Unless you are an ostrich or an internet truant, there was no escaping the marketing hubbub around The Archies movie, a live-action musical adaptation of Archie Comics, which debuted on Netflix on Thursday.
The marketing team of the movie — made with a budget of Rs 40 crore -— used the same “breadcrumb marketing” strategy of Barbie to hack the code. It gave potential viewers little elements of the movie along with elaborate displays from time to time to stimulate curiosity and create conversation.
For starters, exactly 100 days before the release, the movie’s marketing team stationed a massive billboard overlooking the Western Express Highway in Mumbai, which counted down the days to release. Even before that, in June Netflix flew a plane, which sported a giant flyer asking onlookers to follow the movie on Instagram, over the Gateway of India.
Then there was a campaign with Starbucks to launch character-inspired holiday drinks; and another with Maybelline New York to launch a ‘Retro Glamour All the Way’ collection of makeup. The movie partnered Meta to launch Archies-themed stickers on Whatsapp; with Flipkart to release its official merchandise; with Skybags for Archies-themed backpacks; with Tinder to promote the incognito swiping mode; and with boAt Lifestyle to release special-edition Archies-themed 60s-style retro speakers.
If that was not enough, the movie collaborated with Vistara for a special ‘Flight to Riverdale’ that included retro-themed decor, special meals, Netflix goodie bags, and an extravagant setup at the Goa airport to welcome the guests.
Experts say while such collaborations are common on the big screen, they are rapidly invading the OTT space. Indeed, OTT brands are spending big monies these days — between Rs 50 crore and Rs 80 crore – on advertising and influencer marketing to grab eyeballs. Involving brand into the promotional mix of new shows can help keep a lid on the spends.
That apart, when a movie is created specifically for an OTT platform, it means the platform would be funding the movie in some way to get the benefit of exclusivity. “With brand collaborations, the movie making cost is optimised for them,” says Ambika Sharma, founder and MD, Pulp Strategy.
The right match
Such movie-brand collaborations cut both ways. For brands, they offer a more cost-effective medium to engage with consumers in their natural habitat. The launch of a film generates considerable anticipation, surpassing what a brand’s product launch might achieve. “Even if the film turns out to be a dud, the pre-release hype still draws attention to the brand,” says Samit Sinha, founder, Alchemist Brand Consulting.
On the other side, for subscription-only platforms like Netflix such partnerships increase visibility, amplifying the platform presence and creating a revenue model to make up – albeit to an extent — for the lack of advertising, says Yasin Hamidani, director, Media Care Brand Solutions.
Nisha Sampath, managing partner at Bright Angles Consulting, highlights the cost element. “OTT or digital-only films enable advertisers to associate with stars at a fraction of the cost incurred in shooting a campaign with them,” she says. Every film involves a degree of risk and considerable funds. Involving other brands in the film’s promotion helps mitigate this risk to some extent.
However, the success of such collaborations hinges on the compatibility between the brand and the movie. In that sense, the Archies’ team has done a good job of “aligning with the right products… to establish a strong and authentic connection”, says Sahil Chopra, founder & CEO of iCubesWire.
Notably, The Archies movie has partnered with brands that resonate with young consumers and OTT subscribers that comprise mostly of Gen Z/Millennial audiences.