth season of Lost from 18 January onwards. The show will air from Monday to Thursday at 10 pm.
Star World India GM Keertan Adhyanthaya says that the broadcaster is doing a host of marketing activties to promote the show. Online is an important component. A full blown Lost microsite will be created where season 1-4 synopsis (catch up for previous four seasons), character sketches, interactive games and episodic updates will be available. There will also be discussion forums created on the site.
The Star World page on the online social networking site Facebook will be populated with information from the show. Lost wallpapers will also be available on these sites for download. The broadcaster will also buy ad space on Facebook to promote the microsite.
Additionally, Lost postcards will be created online that can be sent to friends via Facebook. These postcards will also be available in Youth Hangouts like colleges and café coffee day‘s through cards4u.
Nickname Generator, an online ‘Sawyer’s nickname generator’, will be created where a fan can upload his/her name and get a nickname from the system. This is because the character of Sawyer from Lost is well known for giving nicknames to people.
As part of the on ground activation process, hoardings will be put up at prime locations in Mumbai and Delhi. Busbacks also have been created. Interesingly, the broadcaster is not using print for the Lost camapign. Adhyanthaya adds that the channel‘s marketing budget will go up by 35 per cent for the year. The fifth season marks the beginning of the end. On the show, six survivors get rescued off the mysterious island; But they all decide to go back to rescue the rest.
With only 34 original hours left until the final episode airs in 2010, Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Sun and Claire‘s son Aaron – otherwise known as the Oceanic 6 – have been rescued and continue to try and pick up the pieces of the lives they knew before the crash. But Jack and Ben must convince all of them to return to the island in order to save those left behind.
This will prove quite a feat to achieve since Jack is still wrestling with his addictions, Kate won‘t speak to Jack, Hurley is in a mental institution, Sayid is an assassin and Sun blames Jack for Jin‘s death when the freighter exploded. Adding to their worries is the fact that they also have to take the body of Jeremy Bentham – aka Locke – with them in order to make things right with the island. But locating the island may prove even more difficult since Ben moved it.
Brands
HP launches Smart Champs learning game show with JioStar for students
Sanya Malhotra hosts quiz series blending fun, learning and prizes
NEW DELHI: HP India has teamed up with JioStar to launch HP Smart Champs, a new learning-based game show designed to make education engaging for school students across the country.
Hosted by Sanya Malhotra, the 10-episode series brings together students from Grades 5 to 9, who compete in teams through quiz and puzzle-based challenges that test knowledge, logic and teamwork. The show will begin streaming on JioHotstar from April 11 and will premiere on Nick on April 18, with weekend episodes airing at 7 PM.
Powered by HP Smart Tank printers, the format integrates print-based learning into the gameplay, using worksheets, clues and visual problem-solving tools to encourage hands-on participation. The idea is to move students beyond rote memorisation and towards more applied, curiosity-led learning.
The competition promises high stakes, with winners set to receive a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, while runners-up will take home Rs 5 lakh. Additional rewards include HP AI laptops, Smart Tank printers and accessories, while the winning school will be awarded an HP Smart Tech Lab.
Speaking about the initiative, HP India managing director Ipsita Dasgupta said, “At HP, we believe nurturing India’s youth is key to the country’s progress, and technology plays a foundational role in enabling this. With HP Smart Champs, we wanted to create something beyond traditional learning, a fun-filled platform where curiosity, creativity and critical thinking take centre stage.”
On the show’s reach, JioStar head entertainment sales Mahesh Shetty said, “HP Smart Champs reflects how children today learn through exploration and experience. With Nick and JioHotstar, we are creating a multi-screen approach that is both engaging and meaningful.”
Highlighting the role of print, HP India senior director print Satish Kumar said, “The show brings print-based learning to life in an engaging format, helping students develop deeper understanding through hands-on experiences.”
The journey to the finale began with participation from over 1,000 schools across 26 cities, narrowing down to 34 finalists who will compete in a studio showdown in Mumbai.
With its blend of entertainment, education and technology, HP Smart Champs is positioning itself as more than just a quiz show. It is a nationwide push to make learning interactive, accessible and, above all, a lot more fun.
