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Netflix doesn't do things the usual way. And with Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web, its new Hindi crime thriller, the streamer has taken that rule to heart, quite literally bringing the show's world into real life.
The show was released on January 14 starring Emraan Hashmi as Superintendent Customs Officer Arjun Meena, leading a crackdown on an international gold smuggling network run by the Chaudhary Syndicate.
Created by Neeraj Pandey, the filmmaker behind Special 26 and Baby and shot across Mumbai, Milan, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, and Addis Ababa, Taskaree marks the first collaboration between Pandey and Hashmi.
The airport takeover
Netflix set up an activation at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. At Terminal 2, the baggage conveyor belt was wrapped in Taskaree branding. Mock suitcases stuffed with gold bars rolled alongside real passenger luggage.
Digital OOH screens across the terminal displayed Taskaree visuals. Emraan Hashmi appeared in character as customs officer Arjun Meena.
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The stunt involved a content creator, Gaurav Khanna, playing an irate passenger: "Mera saamaan saara check ho chuka hai aur phir bhi mujhe tang kar rahe hain! Agar meri flight miss hogi na, ek ek ko chhodunga nahi — ye viral kar dunga!"
Hashmi then appeared, deadpan: "Mere hote hue koi taskari nahi kar sakta. Ye seize kar raha hoon main."
The clip circulated widely on social media. Divya Rao, Film & Series Marketing at Netflix, shared the backstory on LinkedIn: "We wrapped Mumbai's baggage belt with Taskaree branding, rolled out suitcases filled with gold bars, and turned an everyday travel moment into something that made passengers stop, stare, and giggle."
ABP News crossover
The video streamer also collaborated with ABP News. Shrivardhan Trivedi, the anchor many Indians associate with over-the-top delivery of news, especially the catchphrase, "Chain se sona hai to jaag jao," appeared in a crossover promo.
In the video, Trivedi opens with a 'report' announcing a Rs 1,200 crore gold bust by Mumbai Customs, references 'Superintendent Arjun Meena aur unki team', and builds suspense around the "Chaudhary Syndicate'.
The format mirrors ABP's news programming until the sign-off: "Yaad rakhiye, sona smuggle mat karna aur zaroor dekhiye Taskaree sirf Netflix par."
The bigger picture
Netflix India has deployed similar experiential tactics for previous titles. For Squid Game Season 2, it placed pink guards at public spaces, including Chandigarh Airport, where they were photographed alongside Diljit Dosanjh.
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For The Archies (2023), it mounted a 100-day countdown billboard on Mumbai's Western Express Highway and ran brand collaborations with Starbucks, boAT, Maybelline, and Vistara. For Gangubai Kathiawadi, the video streamer commissioned murals in Mumbai.
The Taskaree campaign follows the same pattern: activations in public spaces, promos styled as non-advertising content, and collaborations with creators and media partners.
The airport activation also reflects broader trends in India's OOH market. Digital OOH at high-dwell locations like airports has seen significant growth. Mumbai's Terminal 2 is a premium inventory location, and experiential activations that integrate DOOH with physical installations have become more common as brands look for formats that stand out.
It makes sense. People skip ads. They scroll past banners. They tune out trailers. But gold bars on a baggage belt? A 'news bulletin' that tricks you for a few seconds? A customs officer showing up at the airport? That sticks.
