Cricket-cinema combo brings host of brand tie-ups for ‘The Zoya Factor’
Entertainment and cricket are the country’s biggest obsessions and the movie naturally lends itself to integration with brandsThe Audi car, Cadbury chocolates, SG equipment and ASICS shoes also make appearances in the film
NEW DELHI : Sonam K. Ahuja and Dulquer Salmaan’s romantic comedy The Zoya Factor may be struggling for attention at the box office but the film has already grabbed eyeballs for its numerous brand tie-ups that are part of a narrative centered around the worlds of cricket and advertising.
Brand sponsors for the film include carbonated soft drink Pepsi, footwear and sports equipment company ASICS, confectionary company Cadbury, decorative paint company Nerolac, dating app Bumble, automobile brand Audi, electrical and telecommunication cables company Finolex, Orilite Cement, credit card app Cred and sports equipment brand SG.
Entertainment and cricket are the country’s biggest obsessions and the movie naturally lends itself to integration with brands, a statement from co-producer Fox Star Studios said. The romantic comedy has generated a lot interest and support from multiple players, managing much marketing support from brand partners and media spends basis its content.
Pepsi is the official partner of Team India depicted in the movie and has been integrated in the form of an original music video titled Pepsi Ki Kasam featuring the two lead actors, and branding throughout cricket sequences shown. Nerolac has come on board with a co-branded television commercial and integrated as sponsors of Asia Cup depicted in the film. The movie that deals with themes like superstition and luck also has astrological website Astro Yogi whose real-life experts participated in the trailer launch of the film.
“A brand and movie association works well, when the film’s narrative is able to seamlessly fit in the brand message and this is why we are pleased to partner with The Zoya Factor," said Peeyush Bachlaus, associate vice president – marketing, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. “The movie’s storyline allowed us to integrate one of our much loved and popular brand assets, the Nerolac anthem, seamlessly into the narrative. Sports and movies have been a consistent part of our engagement strategy over the years and a movie themed on our national passion, cricket seemed a natural choice to partner with."
The Audi car, Cadbury chocolates, SG equipment and ASICS shoes also make appearances in the film, with a cricketer’s character actually asking for the last mentioned.
“ASICS is very excited to collaborate with The Zoya Factor as this will be the brand’s first foray into mainstream cinema in India. This presents a great opportunity for it to communicate with its target audience which is equally involved in sports and entertainment. ASICS’ brand philosophy of a sound mind in a sound body is very well showcased in the movie as the preferred footwear choice for all the players on the field," said Rajat Khurana, managing director, ASICS India.
Balbir Singh Dhillon, head, Audi India said the brand has been closely associated with cricket ever since Ravi Shastri won an Audi 100 sedan as the Champion of Champions in the World Cricket Championship held in 1985.
"Audi resonates with the pop culture and trends in the country. In 2019, Audi has been featured in Hollywood blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. We have an extremely strong brand presence in many upcoming movies as well," Dhillon said.
Directed by Abhishek Sharma, The Zoya Factor is based on the 2008 Anuja Chauhan novel of the same name that tells the story of an advertising professional who becomes a lucky charm for the Indian Cricket team during the 2011 Cricket World Cup. It opened to collections of Rs. 2.30 crore across India this week.
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