MAM
Columbia Tristar spins media blitz around ‘Hellboy’
MUMBAI: The lack of familiarity among Indian viewers with Hellboy is not stopping Columbia Tristar India from using the different media vehicles to create awareness about their latest product, which is based on a comic. The movie hits theatres on 14 May.
Going all out to unleash Hell…err ‘HellBoy’
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, at the sidelines of an exhibitor convention for the western region last evening, the company’s marketing manager Harshavardhan Gangurdhe said that around 2000 spots were being used on television.
“This is the best way for us to reach our target audience. We kicked off the campaign on 18 April on etc. The other channels we have used include Star Plus, Max, MTV, AXN, Raj, ESPN Star Sports. The film has been dubbed in three languages: Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The promos will run onto 22 May,” he offered.
The company has also tied with retail outlets across the country including Cafe Coffee Day, the Lifestyle Store and Shoppers Stop. Customers can read flyers and also answer questions that allows them the chance to win tickets and product merchandise like T-shirts. In addition, prominent hoardings will be used in the metros. Gangurdhe, however, said that for this, film buses and trains would not be used.
In a few days, mini road shows will kick off with vans visiting different locations in the metros. The company has also tied up with Airtel for an SMS based quiz contest. The cellular provider is creating awareness about the same through their newsletter. As far as radio is concerned, the company has tied up with Radio City, Radio Mirchi and Go. Online, the company has tied up with Indiatimes for a contest. Print ads have already started appearing in major publications. Around 70 prints of the film will be released.
‘Spiderman2’ to spread the morning sunshine
It goes without saying that the scale of activity will hit the roof when Spiderman 2 hits cinemas on 23 July. Partners that have already tied up include Pepsi and Kelloggs. The latter will come out with special boxes with Spiderman on the cover. This will give the film visibility at non theatrical outlets.
The cornflakes manufacturer will also give out merchandise. Sony Ericcson will be conducting a huge promotion. Spiderman mobiles with games and ringtones will swing into town closer to the films opening date. Ganghurde claimed that the film had an 88 per cent awareness rate despite the fact that there were still a couple of months to go before the big event.
Sandler’s a catch
“We would be expecting a 100 per cent awareness rate a week before the film opens. As far as our other products are concerned 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore opens on 7 May. It is already playing to packed houses in Delhi and Bangalore. The familiarity factor is there which is not the case with Hellboy. People know who Adam Sandler is because of films like Big Daddy and Anger Management. So our marketing activity on this has been
comparatively less. The same goes with Johnny Depp who stars in the upcoming Secret Window. His brand name has grown because of last year’s Pirates of The Caribbean.”
Ditto for Johnny Depp
Another film that Columbia Tristar is banking on to pull the audience is Anacondas, which opens on 27 August. The trailer for the film reminds one of the first movie, which did big business in the country a few years ago despite being panned by the critics.
Ganghurdhe was also satisfied with the response that Peter Pan had received. “That was something that we timed keeping in mind the holidays when the children have loads of time on their hands.”
Brands
Trump announces $300bn Texas oil refinery with Reliance, calls it the biggest in US history
First new US refinery in 50 years planned at Brownsville port with Reliance
WASHINGTON: The United States may soon see the first brand-new oil refinery built on its soil in half a century.
Donald Trump announced a proposed $300 billion refinery project in Texas, calling it a landmark moment for American energy production and jobs.
Posting on Truth Social on 10 March, Trump said the facility would be built at the Port of Brownsville and developed by a company called America First Refining, with major investment from India’s Reliance Industries.
The announcement frames the project as a centrepiece of the administration’s push for “energy dominance”, with Trump claiming it would deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity to South Texas.
If realised, the plant would mark the first all-new major refinery constructed in the United States since the 1970s. In recent decades, oil companies have largely chosen to expand existing facilities rather than build new ones, citing high costs, regulatory hurdles and environmental scrutiny.
Trump described the proposed investment as the “biggest in US history”, positioning it as proof that policy changes such as streamlined permits and lower taxes are drawing large-scale energy investments back into the country.
The refinery is planned for the Port of Brownsville, a strategic Gulf Coast location that provides easy access to shipping routes and export markets.
A key partner in the project is Reliance Industries, controlled by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani. The company already runs the world’s largest refining complex in Jamnagar, India, making it one of the most experienced operators in large-scale petroleum processing.
The Texas venture would mark a significant step for the group into America’s domestic refining sector, potentially strengthening industrial ties between the US and India.
The proposed refinery is being promoted as a next-generation facility capable of processing American shale oil while maintaining high environmental standards. Trump said it would be “the cleanest refinery in the world”, although the specific technologies behind that claim have not yet been detailed.
Industry observers also note that the $300 billion figure is unusually large for a refinery project, and analysts are waiting for more clarity on whether the number reflects total construction costs, long-term infrastructure investment, or broader economic impact estimates.
As of 11 March, Reliance Industries had not publicly confirmed the investment size or the structure of its involvement.
For now, the announcement has sparked equal parts excitement and curiosity in energy markets. If the plan moves from promise to pouring concrete, the refinery could reshape the Gulf Coast energy landscape, and reopen a chapter in American refining that has been quiet for nearly fifty years.
