Surina Sayal & Sangeeta Tanwar
OOH

Zee TV: 'Hand'ling outdoor advertising a little differently

Bus seat-back advertising and bus-stop advertising were used innovatively in recent campaigns by Zee TV, in order to promote its new shows

With a slew of new shows being launched on various general entertainment channels, each one wants to stand out from the clutter when it comes to promotions. A new ambient campaign by Zee is noteworthy in this respect.

For its new show, 'Sanjog Se Bani Sangini', Zee TV has branded seats in 100 BEST buses in Mumbai. The innovation involves installing an 'arm' across each seat, such that any passenger sitting on that seat would appear to have affectionately draped his arm across the shoulder of the co-passenger next to him.

Zee TV: 'Hand'ling outdoor advertising a little differently
The show, which is a love story, went on-air on August 16, and Zee TV wants its viewers to "feel the love". The uniqueness of the idea and the realistic creatives has grabbed eyeballs.

The first 20 seats in each bus were used for the innovation. This involved putting up 10 'arms', and the cost of advertising worked out to approximately Rs 5,000 per bus. The creatives were executed by bus seat-back advertising specialist, Tinta Media Creations, a sister-concern of Emnet Samsara Media.

Shonak Gholkar, CEO, Tinta Media Creations says, "We wanted to take innovations on bus seat backs one step forward. Thus, when Zee approached us with this idea, we were very excited about it." He shares that this innovation was more challenging and needed more manpower than usual to execute. After creating dyes for the arm, and then printing; the 'arms' were laminated, so as to reduce wear and tear and get a more realistic look.

Gholkar also informs that while Zee TV has advertised with BEST buses in the past, those were mostly campaigns on the screens in buses. This is the channel's first bus seat-back campaign.

Zee TV: 'Hand'ling outdoor advertising a little differently
For the same show, Zee TV had undertaken a pre-launch interactive marketing campaign last month. The first phase of the campaign invited viewers to participate in the naming of the show. The channel had also urged viewers to write in with their own love stories, the best of which would be showcased on-air, by inviting the couple for an exclusive interview on Zee TV.

Akash Chawla, marketing head, Zee TV, says, "The interactive marketing campaign launched for Sanjog Se Bani Sangini was the first of its kind in the Hindi GEC space. The show was named on the basis of suggestions made by our viewers. When you involve the viewers at every stage of a show, it creates a greater sense of belonging and ownership. The response to our call for viewers to share their unique love stories has been overwhelming."

In alignment with the premise of the show, the channel has also launched instant 'love compatibility' checks on the mobile platform. By merely keying in "SANGINI your sun sign your partner's sun sign" and sending the text message to 57575, Zee TV offers mobile users an instant compatibility rating for their relationship. Users can even log on to www.sangini.zeetv.com and match their horoscopes online.

Recently, Zee has been pulling out all the stops when it comes to outdoor advertising. For another show, the latest edition of 'Hero Honda Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar', the channel has created special 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Music Zones' at select bus stops across Mumbai. These include bus stops at Worli-Crompton, Ghatkopar West and Dadar Plaza.

The entire bus stop will have Sa Re Ga Ma Pa branding, including lights and a music setup replete with speakers and associated paraphernalia.

Also, illuminated, life-size cut-outs of microphones with 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' branding will be seen hanging between adjacent buildings at prime areas in Mumbai, akin to impressive and stunning Diwali 'kandils'.

The channel is also organizing an on-ground BTL activity, 'College Ka Singing Superstar', which is being held across 15 colleges in Mumbai, 10 in Pune and 10 in Delhi. Zee will also organize musical events in residential colonies, with the support of local politicians or associations. The event will have a live orchestra and a singing competition for the residents.

Chawla adds, "The life-size microphones and College Ka Singing Superstar initiatives are just the beginning of a comprehensive campaign."

To explore further branding and promotional opportunities, Café Coffee Day has been selected as the on-ground partner for the display for standees, drop downs and danglers.

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