By Malay Desai
From: Grey Worldwide
A promo for the non-fiction channel’s 9 pm slot features its new brand ambassador, actor John Abraham asking the question, “why don’t you sit somewhere incredible for a change?” Before voicing over alternatives. These include the front seat of a Maybach, the back of a croc, a dressing room bench and so on, hinting at the many shows that delve into mysteries. The spot then cuts to many visuals of the channel’s local and international shows and winds up with abraham again. “this is who we are” says the final copy on screen.
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As one drives from the airport towards Bandra on the Western Express Highway, one of the busiest roads of Mumbai, one chances upon a hoarding with a visual of John Abraham posing cheek-to-cheek with a eunuch. On sustained viewing (no prizes for guessing why), one notices the advertiser, National Geographic Channel, and the tagline, ‘Unlock’.
Once at work, one notices a visual or two shared by a friend on social media bearing similar imagery… and later at home, perhaps even stumbles upon a TVC in the same vein. Bottomline – this is how you sell a primetime slot.
In March this year, we’d spoken well of a Nat Geo spot talking about its Hindi version. This however, isn’t about a spot alone, for the channel has recently unveiled Abraham as its brand ambassador and with it, sexed up the 9 pm slot again.
The channel’s only selling what it has best done in the past decade —engaging non-fiction shows such as Megacities and Banged Up Abroad. But to take on the fickle-fingered, reality show-loving viewer takes an integrated approach of this size.
The promo for the timeslot is quite from the template of TV promos, but backed with the multimedia campaign, it manages to arouse much curiosity (we still don’t know what John is doing with the eunuch, but are willing to tune in and find out). Also, it’s slick enough to impress this writer, who believes he’s the target audience.
TV ratings-wise, it’s safe to assume Nat Geo will get nowhere close to the slugfest that’s currently going on between the Colors and Sonys of tellyland. But an earnest attempt never harmed anyone. Where will you sit tonight at 9 — the cockpit of a fighter jet or on a Bigg Boss couch?
To watch this film, feed this link: bit.ly/NatGeoUnlock
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