Picture this: The captivating Deepika Padukone gazes intently at an electronic tablet hunting for the elusive “king”. Where could he possibly be? The scene swiftly transitions to a silhouette of Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, declaring, “Now, it’s time for some fun”. This 25-second teaser released by Hyundai Motor India (HMI), concludes abruptly.
Welcome to the world of advertisement trailers.
The clip was part of a campaign to announce the launch of HMI’s new Creta. “The trailer gave us a strong foundation for the launch campaign. The idea was to deliver a full movie-like experience to the audience,” says Virat Khullar, AVP & vertical head, marketing, HMI.
The clip was followed by a two-minute-plus advertisement. HMI promoted the trailer across theatres and also on ticketing apps such as Bookmyshow. The company roped in influencers — Viral Bhayani, for instance — to give it a Bollywood movie feel. The missing company logo amped up curiosity. “The idea was to launch our blockbuster product in a blockbuster way,” Khullar says.
The concept is nothing novel globally — brands such as Bvlgari, OnePlus, Doritos, and Pringles have been teasing their campaigns for some time now, tying up with big-ticket events like the Super Bowl. However, it is relatively new at home, with brands like Oppo and Tata AIG just beginning to experiment with it.
Trailer ads have become some sort of a trend for their ability to stand out in a crowd of short-form video content, adds Ambika Sharma, founder and MD, Pulp Strategy. “They leverage the concept of FOMO (fear of missing out) to create a sense of urgency, encouraging viewers to stay tuned for the full ad release,” she says. This becomes all the more important in a world where short attention spans often undermine the effectiveness of advertising. Yasin Hamidani, director, Media Care Brand Solutions, says ad trailers drive anticipation, leading to increased engagement and conversions around the brand.
But producing an impactful trailer is easier said than done. Pranav Agarwal, co-founder, Sociowash, sets down the hygiene factors. First, the trailer mustn’t spoil the surprise but should leave the audience wanting more. Second, it should be true to the voice of the brand. Third, it must be tailored to the platform of release — for instance, a snappy one for Instagram and longer for YouTube.
Keeping cost in control is also important. Agarwal says there are two ways of going about it — one is to create a bespoke trailer that is shot separately from the main TVC/DVC and the other is to create a cut-down during post-production. “The latter is cost-efficient but the trade-off is that the narrative is too similar to the final film, which is like giving too much away. Shooting a separate trailer is costly but gives you more control,” he says.
Not everyone is impressed with the trend. For one, Anuya Jakatdar, co-founder, Bare Bones Collective, says, “In a world where even Marvel trailers are not garnering as much buzz as they used to, why would anyone care about a trailer for an ad campaign?”
There is also the fear of the ad appearing bigger than the brand if they are too elaborate, diverting focus away from the core message or values, says Media Care Brand’s Hamidani. It’s crucial for brands to strike a balance between creating compelling content and ensuring that the brand stays in focus, he concludes.