In the 2000s, brands were built while awareness was relatively cheap. Since then, the cost of building awareness has risen more sharply than precious gold. It’s only natural that retired brands have emerged as a new asset category on business radar screens. Think Campa Cola and Kelvinator, Chetak and Lambretta. It’s an ingenious model and can give you a head start in a cluttered category.
Now think Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which made its comeback on July 29, 25 years after its first episode was aired on Star Plus. According to a statement from JioStar which references BARC data, the soap recorded over 1.6 billion minutes in watch time across TV and digital in its launch week, making it the biggest Hindi fiction launch in five years. Going by these numbers, it has surely managed to captivate viewers once again.
Premiering episode
The premiering episode on July 29 drew 15.4 million viewers on Star Plus, with 31.1 million tuning in to watch the show on TV in the first four days. In a statement, Sumanta Bose, cluster head for entertainment (Star Plus and Bharat, Bengali, Marathi and Gujarati) at JioStar, said, “The record-breaking numbers across Star Plus and JioHotstar reaffirm our belief in the timeless appeal of compelling narratives.”
As far as TRPs (television rating points) go, Kyunki in its earlier iteration consistently was always well over the 20 mark. Since television has become a lot more fragmented with the advent of digital, TVRs like these are rare. Nonetheless, as per BARC data for July 26 to August 1, the Smriti-Irani starrer recorded a 2.8 TVR on the opening day.
Experts laud the broadcaster’s move to bring back the show, which evokes nostalgia among its fans at a time when OTT platforms are flooded with crime thrillers and action-packed content. But the question is, can it sustain the momentum?
The relevance card is more important than nostalgia, and pace is key, says Rajnish Rawat, CEO & co-founder, Social Pill. In a world where audiences binge-watch thrillers and jump platforms mid-episode, reboots cannot be saved by nostalgia alone, he adds.
‘Like Diwali on demand’
The show was a game-changer for Indian television when it first launched in 2000. But past glory is no guarantee of future momentum, say experts. “Kyunki has opened the door for more reboots, but early success doesn’t guarantee a trend. For every Kyunki, there’s a Sarabhai vs Sarabhai Take 2, which retur-ned with fanfare but fizzled fast, because the format didn’t keep pace with how sharply audiences have evo-lved,” he adds.
That said, early indications are that advertisers are treating it like “Diwali on demand”, says Saurabh Sankpal, chief creative head at Wit & Chai Group. “From FMCG giants to fintech, everyone wants a piece of the Virani parivaar,” says Sankpal. “This reboot could be a class in ‘retrotainment’ where legacy storytelling meets meme culture. The show’s multi-platform presence on JioStar and JioHotstar expands its ad inventory.”
The show has over 10 sponsors on board across Star Plus and JioHotstar, including Tide+, Kalyan Jewellers, Maruti Suzuki, Colgate, Fortune Soyabean Oil, SMART Bazaar, and Tata Consumer Products, among others. “Advertisers are not just buying air time but also cashing in on emotional memory that spans generations. For brands like Maruti Suzuki that speak to middle class and family values, this is a perfect match,” remarks Social Pill’s Rawat.
Advertisers, especially the ones targeting older audiences, can leverage the show to generate goodwill for their brand and boost their brand image, says Nikhil Rangnekar, CEO at MediaCircle.