It’s the Bollywood way

Do you remember the Bollywood blockbuster “KOI MIL GYA(2003). I m sure many of you would give a yes to this question. If you are that big movie buff then must remember the dialog from the same film “mai bornvita peeta hun”. Yes this is nothing but covert or in-film advertisement of the products.

When the advertisement is mixed up with the entertainment it gives birth to covert advertisement. In other words, branding of various products by placing them within films or television programme where the audience may not realize that what they saw was a form of advertising.” Covert advertising is both beneficial for both the brands and movies.The companies pay high amount of fees or provide their services to display their products.Covert advertising occurs with inclusion of a product in a shot.some companies on the other hand provide their products to the movie e.g. Nike does not pay to be in movies but offer shoes, jackets, bags etc. Audiences have no option but to notice the products when they are engrossed in the movies or television script. even the credibility of the product increases manifold when they are used in films.Movies have a long life as they are available on prime time television channels, cable television channels which results in long way advertisement of the brand or product too.

advertising agencies follow some techniques of covert advertising

• product placement
• sponsorship

In product placement the brand name,products,package,signage or other trademark merchandise is inserted into and used contextually in a motion pictures or other media vehicle for commercial purpose. For example, Shahrukh Khan using Nokia Lumia in Chennai Express. sponsorship is much more direct approach of advertisement. it links the product more directly to the films and is more expensive and effective.

The product placed in the movies can be passive and active. When the product is actually taken up the film star and used it is active placement like Priyanka Chopra uses tata salt(Desh ka namak) in  Mary Kom. The product or brand visually placed in the background in some scenes or sequence then it is known as passive placement for example ICICI bank featured in the movie Baghban.

So next time when you are watching a movie keep an attention to this tricky advertising technique.

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