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Marketing of 3 Idiots in final lap
MUMBAI: There is a flurry of activity going on in Vinod Chopra Productions. Head-honcho Vidhu Vinod Chopra, along with director Rajkumar Hirani, lead actors Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and Madhavan, is busy promoting 3 Idiots that is up for release on 25 December.
Says an official spokesperson, “Producers, these days, have been concentrating on marketing their films than ever before. Their only mantra: the more the promotion, the more the chances of the film‘s success at the box-office. We have also adopted the same procedure.
“The marketing strategies of 3 Idiots have been devised by lead star Aamir Khan and when he is at work, one can expect magic. Funny ways are being sought to promote the film.”
To begin with, butt chairs have been placed at leading multiplex chains. “I have seen people photographing themselves and their relatives sitting on the chairs and regaling themselves and others around,” says the spokesperson.
The 3 Idiots team has also used unique stickers on some rickshaws plying on streets that read ‘Capacity: 3 Idiots‘. It is reported that these stickers are seen on around 10,000 rickshaws in cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Gujarat, Jaipur, Kota, Lucknow, Kanpur, Patna, Kolkata, Bhopal, Indore, Bengaluru and Chennai.
A few weeks ago, the walls of washrooms next to the cubicles in the men‘s restroom of certain theatres were painted with slogans that read ‘you are an idiot‘. This was part of the promotion of 3 Idiots.
An interactive website has been launched in association with Zapak.com with a college set-up as the homepage. The website designed keeping in mind the college atmosphere, was complete with a hostel, classroom, toilet, canteen and a few special added features.
Along with, the 3 Idiots team also launched a new game in association with the online service portal. The objective of the game is to find Aamir Khan who has gone into hiding. Anybody who spotted Khan was to inform the team and the winner would get to dine with Aamir Khan on New Year‘s Eve. The team had roped in Sachin Tendulkar to give out the first clue for the two-day game.
Reliance Capital has tied up with the Vidhu Vinod Chopra film to promote its ‘All Is Well Insurance Plans‘. “You see, there is an ad of Relaince Capital in which the actors keep appearing. At the end of the ad, they proclaim, All Izz Well if you go for All Izz Well Insurance Plan,” says the spokesperson.
Khan has even designed a range of 3 Idiots T-shirts marketed by Pantaloons.
This is not the first time that Aamir Khan is promoting his film. Last year, Khan devised unique marketing strategies before the release of Ghajini. Life-sized cutouts of himself were placed in multiplexes across India. Additionally he had also given the ushers at the theatres a Ghajini haircut.
MAM
Lessons from global media markets on building enduring content franchises
Rose Audio Visuals COO and CFO Mitesh Patel.
MUMBAI: The global media landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. Success today is no longer defined by a single hit show. It is defined by the ability to build intellectual property (IP) that travels, evolves, and compounds over time.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this shift is central to how we think about content pitching and creation. We are no longer in the business of just making shows. We are in the business of building IP ecosystems.
From Hits to Franchises
Globally, the most successful content is designed to extend beyond its first outing. It travels across: Seasons, Platforms (TV → OTT → Digital), Formats (series → spin-offs) Shows like Stranger Things and Money Heist are not just successful series they are multi-layered franchises with global recall, fan engagement, and long-term monetisation. The key learning is simple: If content cannot scale beyond one season or one platform, it remains a project not a franchise.
Local Stories, Global Impact
One of the most powerful global trends is the rise of culturally rooted storytelling. Platforms today reward local authenticity combined with universal emotion. Stories that are deeply regional are no longer limited by geography they are amplified by it. Consider the global impact of Squid Game or India’s own Sacred Games. The takeaway is clear: The more authentic the story, the greater its potential to travel if the emotion resonates universally.
Monetisation Begins After the First Window
A critical global learning is that the true value of content is not realised at launch, it is realised over time.
Strong franchises unlock multiple revenue streams: Licensing, International remakes, Brand integrations, Digital extensions , Events and immersive experiences
Global players like The Walt Disney Company have mastered this approach, turning content into long-term ecosystems that extend far beyond the screen.
The first window is just the beginning. The real value lies in what follows.
At Rose Audio Visuals, we increasingly evaluate projects not just on commissioning value, but on their long-term franchise potential.
The Rise of Creator-Led Franchises
An important global shift is the emergence of creator-led IP ecosystems.
Creators today are not just content producers they are building full-scale franchises across platforms, formats, and businesses.
A powerful example is MrBeast. What started as YouTube videos has evolved into: Multiple content formats, Global audience scale , Brand extensions and businesses, High-impact experiential content This is a fundamentally different model digital-first, audience-owned, and infinitely scalable.
This model is still in its early stages in Indian but it represents a massive opportunity.
The next wave of Indian content franchises may not come from traditional studios alone but from creators who think like media companies.
Balancing Data with Creative Instinct
Streaming platforms today are deeply data-driven. Data helps Identify emerging genres, Predict audience behaviour , Inform commissioning decisions However, global experience shows that data alone does not create hits. Data informs scale, but storytelling creates impact.
Talent is the Foundation of Franchises
Enduring franchises are rarely accidental they are built through long-term creative partnerships. Globally, there is a clear focus on nurturing Actors, Writter, Show runner and director. Franchises are not built on scripts alone they are built on creators. This is an area where we continue to invest deeply building long-term relationships with talent rather than project-based collaborations.
Multi-Platform Thinking from Day One
Content consumption today is inherently multi-platform. A successful show must be designed not just for its primary platform, but for: Short-form extensions, Social media amplification, Digital-first engagement. Every show today needs a second life beyond its original format.
India: A Market at an Inflection Point
India today stands at a unique moment in its content journey.
We are seeing significant opportunity in Regional markets (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi and others) Emerging formats such as micro-dramas, Scalable, franchise-driven fiction IP
India does not lack stories. What we have historically lacked is structured franchise thinking something that is now beginning to evolve.
The Way Forward
The biggest lesson from global markets is this: The future belongs to companies that do not chase hits, but systematically build franchises. Because while hits may deliver immediate success, franchises create long-term value, recall, and compounding growth.
At Rose Audio Visuals, this belief shapes how we develop, greenlight, and scale content across platforms.
For content companies today, the question is no longer “Will this show work?” It is: “Can this become a franchise?”
A Personal Note
Having worked across content, business, and strategy, one thing has become increasingly clear to me, the most valuable companies in our industry will not be those that create the most content, but those that create content that endures.
Building a franchise requires patience, conviction, and a long-term lens something that the industry is only now beginning to fully embrace.As we continue this journey at Rose Audio Visuals, our focus remains simple: to move from volume-driven creation to value-driven storytelling. Because in the end, stories may start conversations but franchises build legacies.
