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Max breaks into top 100 with ‘Hollywood Hungama’
MUMBAI: Events and movies channel Max’s latest innovation Hollywood Hungama has hit the bull’s eye. The first movie off the block Anaconda that aired on 27 June has generated an excellent TVR of 4.1 from the Hindi speaking markets (all-India numbers 2.9).
The thumping opening Hollywood Hungama has received has helped Max to break into the top 100 programme-club for the week 27 June to 3 July according to the latest TAM figures.
The channel had adopted an aggressive marketing strategy for Hollywood Hungama. Advertisements appeared in all mainline newspapers in Hindi-speaking parts of the country. Then there were branded vans traveling across India carrying huge hoardings. Tied in to the outdoor campaign were on air promos on cable TV and on all channels belonging to the One Alliance bouquet.
Explaining the marketing strategy behind Hollywood Hungama, Max vice president marketing & commercial Tushar Shah says the communication was shaped in such a way that though exaggerated, it conveys the core value of the Sony Max tagline Deewana bana de to the target group. Quoting informal market reports, Shah claims the campaign is one of the huge hits in recent times.
“Max treats its communication very differently, and the effort is to reinforce its commitment to viewers. This often gets reflected in the results in our case. The challenge was to break the language and culture barriers and at the same time to do justice to our value proposition of Deewana bana de. “The word Hungama gives an instant idea about entertainment, jubilation and celebration to the masses,” says Shah.
The brief given to Max’s media planner MediaCom India for the campaign was, ‘to address an audience interested in Hollywood fare, but comfortable in Bollywood lingo.’ Says MediaCom India president Jasmin Sohrabji, “Resisting the temptation of a ‘high’ statistical reach number, we remained true to the target group we needed to address. With a clear focus on the vernacular, our lead mediums were outdoor, print and cable, in addition to our own network channels. While outdoor and cable generated the build up and interest, vernacular print and our network channels added ‘recency’ to this build up – all culminating into a high 4.1 per cent tune-in!”
So we have this village belle from Gujarat in dandia costumes holding a nanchaku, the guy from Rajastan wearing a Mexican hat and the Bengali woman wearing a blond wig, scoring big for Max, catching the fancy of the common man who was obviously the target audience of Hollywood Hungama.
According to Euro RSGC vice president creative Ashok Karnik, who handled the creative for Hollywood Hungama, there was nothing new about the whole idea and even the campaign. But he feels nobody ever made an effort to market and advertise the innovation in the way Max did. Karnik explains how the agency went about dealing with the challenge of wooing the Hindi-watching masses to the world of Hollywood:
“The brief was, ‘Hollywood movies are to be shown in Hindi and Sony has the best titles in its Columbia Tristar library.’ The challenge was to reach out to the masses, who are only familiar with Hindi movies, and capture their attention. We wanted to make the creative interesting and appealing. So in our ads, we showed normal people wearing something which is Hollywood through various visual imageries.”
One key aspect of Hollywood Hungama’s success with its opener Anaconda is the fact that it was not a world premiere of the movie. The channel took up a movie that has been shown on various channels ‘n’ number of times. So the introductory offer had nothing much to rave about. Still Max scored it big with this relatively low profile movie and full marks goes to the effective communication campaign it pulled off.
According to data provided by the channel, June was a dream month for Max. The projected TAM market reports for the month show the channel emerging as a clear leader among movie channels in all time segments for the Hindi speaking markets.
In the 7 am – 12 am slot, Max has collected 0.78 per cent of TVR ahead of Zee cinema (0.67 per cent) and Star Gold (0.58 per cent). In the prime time segment of 9 pm to 12 am, Max leads with 1.34 per cent followed by Star Gold with 0.77 per cent. In the evening slot of 5 pm to 8:30 pm, Max has topped with 0.89 per cent.
Tam all-June TVR percentage in Hindi speaking market all India in C&S homes minus South
Shah feels the channel’s strategy to constantly innovate with its programming and at the same time maintaining a long term relationship with the viewers have been paying off.
“In terms of programming and marketing efforts, we have adopted a carpet bombing approach,” says he.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
