The Evolution of Product Placements in Bollywood

Product placement is a common sight in Bollywood nowadays. Starting with pre-production collaboration with companies, the process continues with promotion of the product in the movie in form of dialogues, product visuals or even usage of the product by the lead actors. This association sustains even post-production, as television commercials are made using stills from the movie or having the leads extol the virtues of the product.

Product placement in films was not a huge process from the start. In fact, the whole idea of interweaving the product into some scene of a movie for mutual benefit is quite new. In earlier times, when competition in the advertising industry was almost nonexistent,  products appeared in movies only because they were one of a kind. One of the oldest examples is the scene from Shree 420 (1955) where a banner of Coca-Cola is visible overhead the protagonist, Raj Kapoor as he sets foot in Mumbai.  Another example is from An Evening in Paris (1967) where Coca-Cola features multiple times throughout the film.

Coca-Cola was not the only product that featured in erstwhile movies. The Rajdoot bikes used in Bobby (1973) is another famous example. The association between the bike and the movie was so strong that the bikes came to be known as "Bobby bikes". The bikes not only became a big hit amongst the youth of the 80s, but also became a collector's item for Bollywood lovers due to its association with the cult film.

However, there is no proof that any of the above mentioned product usage in movies was part of a collaboration between the company and the producers, or even a deliberate move. It is assumed that till the late 90s, the aspect of monetary benefit for producers and a rise in customers for the company through such associations was not considered. Hence, it is not surprising to see day-to-day products being used in those movies.

It is in the late 90s that collaboration between products and films began with the expectation of mutual benefit. One of the most well-known examples of such a partnership is in  Taal (1999), where director Subhash Ghai collaborated with Coca-Cola and hence, the carbonated beverage was promoted during various situations in the movie. A famous scene of such a promotion is where the leads Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Akshay Khanna coyly drink out of the same bottle. Another similar association is in the movie Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), where Hrithik Roshan mentions several times that his preferred drink is Bournvita.

It may be the producers and the brand owners who collaborate, but it is the writers who have to cleverly incorporate the brand without it appearing out of place or forced. The trick is to promote the product without making it appear like a blatant advertisement. A fine example of such a case is the use of MakeMyTrip in the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013). Whether it was Kalki Koechlin showing the brochure to Deepika Padukone or the latter using it to book a trip, the product placement was barely inappropriate.

But recently the trend of smart product placement is declining and brands are being inserted into the movie without any tact or context. Take for example, Chennai Express (2013) where Shah Rukh Khan's character Rahul promotes a Microsoft Nokia phone to Deepika Padukone's character Meena while travelling aboard the train. Not only was the context for inserting the product paper thin, but also the features were spouted blandly, making it one of the worst brand placements in Bollywood. Another such tactless promotion was in Mary Kom (2014) where Priyanka Chopra blatantly promoted Tata Salt, Iodex and many other products, many of which were not even remotely connected to the plot of the film or the situation at hand.

 

Writer: Kalpana K.C.

Editors: Anushka J. and Gunia K.

Graphics: Nadia N.