The year was 1973. The concept of liberalization was nonexistent. Western brands had yet to reach Indian shores, but a western idea had found its way in India. The highest grossing film of the year, which would go on to be the second highest grossing movie of the decade, Bobby had its producers smiling to the bank. But it was not just them who were eating a share of the Bobby craze. A well known motorcycle company of its era, Rajdoot, had made a killing thanks to the movie.
The film had a lot of scenes where a young Rishi Kapoor drove a yellow colored Rajdoot GTS 175 bike, which was called as a ‘Bobby’ model later on.
This event, by many advertising veterans, is seen as the first proper use of Covert Advertising or in-film advertising as some call it, in India. Some speculate that covert advertising had found its way in India years before Bobby. The iconic Raj Kapoor movie, Shree 420 has a scene wherein the protagonist Raj Kapoor enters the city of Mumbai and a huge Coca- Cola banner looms behind him.
Since then, advertising has established a strong foothold in Bollywood. In the late 80’s and through the 90’s a lot of brands used Bollywood as an effective marketing tool. The reasons for doing it were obvious- people, in general, love movies. Apart from this, most Indian films were musicals, which meant they could stretch for up to 3 hours, giving a lot of time for advertisers to drop a hint or two about their products. The fanatical love that the Indian youth (especially from tier-2 and tier 3 cities) also helped a lot. Some products even went on to gain notoriety because of this. For example, the alcoholic beverage VAT 69 became synonymous with Bollywood villains in the 80’s era.
These days, marketers and advertising agencies have become more and more innovative when it comes to covert advertising. There are a lot of factors that have changed in the Indian film industry. Professional studios have entered the market and no stone is being left unturned by both the producers as well as promoters to include direct or subtle references of products and services.
Many brands have gone a step ahead and even inculcated their products in the script. A BBC report shows how different mega brands have tied up with the film makers to make sure their product is presented appropriately in the script.
Some filmmakers took this to an entirely different level. It’s hard to forget the famous song ‘Munni’ from the 2010 movie Dabaang where the name of the famous Emani product had been mentioned. The pharmaceutical brand initially filed a lawsuit against the film’s producers, but later, the matter was resolved out of court and the song was used as an advertisement for the product.
With the number of brands both big and small turning to covert advertising, it is yet to see if the audience accepts it with a pinch of salt. That is, the salt that has been subtly hinted to be the best in the movie they are currently watching.
Sources:
Widescreen Journal
Times of India
The film had a lot of scenes where a young Rishi Kapoor drove a yellow colored Rajdoot GTS 175 bike, which was called as a ‘Bobby’ model later on.
This event, by many advertising veterans, is seen as the first proper use of Covert Advertising or in-film advertising as some call it, in India. Some speculate that covert advertising had found its way in India years before Bobby. The iconic Raj Kapoor movie, Shree 420 has a scene wherein the protagonist Raj Kapoor enters the city of Mumbai and a huge Coca- Cola banner looms behind him.
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| The Coca Cola Banner in Shree 420 |
Since then, advertising has established a strong foothold in Bollywood. In the late 80’s and through the 90’s a lot of brands used Bollywood as an effective marketing tool. The reasons for doing it were obvious- people, in general, love movies. Apart from this, most Indian films were musicals, which meant they could stretch for up to 3 hours, giving a lot of time for advertisers to drop a hint or two about their products. The fanatical love that the Indian youth (especially from tier-2 and tier 3 cities) also helped a lot. Some products even went on to gain notoriety because of this. For example, the alcoholic beverage VAT 69 became synonymous with Bollywood villains in the 80’s era.
These days, marketers and advertising agencies have become more and more innovative when it comes to covert advertising. There are a lot of factors that have changed in the Indian film industry. Professional studios have entered the market and no stone is being left unturned by both the producers as well as promoters to include direct or subtle references of products and services.
Many brands have gone a step ahead and even inculcated their products in the script. A BBC report shows how different mega brands have tied up with the film makers to make sure their product is presented appropriately in the script.
Some filmmakers took this to an entirely different level. It’s hard to forget the famous song ‘Munni’ from the 2010 movie Dabaang where the name of the famous Emani product had been mentioned. The pharmaceutical brand initially filed a lawsuit against the film’s producers, but later, the matter was resolved out of court and the song was used as an advertisement for the product.
With the number of brands both big and small turning to covert advertising, it is yet to see if the audience accepts it with a pinch of salt. That is, the salt that has been subtly hinted to be the best in the movie they are currently watching.
Sources:
Widescreen Journal
Times of India
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