Movie Channels
Star Movies: Getting the Right Picture
Among the English entertainment channels there was a fair bit of activity that Star Movies did. In order to add variety it aired the TV series Lost. In keeping with the show’s theme of mystery, adventure and intrigue, the promotion was driven by a teaser campaign that highlighted people who have been Lost. The thrust of this was also the microsite created at www.indya.com.
Traffic from the teaser communication was driven to the site. A watch-and-win contest on the website was held where participants were asked questions pertaining to the episodes just aired, and original merchandise from the show was given.
A series of “missing/lost” poster like creatives were used on outdoor sites like hoardings to build intrigue around the show. The band at the bottom of the teaser outdoors were masked with Star Movies logo, tune-in and sponsor logos to complete the communication and announce the show, thereby completing the communication.
On radio there was a five day intensive contest with original Lost merchandise as the big prize. One avenue for any English movie channel to advertise in in multiplexes. Major multiplexes in Mumbai and Bangalore carried Lost promotional branding and launch promos playing before the start of big theatrical releases.
Star Movies also had a presence on-ground. There was a two day activity in multiplexes in malls where activities like a special 15 minute audiovisual playing in the area were held. There were also quizzes on the show, Scream-o-meter where how loud one can scream for help if you are Lost was measured. There was also a special Lost jigsaw puzzle, which has to be put together in two minutes.
As far as direct marketing was concerned there was a special “message in a bottle” that took the form of a letter from the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. The back of this detailed the show.
Meanwhile in Diwali the channel premiered Shrek 2. It did an outdoor campaign to push the film with key hoardings at the most prominent locations in Mumbai highlighting the film. Radio spots were usded and also trade e-mailers, which were sent out in order to target the trade community.
In order to build a closer connect with ad agencies an inside a Shrek Inflate paid a visit to agencies in Mumbai and happily obliged all those who wanted to capture a moment with him. Each picture was placed in a Star Movies branded photo frame that read “Shrek & Me” and was handed over personally by Shrek. Shrek also paid a visit to various publications.
Print ads carried the message “Shrek’s coming and look what he’s bringing with him… 100 Hours of Non Stop Blockbusters.” Online separate microsites were created for Shrek 2 and 100 Hours of Non stop blockbusters.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
