The Campaign

In India, Branded Entertainment is still nascent. It seldom extends beyond passive product placements in television shows and to an extent in Bollywood movies. Active placements are very rare. Leading content producers are normally very protective of their content, and give little leeway to advertisers to dictate terms of integration. Branded Entertainment relies heavily on the fate of the show. Most integration in Television shows are the obvious fits like food brands with food shows, Auto cars in Auto shows, etc. Additionally, the measurement of results is almost non-existent, with no post-measurement mechanism available. Nor is measurement actively encouraged by content owners/ producers. The industry is fairly fragmented. Travel/Tourism clients have not gone beyond passive background location integration in Television shows, while it is a big industry in the Bollywood (films) context. The Television stars are today becoming part of viewers’ daily life and significantly influence and impact attitudes.

Results

The high dollar prevented many Indians from going to Australia. We had to identify and persuade a group of people willing to open their wallets a bit wider. Honeymoon is the one time Indians break the price barrier. This segment comprises 25% of India’s outbound leisure travel. Choosing a destination is stressful and the choice rests on the man. An Indian honeymoon doubles as a ‘getting to know, getting to like you’ holiday with most marriages still ‘arranged’. He needs to get it right. Insight: With the destination choice the man declares what kind of husband he wants to be. Most choose safe bet South-East Asia and the more romantic choose guaranteed winner Europe. Australia was not consideration set and men were unsure what the choice would say about them to their bride. We needed to showcase how Australia could define a new relationship. We partnered with one of India’s biggest soap operas - Bade Ache Lagte Hain (rated among top 3 in our audience). The show produced by Balaji Telefilms, a leading Television content production house with a track record of engaging content. Across 16 episodes we told the dramatic story of a couple’s honeymoon Down Under. He was aloof, distant and cold as they set off; she tentative. The magic of Australia brought them together. Viewers saw how the excitement and beauty of Australia’s biggest attractions made for a very special honeymoon. We created and owned one of the most emotional storylines ever on the show. The tale of pressure and insecurity after a marriage resonated powerfully. The original 8 episode run was extended to 16 on viewer demand and response. We worked closely with the TV channel and studio to package and promote this special series of episodes. It was like launching a show within a show.

We chose top rated Prime Time Soap ‘Bade Ache Lagte Hain’ (I really like you) on Sony (No. 2 channel) for its affinity to our audience. The storyline is of a mature couple forced into marriage for their families’ happiness. The Honeymoon was to be a turning point in their relationship. We co-scripted Australia into the storyline as the destination, to showcase its varied attractions as the backdrop for the lead pair to come together. Sony promoted the show heavily through PR, OOH & online to draw viewership. TV ratings went up by 22% compared to prior period.

The biggest achievement was that the Brand and message was seamlessly integrated into the show content and storyline, without viewers feeling ‘force-fit’ messaging. A beautiful destination woven into the plot of a top rated show, as an integral element of the story track – it is one of the most subtle, relevant and successful integrations ever into a TV show in India. The ratings achieved an all-time high and 76.5 million Indians saw the specials. The number of Indian visitors to Australia post this initiative grew by a massive 10%. With 60% of the audience saying they definitely wanted to go to Australia, it was clear the campaign had put Australia on the Indian travelers’ map for good. Honeymooners and holidaymakers alike now know what Australia has to offer them. The icing on the wedding cake was that the show delivered 13 times more value for Tourism Australia vs the investment.