How SRK's Jawan is winning the brand integration 'jung'
Pathaan and the rising brand value of SRK have played a major role in building anticipation for Jawan, leading to a spike in brands who want to associate with the film, say experts
Jawan fever has been gripping the nation with the Shah Rukh Khan and Nayanthara starrer poised to make a big splash at the box office. Cashing in on the film’s buzz and the SRK mania are brands that want to ride the Jawan wave through integration, which has always been an effective tool to leave a mark on the minds of moviegoers.
Zomato, Bondtite, Sandisk, Asian Paints, Astral Pipes, Yezdi and Just in Time watches are some of the brands that have collaborated with the film, banking heavily on Jawan’s promise. These brands can be spotted in the film’s trailer itself: the Asian Paints billboard, Sanya Malhotra in the red Zomato delivery person uniform, and the SanDisk and Bondtite branding inside a metro are some that can be spotted easily.
The film also showed SRK riding Yezdi Bikes. Interestingly, Jawan marks Shah Rukh Khan's second on-screen appearance with Yezdi motorcycles. His previous appearance with a Yezdi motorcycle was in the 1994 film Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa.
Jawan is a highly anticipated film with a pan-India appeal starring superstars from the North and the South of India. According to Eral Diet Report, the film may see a blockbuster opening of Rs 60 crore on the first day alone and a lifetime net box office in the range of Rs 350 crore to Rs 450 crore.
“Jawan may breach the upper end of its guidance if the content is good and finds relevance with the audience. This film is set to have a strong recall in southern markets too, as it is directed by Atlee. Expect collections from the dubbed version to be ~10% of the overall net BO for Jawan,” said the report.
The last SRK superhit Pathaan didn’t see many brands ride the integration bandwagon, but Jawan is a different story. And it may have something to do with Khan’s brand value going up post-Pathaan.
Says Nisha Sampath, Brand Consultant, and Founder, of Bright Angles Consulting, "The power of Brand SRK has never really been in doubt, though he was temporarily mired in controversy. I would say that Pathaan served as a reminder and reinforcement of his star power and appeal in mass India, which led to brands being even more keen to re-engage with him. It’s a bit like Dhoni captaining CSK to yet another trophy – his appeal is evergreen, but the victory created a huge surge of love and craze for Brand Dhoni. And all marketers want to ride on it."
Samit Sinha, Founder & Managing Partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting, said, “When a brand decides to associate with an upcoming film, it is always a gamble, albeit a calculated gamble. There is no guarantee in advance of a film’s box office success. Clearly, the enormous success of Pathaan created a strong anticipatory buzz around Jawan, and many believe that it will replicate the success of Pathaan. It is also indicative of Shah Rukh Khan’s return to ascendancy and his seemingly unabated star appeal. Yes, brand SRK is resurgent and it also shows that his iconic status in Indian cinema is not a fluke.”
Speaking about the promising partnership with Jawan, Kairav Engineer, Executive Director at Astral Limited, shared his enthusiasm, stating, "We are delighted to team up with 'Jawan,' a movie that resonates with our values of determination and unity. We eagerly anticipate the release of the movie on 7th September and the impact of our shared message."
For bottled water brand Bisleri, Jawan offers a pan-Indian association, bringing the larger-than-life cinematic canvas to its consumers' doorsteps and creating brand love. The brand has tied up with the film, launching limited-edition Bisleri X Jawan packs, which will be distributed nationwide in all general and modern trade outlets. The exercise will see marketing activation of more than 70,000 retail outlets.
Shrenik Gandhi, Co-founder and CEO, White Rivers Media, says: "With 'Jawan' being the most-awaited Indian blockbuster, it's truly the golden ticket to turbocharge our reach and creativity. Its massive anticipation means we get to showcase our skills with innovative campaigns to a huge and diverse audience. To make the most of this opportunity, brands can dive into co-branded marketing campaigns, offer exclusive merchandise, throw exciting premiere events, get creative on social media, and team up with influencers."
The promise of a good ROI is what draws brands to such collaborations, says Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and Independent Director. “Associating with a film or executing such collaborations, gives a positive spin, which converts into a better ROI,” he states.
The caveat, however, is making the collaboration seem authentic and organic instead of being force fit. Sampath points out: “When the lyrics ‘Zandu Balm Hui’ were used in the song Munni Badnaam Hui – it came from pure creative inspiration, without the intervention of the brand and it created a viral magic. Collaborations between brand and movie teams should be inspired, should allow for creativity and push for serendipity. This requires that brand teams should stop trying to force fit agendas, and seek harder to find brands where they fit best versus just opting for the biggest star names.”
