Made In Heaven: A match made for brand integration?

Season 2 of the show has Zomato, MG Motors, Bvlgari and Sabyasachi making guest appearances

by Tanzila Shaikh
Published: Aug 17, 2023 1:33 PM | 4 min read

The much-awaited second season of Made In Heaven is out and apart from the content and the storyline there was a lot of chatter about the brand integrations.

One of the interesting ones was with brand Sabyasachi with Sabyasachi, the designer, himself featuring in an episode. In one episode, his store and collections have been captured in their entirety, with the designer playing a sort of cameo while helping the bride as well as the protagonist to make the ‘right choice’.

Among other brands that were scattered in the show were MG Motors, Bvlgari, Zomato and SOCIAL, the restaurant chain.

The Natural Diamond Council had also announced their collaboration with the show giving a platform to Khanna Jewellers, Anmol Jewellers, Jaipur Gems, Khurana Jewellers, Om Jewellers, and Gaurav Gupta Occasions Jewellery with their jewels being worn by different characters.

Speaking about the collaboration, Richa Singh, Managing Director – India & Middle East, NDC, said, “At Natural Diamond Council, we are always on the look-out for innovative methods of showcasing how integral the wonders of nature are to every key moment of our lives; and what is more precious or memorable than a wedding? It made perfect sense to collaborate with a series like Made In Heaven Season 2, and give our consumers a glimpse of how easily their diamonds can help them shine on their special day.”

Vinit Karnik, Head - Sports, Esports and Entertainment, GroupM South Asia, said “With the consumption of OTT series reaching its peak during the pandemic and maintaining its stability three years later, brand integration has become an essential and powerful tool for marketing. ‘Made in Heaven’ sets an example of how brand integration can be clever and yet, subtle. Incorporating brands such as NDC and Zomato not only helps the brands meet their target audience further, but also it adds more sparks of realism to the show as these are brands that the public consume and trust.”

GroupM ESP executed the Zomato and NDC integration for the show.

Rise of brand partnerships

Nisha Sampath, Brand Consultant, and Founder, of Bgliright Angles Consulting, says it is sheer curiosity. “At the movies, the boundaries between reality and fantasy are blurring and people like to see what their favourite characters are donning. Viewers tend to dimensionalize the lives and contexts of characters. It comes more natural that we will pay attention to the brands that they use, the restaurants they visit, the flights they take and much more.”

What’s in it for brands?

Some in the industry believe that such placements are more effective than commercials as the audience takes better notice of such instances, and is led more willingly into seeing them. There is research saying that weaving the products into the narrative of the content helps the viewers to develop positive sentiments towards the brands. However, there are others who find this “sneaky technique” employed by marketers to bypass “ad blindness” or the tendency to ignore advertisements and billboards.

Sharing an interesting perspective, Samit Sinha, Managing Partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting, explains: “Most people tend to tune out advertising when they know beforehand that it’s advertising unless, of course, it’s of specific relevance to them. This is why when the brand comes integrated into the content, it gets noticed and remembered because it bypasses the screen that viewers reflexively erect in their minds to block out clutter.”

“Brands understand that they get natural recall versus spending a huge sum to hire top endorsers and then even more money to air the ad breaks,” adds Sampath. In the age of social media and influencer marketing, we are also naturally primed to notice all forms of endorsement, she noted.

During the promotions of the series, Made In Heaven also went straight to the roads of Mumbai to make people feel the vibe. Here’s a glimpse of the same: