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‘The Archies’: How big brand collaborations help build the buzz
The Archies marks the debuts of a handful of Bollywood star kids, including Suhana Khan, the daughter of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan; Agastya Nanda, the grandson of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan; and Khushi Kapoor, the daughter of the late Indian icon Sri Devi.
The Archies, directed by Zoya Akhtar and co-written with Farhan Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Ayesha Devitre, is creating a lot of buzz online. Released on December 7, 2023, on the OTT platform Netflix, the excitement around ‘The Archies’ can be credited to the marketing efforts that went into collaborations for it, apart from its cast.
Speaking on how the brand partnerships helped The Archies, Shilpa Singh, Senior Director - Marketing Partnerships, APAC, Netflix said, “Brand partnerships bring together two worlds, led by two brands, to tell one story neither could have told alone. These partnerships open up a whole new way to connect with people and create new cultural moments that make a real impact.”
However, the budget for collaborations was not disclosed by Netflix.
The Archies marked the debuts of a handful of Bollywood star kids, including the daughter of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan; the grandson of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, Agastya Nanda; and the daughter of the late Indian icon Sri Devi, Khushi Kapoor.
Additionally, the cast also included Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Dot, and Yuvraj Menda.
Brands that backed The Archies
Netflix collaborated with Meta-owned WhatsApp to introduce Archies-themed stickers, and Maybelline New York launched a limited-edition Archies makeup collection. Starbucks India was offering Toffee Nut Crunch, Gingerbread Bliss, and Crunchy Red Hat Mocha, among others, on its menu, inspired by the movie. Skybags also launched the Archies backpack collection. Vistara organised "Flight to Riverdale," a retro-themed flight.
Additionally, the electronic lifestyle brand boAt launched a limited-edition portable Bluetooth speaker called Stone Majestic Riverdale Rocker as part of its brand collaboration with the movie.
Aman Gupta, Co-founder and CMO of boAt Lifestyle, while introducing the speaker through a social media post on LinkedIn, said, “boAt makes the entire town of Riverdale go Va Va Voom. The limited-edition Riverdale Rocker is guilty of unboxing nostalgia and some sassy vibes at the same time with the wildest crossover ever. Your favourite Internet sensations and the Archies crew can't stop grooving.”
"We linked ‘The Archies’ gang's hangout, Pop Tates, to Starbucks. boAt is connected through sound and music to launch a limited-edition speaker with a retro touch. Maybelline introduced products like wingtip eyeliner inspired by ‘The Archies’. Each brand intersects with the story we want to tell through ‘The Archies’. Vistara helped us bring Riverdale to life in unique ways by taking us there on India's only retro jet. Skybags created an Archies-themed backpack line," added Singh.
What is the impact of brand collaborations?
'The Archies' is not the first movie to be promoted on this large scale through brand collaborations. Recently, the Hollywood movie 'Barbie' starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling went big on brand collaborations, too.
According to Sprinklr's data, strategic partnerships boosted brands' reach and influence, enabling them to penetrate new markets and demographics. Collaborators leveraged the power of their combined creativity and resources by leveraging each other's audiences and brand equity. According to the data, Uno, Airbnb, and Xbox are the three most popular Barbie-brand collaborations.
As per the data released by Sprinklr, the movie ‘Barbie’ was mentioned up to 90,000 times on social media in India and engagement levels of the iconic doll soared in the Indian context. ‘Barbie’ successfully forged meaningful connections with Indian audiences by aligning with local influencers and cultural nuances.
Speaking on the fruitfulness of these brand collaborations, Singh explained, "Ultimately, the goal is to create win-win partnerships that drive impact for both Netflix and our partners. Our partnerships are carefully curated to showcase the true essence of the stories. All these partners have contributed significantly in building consumer enthusiasm."
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First Published:8 Dec 2023, 05:09 PM IST
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