MUMBAI: "Umeed pe to duniya kaayam hai." (The world survives on hope.) The theme of this oft repeated optimistic phrase is just what Star Plus and its ad agency O&M have hooked on to for the campaign of the big crowd and moolah puller KBC2. The show's second edition with Big B at the helm hits the small screen on 5 August.
The ad campaign, primarily television centric, will be rolled out in five phases, the first of which began on 16 May. Star India senior vice president marketing and communications Ajay Vidyasagar says, "The first phase of the campaign will urge viewers to participate in KBC2 with the promise that in return what they will get will be 'Umeed Se Dugna' (Double of what one hoped for)." This directly implies the doubled prize money of Rs 20 million and also hints subtly at the hopes people have of meeting Amitabh Bachchan, appearing on television and the fame attached to it. This phase will also create hype on the return of KBC.
The second phase, which rolls out on 23 May, will stress on the time period during which the phone lines for the show will be open, i.e. 6 - 19 June. This campaign will push viewers to be prepared to participate in KBC2 with the tagline - 'Kya Aap Tayaar Hai?' (Are you ready?)
The third phase will delve into the logistics and detailed mechanisms of how one can participate in the show with the Chaudhary Makhan Singh TVC. "The initial entry process for KBC2 is different from what it was for KBC. Last time round, viewers got the question that would qualify them to participate in KBC, via the phone. This time however, the entry level question will be flashed on Star Plus during prime time and viewers can answer via SMS," says Vidyasagar.
Next, the viewers will be educated on how to participate in the show via the telephone. While these promos will run in May and June, the concluding part of the campaign - the 'Tune In' phase - comprising three TVCs and 10 countdown films - will be rolled out in July, informs Vidyasagar.
All in all, 11 different TVCs featuring the Big B will be rolled out in the coming months before the show goes on air. Two TVCs in the first phase, four TVCs in the second phase, one TVC each for the third and fourth phases and three TVCs in the concluding phase of the campaign is what's in store.
Talking about the KBC2 campaign, O&M business director Meenakshi Bhalla says, "While thinking on the theme of the campaign, what we came across was that KBC was a realization of every Indian's dreams. The campaign rests on 'umeed' (hope), which is what drives the viewers. KBC has a lot of equity in the market, the question in front of us was how to encash that equity."
While print, outdoor, Internet campaigns and direct marketing will be rolled out in a few weeks, the ground activation will start only in July, informs Vidyasagar.
