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Sony paints the town blue for Indian Idol
To promote its music reality show, Indian Idol, Sony undertook a few print innovations on the launch day
To announce the arrival of the fourth season of the music reality show, Indian Idol, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) spread itself out on all the major newspapers in the country. Twenty newspapers on Friday carried the Indian Idol promotions, some by means of ads and others through innovations.
Eight out of the 20 newspapers incorporated some innovation. DNA's front page had all the headlines in the same blue colour as the Indian Idol logo. A strip ad towards the end of the front page and small ads interspersed in the editorial content made the front page scream “blue”.
In The Times of India, Maharashtra Times and Sandesh, the Indian Idol ad was placed right below the masthead.
In Ananda Bazaar Patrika, on the first page, a question, 'Yeh World Kiska Hai?', was posed. The answer, which is also the tagline of the show, 'Yeh World Humara Hai', was revealed on the subsequent page. This was carried in The Telegraph as well.
In other newspapers, such as Dainik Jagran, Divya Bhaskar, Saamna and Yuva, print ads were released.
On Radio Mirchi, Indian Idol was integrated into the station ID. The radio station's jingle, 'Radio Mirchi… It's Hot', was changed to, 'Indian Idol… It's Hot'.
Danish Khan, head, marketing, SET India, says that the extensive print activity was carried out to create an impact on the day of the launch. "We deliberately used the front page in all the newspapers, so that the message was not lost. And through the innovations, people will take notice of the ad,” he says.
The channel had carried out huge marketing promotions for the show prior to the launch, which included television promos, outdoor hoardings, road shows and a music video. Activities such as concerts and jamming sessions will be undertaken at youth hangouts now that the launch is over.