The actor has been unveiling marketing tie-ups galore for his film with brands like Sony PlayStation, Nerolac, Western Union Money Transfer, Cinthol, UTV Indiagames and YouTube amongst others. With just a few weeks left before release, Khan is out there with guns blazing to promote his superhero flick Ra.One to all and sundry.
The very first announcement came a couple of months back of Sony PlayStation’s association with Ra.One. The video game version of the movie will be called Ra.One – The Game and has been developed exclusively on key PlayStation platforms of PS2 and PS3.
Recently, Western Union also partnered with the movie and will be launching a million-dollar global mass-media campaign. Additionally, the actor has partnered with Google’s video website YouTube wherein exclusive movie content will be revealed. The Ra.One channel is the first customized channel to be released for a Bollywood movie on YouTube in India.
On the association with YouTube, Khan said, " YouTube is an incredibly powerful platform to engage fans across the globe and is integral to all blockbuster movie promotions in Hollywood. For Ra.One, I wanted to leverage the full potential of digital media and create an experience on YouTube and Google+ that has never been done for any Indian film. I am very excited about the project and am personally working with the Google team to create a destination that my fans can enjoy from anywhere in the world. "
A co-branded Ra.One TVC of the paint brand Nerolac, which Khan endorses, has also been released. Khan has also tied up with Godrej Consumer Products brand Cinthol for Ra.One wherein special edition deo cans will be launched along with promotions and contests. A new TVC will also be launched that will show Khan as the action hero showcasing superhero confidence and style.
Godrej Consumer Products category head – soaps Anindo Samajpati said, "Ra.One is a story about a superhero’s confidence to overcome various challenges. This idea fits well with Cinthol Deo spray’s promise of ‘energizing fragrance for 24 hour confidence’. Now SRK fans can enjoy the Cinthol special edition fragrance and also stand a chance to win various exciting prizes through the contest."
In order to reach out to a large segment of audience, Khan has also partnered with UTV Indiagames, wherein the latter will develop and publish a cross-platform Ra.One social game across mobile, online and TV.
On the official Ra.One movie website, a special eStore has also been launched where people can buy Ra.One movie merchandise in 149 countries. The G.One merchandise is available under six categories – Toys, Back to School, Electronics, Accessories, Apparels/Furnishings and Power Squad. The G.One Store is the first such instance of a select store that has been created from a superhero movie.
With Khan putting his all behind promoting the movie, hopes are skyrocketing amongst the trade and general audience alike. It now remains to be seen whether Ra.One is able to beat box office records of blockbusters like 3 Idiots and Bodyguard.
