3Idiots makes smart moves on marketing

Imagine walking into a washroom at one of the multiplexes and being welcomed with a message that terms you “the Fourth Idiot”. Don’t feel offended as you are just watching the promotion of 3Idiots, an Aamir Kan-starrer to be released this Friday.

Film promotion has come a long way literally from participation of the main stars in television reality shows and sundry events in metropolitan cities, So if Amitabh Bachhan went to a few schools to promote Paa, the film produced by his firm A B Corp, Aamir Khan has gone a step ahead to create a buzz around 3Idiots, produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra at a cost of over Rs 50 crore.

Khan has been on the run as part of an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) that has been conceived by Zapak, the online gaming portal. As part of the game, Khan is travelling through India and popping up in different disguises in places such as Varanasi, Palanpur or even in Saurav Ganguly's house in Kolkata.

Going by the buzz the move has created, brand experts are calling it disruptive marketing at its best. The idea is to integrate the movie in every aspect of a common man’s life — be it insurance products, clothing or travelling, says Chopra .

3Idiots has also formed marketing alliances with Pantaloon, which has created a special line of clothing for the main characters of the movie “It is a unique initiative since the designs on the T-Shirts are doodles Aamir Khan drew during his spare time in between the film’s shooting. The T-Shirts are priced Rs 299 onwards since we wanted it to be affordable for all Aamir Khan fans and youngsters,” says Zahid Sheikh, Head Marketing, Pantaloon.

But the tieup with Reliance Life Insurance is clearly the biggest one. The joint campaign communicating the message of the film — All is well – is being shown by over 50 mainstream television channels, almost 40 radio stations covering 250 cities and outdoor hoardings in over 500 towns.

“Prasoon Joshi (renowned adman) and I were watching the film’s preview and during the screening we connected with the thought behind the song ‘All is well’. That’s when we decided on the tie-up. When you take insurance, you look for an assurance that while we take care of your financial worries, you live life to the fullest. That’s the brand promise we want to communicate through this campaign,” says Sanjay Jain, Chief Marketing Officer, Reliance Capital.

Some brand experts, however, point out the flip side as well. Audience expectations build up with such a high intensity campaign and the risk is that even a small disconnect can boomerang. That’s not the climax the producers would look forward to.