Star to splurge Rs 15 cr to promote Crorepati

agencyfaqs! News Bureau

NEW DELHI

Star Television has decided to celebrate the launch of its new programme Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) -- set to debut on Star Plus on July 3 - with a splash. It has lined up a series of ground events as a run-up to the much-hyped Amitabh Bachchan-anchored show which goes on air on Monday.

Over the next three days, a marketing blitzkrieg will strike major cities across the country surrounding KBC and the Big B. Here's a sampler.

Between June 30 and July 2, over 30 motorists will zip around the busy streets and hot spots of cities like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Lucknow and Bhopal carrying huge cut-outs announcing the countdown to the show. On July 2, huge money machines will be placed at the bigger shopping malls in cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Bhopal, Ahmedabad and Delhi for the public to play a few simple games and win fancy prizes.

On July 3, a specially designed Kaun Banega Crorepati mobile van, with huge cut-outs of Amitabh Bachchan, will move around several cities. These will be complimented with quizzes and fun games for Amitabh fans with lot of prizes thrown in.

For Mumbaikars, Star TV has reserved some special surprises. One of them is targeted at the big chunk of officegoers who avail of Mumbai's very own dabba (lunch) service. On July 3, one of them will contain an invitation for a date with Amitabh Bachchan, besides the usual lunch.

On the same evening, Mumbaikars need not wait on endless queues or need to rush and push to get back home. Special fare-free buses will get them to Churchgate station and Chatrapati Shivaji terminus. A KBC-painted special Churchgate-Virar local train will be flagged off on the morning of July 3. This will be first among the many branded trains to be running on Western Railways.

The Rupert Murdoch-promoted television network plans to splurge around Rs 15 crore to promote this prime time show over the next one year.

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