Movie Channels
Max goes maxi on its campaign
MUMBAI: Have you ever, in the middle of some important discussion got up and said something completely out of context and people thought it was too filmy. If it happens often, well you can easily blame the movies for it. Cinema has become a part of our lives which easily influences our thoughts and also adds drama, but in a cute little way. And this is what Sony Max, is trying to cash on through its newly launched three TV campaigns.
“We wanted to take a step forward and discover the cuteness of this deewanapan that people have within themselves,” says Sony Max senior VP and business head Neeraj Vyas. “All the three creatives are cute and whacky, but at the same time they are not over the top and not overtly dressed up to sound funny.”
The campaign is Max’s tribute to the effect cinema has on people
The three campaigns have tried to keep pace with the current trend of cinema. “The TVCs capture the deewanapan that remains as a residue of movie viewing,” he adds.
The first of the three TVC’s which went on air on 15 August features a police officer who while describing the action of a criminal in a photograph, promptly says, “Shayad who poochh raha hai agar usne Aashiqui 2 dekhi”. The second TVC is about a girl who confesses to his parents that she is in love with a guy from a different religion, though the girl expected some drama around this revelation, she is upset that her parents are cool with her relationship and goes on to say, ‘Toh kya humare pyaar mein ek bhi kaanta nahi.’ The third TVC shows a boy who questions his mother on the death of his father and is disappointed to know that he died of a heart attack and says, ‘Ab main kiske khoon ka badla loonga’. All the three ads conclude with ‘Deewana deewana deewana, jahan dekho wahan deewana.’
“We use filmy tones and dialogues in real life situations to say something funny or nice. And that’s all the campaign is saying,” comments Vyas.
Eyebrows do go up with the timing of the campaign. One may smell some competition coming in from the launch of Zee TVs new movie channel &pictures. So is it this which forced Max to connect with audiences through new campaigns? Promptly answers Vyas, “Well! This is mere co-incidence, that the launch of Max’s new TVC and &pictures happens at almost the same time. In fact we hurried the campaign because of the October deadline for implementation of ad cap.”
Explaining further he adds, “We had campaigns even the last year, around the same time which was called Shuruwat Yahin Se, this was more of a sub tribute to deewanapan . We have at least three creatives per campaign every year.”
The campaign is Max’s tribute to the effect cinema has on people
The key insight for this year’s campaign was to demonstrate the latent deewanapan in everyone’s life. “It is communication from the point of view of people. None of the TVC’s asks the audiences to watch Max, they are all talking of their personal issues which is a derivative from the residue of movies.”
Max has bought space on 22 channels from other networks to promote the new campaign. These include news, music, kids and regional language genres. “It is a part of our massive media plan. It is a media need to reach out to ‘x’ number of people in ‘x’ number of times, which is what we are aiming at by tying up with these networks,” informs Vyas.
The campaign has been created by JWT, the production house is Kerosene Films and the director for the film is Rajesh Sathi. While currently the campaign involves only on-air promotions, the channel will soon use the digital space as well. No print ads will be used. “How can you translate the TVC into print?” he questions.
According to the chief creative officer of a Delhi based creative ad agency the commercials are reasonably well made and are likeable. “If the attempt was to establish that the channel is associated with Bollywood, this set of commercials delivers. However, they do evoke a sense of déj? vu as such filmy things have been done before. Also the ad may not be path breaking but certainly makes one smile.”
A commercial is an attempt to create propensity among viewers to like the channel. “In my opinion, these commercials have achieved that,” adds the CCO. When asked if a channel needs to rope in big names for promotions he says, “Max is an established channel and so can afford to cast real people. But for a new movie channel like &pictures, to announce its arrival, it needs to shout louder, both creative- and media-wise. Therefore, it’s understandable why they have roped big names.”
When asked if the commercial was an attempt to pre-empt &pictures promotions, he says, “Well I haven’t seen &pictures promos, so can’t comment on that.” Resonating the same another creative head said, “Well, I haven’t heard or seen &pictures on-air promotions.”
The launch of the campaign at a time of the launch of &pictures is a mere coincidence or no, is something which we can only speculate. But, what comes as good news for Max is that while its campaign is being watched and appreciated, &pictures even with big stars seems to have gone wrong with the marketing. Which of the two make a mark in this campaign driven industry, is yet to be seen.
Movie Channels
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat Premieres 14 Feb on Zee
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat world TV premiere 14 Feb at 8pm passion meets politics.
MUMBAI: Cupid’s arrow just got a plot twist and it’s heading straight for your TV screen. This Valentine’s Day, Zee Cinema is turning up the heat with the world television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, a raw, rule-breaking romantic drama that proves love doesn’t always come wrapped in roses.
Set to air on Saturday, 14 February at 8pm, the film stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, directed by Milap Zaveri. It dives headfirst into obsession, heartbreak, and the kind of unconditional love that leaves scorch marks. Rane plays Vikramaditya, a powerful politician whose all-consuming passion for actress Adaa spirals into chaos when his feelings go unreturned unleashing a storm of emotion, misunderstanding, and life-altering consequences.
The timing couldn’t be sharper. Audiences are clearly craving intense love stories over sugar-coated ones, and this film taps straight into that vein. Harshvardhan Rane already has a loyal fanbase from his cult hit Sanam Teri Kasam, which cemented his status as the go-to guy for heart-wrenching romance especially among younger viewers who keep the film on repeat.
Milap Zaveri captured the film’s beating heart, “This film is about love that doesn’t follow rules. With Valentine’s Day being a time when audiences gravitate towards romantic narratives, the television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat on Zee Cinema felt like the perfect fit. The continued love for intense romances shows there is a strong emotional appetite for such stories.”
Rane himself called it a story rooted in messy, honest emotion, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat explores love in its most intense and vulnerable form where emotions are messy and deeply human. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from passion or pain on Valentine’s Day making it even more special as it reflects the many shades of love people experience.”
Sonam Bajwa added her take, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is not a conventional love story, it’s raw, intense and emotional. Valentine’s Day is usually associated with happy romance but this film explores love in its most vulnerable form.”
So if your Valentine’s plans include more than chocolates and clichés, tune in to Zee Cinema at 8pm on 14 February. Because sometimes the most unforgettable love stories aren’t the ones that end neatly, they’re the ones that leave you questioning just how far passion can push before everything changes.
