Selling Ra.One

In the last one month,he has appeared on three reality show finales — India’s Got Talent,Just Dance and Sa Re Ga Ma Li’l Champs. A couple of days ago,he was on the hot seat of Kaun Banega Crorepati with Amitabh Bachchan. He launched the Ra.One game on Sony PlayStation and social games on Indiatimes to attract children. If this is not enough,the G.One online store is selling merchandise related to the film. Products include pencil box,piggy banks,lunch box,notebooks,limited edition toys and sippers. The actor will be hosting three premieres for his film in Dubai,London and Toronto on October 24,25 and 26 respectively.

The relentless marketing for Ra.One is a classic case of integrating a film into every aspect of people’s lives — from clothing,toys and games to sports merchandising. Karuna Badwal,marketing head of Red Chillies Entertainment,which has produced the film,explains the phenomena to us. “Ra.One is a one-of-its-kind film which is being made on a large scale with VFX and in 3D. The marketing of the movie also had to be such that it reaches a wider audience.”

Ra.One,the most expensive Indian film to date,could end up becoming the most advertised film as well. According to sources,the movie’s marketing budget is around Rs 35-40 crore. This apart,the film has spent around Rs 150 crore on its making. Badwal,however,refuses to divulge the exact amount. “For marketing,we only have a moderate budget. Most associations with products have been symbiotic,hence,the money spent has also been divided between both parties.”

Ra.One’s first look was unveiled by the star on his Twitter page on January 2011. Shah Rukh then kicked off the promotions with a 10-second trailer during the World Cup semi-final match between India and Australia. “Sports channels are an unlikely medium for promoting films,but the World Cup was a great opportunity to take it to the world,” says Badwal.

The first theatrical trailer of Ra.One was released three months later,during a five-city tour and a 3,600 feet long fan mail was collected with messages from fans. This was followed by the music launch in association with Star Plus. “SRK’s promotional plan is very similar to most Hollywood production houses where the promotions start well in advance in order to generate as much buzz as possible,” says trade analyst Komal Nahta.

However,this was just the beginning of a marathon marketing schedule,which Shah Rukh feels,has become a norm in the current scenario. In a recent interview to the publication,the actor said,“If you have a product and you want to show it to the world,you need to promote it.” According to Badwal,Shah Rukh had the promotional plan in place much ahead of the release. “Mr Khan was very clear about how he wanted to promote it,” says Badwal.

With Shah Rukh being a brand to reckon with,finding collaborators wasn’t a difficult task. The 45-year-old actor found takers with several brands like Nokia,Godrej Consumer Products,Western Union,Coca-Cola,Cinthol,Gitanjali Group,Horlicks,McDonalds and websites like Youtube and Google +. According to a brand analyst,the movie could have brand associations worth Rs 30-35 crore,the highest for any film so far,which could also help its earnings.

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