Viveat Susan Pinto
Media

After STAR, Sony rejigs 8-9 pm band too

The two shows Hum 2 Hain Na and Ayushmaan will be launched on August 2

Sony Entertainment Television, the number two Hindi general entertainment channel, never quite misses out on taking on the leader STAR Plus, be it on weekdays or weekends.

Close on the heels of STAR announcing the launch of Dekho Magar Pyaar Se, a youth-centric love story on July 26 at 8.00 pm, comes the news that rival Sony will telecast its new line-up - Hum 2 Hain Na (at 8.00 pm) and Ayushmaan (at 8.30 pm) - on August 2.

The move is guaranteed to take competition between the two to new heights considering that both channels are after the same audience - youth and kids.

Hum 2 Hain Na, which is targeted at children, has been adapted from a Latin American series Complices at Rescate (Friends to the Rescue) and has been produced by Delhi-based production house Miditech. It has child artiste Hansika Motwani (Tina of Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand) in a double role (that of Koel and Kareena), and will be telecast from Monday to Thursday.

Ayushmaan, on the other hand, is targeted at teenagers and young adults, and dwells on the life of a 17-year old doctor, who has taken the medical community by surprise with his genius. Produced by Cinevista, the daily show, says Sunil Lulla, executive vice-president, Sony Entertainment Television, focuses on the contradiction of being a youngster having to shoulder adult responsibilities.

The shows will be promoted across print, TV and outdoor, and across the Sony network of channels. Hum 2 Hain Na, in particular, will also have a large-scale school campaign backing it, says Lulla. "The basic idea in the case of Hum 2…is to build intrigue and interest for the show, and this will be achieved with the help of Bruno, who is the pet dog of Koel in the series." Bruno will feature prominently in the print ads as well as the on-air promos of Hum 2 Hain Na.

The marketing and promotions of Ayushmaan, meanwhile, will dwell on the central character and his likes, dislikes, areas of interest et al. "The print ads, for instance, will have Ayushmaan, the 17-year old doctor, holding a guitar in one hand and a stethoscope in the other. Another ad has him holding a basketball instead of a guitar. The entire objective of the campaign is to build a connect with the viewer."

Kunal Dasgupta, CEO, Sony Entertainment Television India, reiterates that both shows are aimed at offering an alternative viewing experience. "The idea is to move out of kitchen politics, and offer variable or differentiated programming to viewers. At Sony, there is a clear progression from kids and youth between 8.00 pm and 9.00 pm, and then to older audiences from 9.00 pm onwards. We are confident that the two new shows will tie-in with our overall objective of increasing market share across day-parts." © 2004 agencyfaqs!

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