The Campaign

Films as a medium of entertainment reaches out to masses in India and is widely accepted across regions in the country. Branding films thus becomes a very integral tool for marketers. Instead of taking the traditional route of in-film product placement, Surf Excel created history by integrating its brand assets in the film such that the Surf Excel Little Big Film Maker short film was launched to a nationwide audience as a part of a Bollywood film . Surf Excel Little Big Film Maker, reality show launched in a Indian state, Tamil Nadu was crafted to give children a platform to script and direct their own ‘Dirt is good’ stories into 3 minutes short films, making them brand advocates and seamlessly connecting Surf Excel to its target group – the mothers and kids. What did we achieve? o90,000 kids reached ,12,000 stories penned ,8 short stories,10 part Reality series on Star Vijay,9 million viewers reached Result: o72% child viewers were inspired to become Film-Makers o78% recalled the Surf Little Big Film Maker short films more than the Surf Excel ads The 8 short films emerged as a strong content asset which needed to be amplified and extended to a nationwide audience with the same degree of success and acceptance.

Results

The challenge was to establish Surf Little Big Film Maker as a concept nationally and leverage on the existing assets, the short films through the most widely consumed mediums in India, viz., Cinema and Television. Given the considerable growth of the film industry and increasing number of screens in the country, the solution was extending the Surf Excel Films towards: The reach of Cinema: 4.7% of Surf Excel’s TG and therein the reach of Television: 93% of Surf Excel’s TG The big idea was to move beyond vanilla associations and co-branded tie-ups: By fusing the surf excel little big film maker short films with the Bollywood blockbuster chillar party - we attached the 3 minute short surf excel film ‘stain friend’, dubbed in hindi to chillar party. The branded Surf excel film was incorporated in the Bollywood movie, Chillar party in alliance with utv with a tacit understanding of the short film becoming an indispensible part of the mainstream blockbuster to be released across cinemas as well as on television. The Surf Excel Little Big Film Maker 3 minute short film followedthe Chillar Party Censor certificate and set the tone for the subsequent movie. It wasaired in 432 screens in 25 cities.Chillar Party released across India on the 8thof July 2012 and grossed INR 25 crores in India post which Box Office India, on the basis of the film's nett collections, declared it a Hit. Chillar Party also won the 2011 National Film Award for Best Children's Film. Due to the enormous success of the film, the in-reel branded Surf Excel Little Big Film Maker short film bundled with Chillar Party reached: An astounding 2.5 million eyeballs through its Countrywide Cinema release A staggering 20.2 million viewers through the National premiere on COLORS and still growing

Chillar Party is a Hindi children’s film co-produced by Ronnie Screwvala, under the UTV Motion Pictures banner and Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, under his SKBH Productions (Salman Khan Being Human Productions).Chillar Party’s endearing storyline is about a bunch of kids who call for revolution to support a cause very close to their friend’s heart. The movie brings out unadulterated camaraderie amongst these kids and their selfless solidarity, which beautifully marries with Surf Excel’s belief that every kid’s dirt stain has a wonderful story and a good deed behind it.An anticipated pan-India blockbuster success, it was a perfect fit with the brand proposition of “Daag Ache Hain”.

Surf Excel’s message of ‘Daag Ache Hain’ registered vastly, guaranteed brand recall among the Chillar Party audience, while generating high likeability, and creating positive WOM for the brand. Results: 83% of the audience watched Chillar Party and spread the film’s message through Word of Mouth leading to enhanced viewership and popularity for the Surf Little Big Film Maker short film.A staggering 94% brand recall amongst ‘Chillar Party’ viewers. 57% identified and connected with ‘DaagAche Hain’ as the brand’s key communication. The In- reel integration of the Surf Excel Little Big Film Maker short film in Chillar Party redefined the future of movie integrations in India. What made the innovation unique is a few FIRSTS: The 1st FUSION of a SHORT and LONG format in India and The 1st ever MOVIE in MOVIE placement