‘Bal Ganesh’ befriends Ronald McDonald

Shemaroo Entertainment spread of word of ‘Bal Ganesh’ through major Crossword and McDonalds outlets around the country

Shemaroo Entertainment has tied up with Crosswords and McDonalds for the special promotion of its first kids’ 3D CGI (computer generated imagery) animations film, ‘Bal Ganesh’.

Smita Maroo, vice-president, animation division, Shemaroo Entertainment, says, “The idea of handing out merchandise before an animated film’s release is common with foreign films. But it is a first among Indian films. We are looking at all ways to connect with our target audience.”

Crossword is organising a ‘Fun Time with Bal Ganesh’ event over the weekends –activities like puzzle making and colouring competitions will be conducted throughout October at these events. The outlets are situated in Juhu, Ghatkopar, Mulund, Turner Road, Kemps Corner and Malad.

Shemaroo Entertainment also conducted promotions for ‘Bal Ganesh’ in association with McDonalds during Ganesh Chaturthi this year where special branded merchandise was available with the McDonalds Happy Meals across 50 outlets in the cities of Mumbai, Surat, Pune, Ahmedabad, Nashik, Indore, Vadodara, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The collection of ‘Bal Ganesh’ merchandise included a small diary, a children’s height chart and a calendar, all with Bal Ganesh pictures and branding.

In Mumbai, the McDonalds activity was conducted in all outlets with the Bal Ganesh mascot visiting the prime locations of Malad, Bandra, Ghatkopar, Goregaon, Mulund, Andheri and Navi Mumbai. Shemaroo also offered children an opportunity to interact with the Bal Ganesh mascot at the Mumbai restaurants and get their pictures clicked with it.

The Navratri season was also graced by the ‘Bal Ganesh’ mascot going to various ‘garba’ grounds. Several contests were held, and prizes given out to winners as well as participants.

Maroo adds, “The McDonalds and Crosswords tie-ups have given our pre-launch promotions great impetus and helped us spread the word in a fun and interactive way. This positive response has encouraged us immensely, proving that the audiences are looking as forward to the launch of the movie as we are.”

Apart from the activities conducted at Crossroads and McDonald’s, Shemaroo is also organising mall and school activity.

The 3D animation Bal Ganesh has been created in association with Astute Media Vision. The movie is scheduled to release on October 26 in select theatres across the country.

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