Avatar's TV premiere gets record sponsors

The 2009 sci-fi film written and directed by James Cameron redefined our cinema-going experience with its special effects. Riding high on the record box-office success in India and abroad, STAR India is leaving no stone unturned for the small-screen debut of James Cameron’s Avatar this Sunday.

According to media buyers, for the first time, there has been a surge in sponsors associated with a Hollywood film premiere. The film is supported by eight associate sponsors — Mushky, Naukri India, Lays, McCain, Tata Aria, Horlicks, Intel and LG. Reliance 3G has come on board as the title sponsor, while PVR Cinemas and Bookmyshow.com have been signed up as on-ground partner and online partner, respectively.

Typically big Hollywood movies, for their premieres, have at the most three-four brands and not such a high-decibel marketing campaign, said a media buyer. Some of the other films in the recent past with an increased marketing plan included The Social Network, The Karate Kid and Slumdog Millionaire.

Other brands such as Cadbury India, Nokia and Samsung have stepped in and blocked 10-second advertising spots. Media planners at different agencies say that sponsors are forking out Rs 20-40 lakh each, while a 10-second spot costs Rs 50,000-Rs 60,000, up from the average Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 that the channel commands.

To grab more eyeballs, the channel has leveraged the strength of the entire STAR network. “This is the greatest Hollywood blockbuster of the decade. Till date, this is our biggest property. The movie will be simulcast with both English and Hindi on STAR Movies and STAR Plus,” said Saurabh Yagnik, general manager and senior vice-president, English Channels, STAR India.

The channel has also created larger than life hoardings with dragon cut-outs, created special promos and extensive digital marketing plans for the film’s release on the small screen. It has also brought blue painted Na’vi from the movie on the streets of Mumbai.

“The movie was immensely popular.The channel will definitely look at higher revenues from this simultaneous premiere across STAR Plus and STAR Movies,” said Mona Jain, CEO, Vivaki Exchange, the centralised buying agency for Publicis Groupe SA.

Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox, Avatar is the highest grossing film of all time, taking in a little over $2.6 billion in worldwide box-office receipts. In India, the movie earned Rs 140 crore, making it the highest grossing Hollywood movie here. It was released on 700 screens in India, in 2D and 3D formats.

The movie, made on a budget of $300 million, is a space fantasy set 125 years in the future. It is the story of a disabled US Marine, Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington), who is sent to Pandora, a moon of the distant Centauri star system, to find supplies of ‘unobtainium’, an energy-rich mineral. Upon arrival, Jake discovers a world populated by 10-foot-tall, blue-skinned beings called the Na’vi.