How Baby John integrates Center Fresh, Astral Pipes, & more into action

The Varun Dhawan-starrer Baby John hit theatres this Christmas. Directed by Kalees and produced by Atlee (the man behind Jawan), this action-packed thriller features an ensemble cast including Varun, Keerthy Suresh, Wamiqa Gabbi, Jackie Shroff, Rajpal Yadav, and a special cameo by Salman Khan.

The film follows a cop who assumes a new identity to protect his daughter, only to be forced to confront his dark past when her life is threatened. It's a fresh take on the Tamil hit Theri, starring Vijay. While audience reactions are mixed, one thing that stood out for me was the clever brand integrations, particularly from Perfetti Van Melle's chewing gum brand, Center Fresh.

The movie features massive Center Fresh billboards in the background. You might not notice them at first, but by the third or fourth glance, they're impossible to miss. This subtle yet persistent approach is a break from traditional product placements, where the brand hogs the spotlight for a fleeting moment.

According to the brand, “Audiences are continuously evolving, and today's Gen Z especially prefers brand integrations seamlessly done with engaging content rather than traditional advertising. So, Center Fresh, being a brand closely associated with Gen Z, decided to integrate with the movie Baby John in the form of both billboard placement as well as product integration.”

And they’re right—it's hard to ignore a giant blue Center Fresh billboard set against a sunny yellow frame, particularly during those pivotal scenes in the movie.

Earlier this year, Center Fresh brought Varun Dhawan on board as its brand ambassador, launching a multimedia campaign that resonated well with audiences. The brand spokesperson added, “This motivated us to partner with Baby John, which stars Varun in a compelling role, backed by a gripping storyline.”

Next up, we have Astral Pipes, which has been making waves in movie advertising. After its appearance in Pushpa 2: The Rule, the brand is back, this time with a bold OOH ad on a truck in Baby John.

Unlike Center Fresh, which takes a more subtle approach, Astral Pipes goes all-in with an in-your-face strategy. In one fight scene, the hero wields an Astral pipe to dispatch the villains with flair. Regardless of the audience's taste, the brand certainly flexed its muscles in mere moments.

POCO, the mobile phone brand, also makes a brief appearance in the film, with its name clearly visible on the back of a phone. 

As for the cars, bikes, and other vehicles in the film, none really stood out in terms of brand integration. 

Finally, there's a 10-rupee chocolate that appears in the film. I’ll leave it to viewers to figure out the brand and how its tagline fits the situation!

Ahead of the movie's release, Chinese Wok, a quick service restaurant chain, partnered with Baby John to create a synergy between Chinese Wok’s bold Desi Chinese flavours and the magic of cinema.

The campaign amplified the excitement of the film through co-branded activations across various channels, including metro branding, bus shelters, and in-theatre advertisements. 

Spotify India has teamed up with the film and music composer Thaman Shivakumar Ghantasala for a fun campaign that showcases behind-the-scenes footage of the film's songs, where Varun steps in as the music producer.

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