Sab sings an innovative tune to promote '

By HETAL ADESARA
Indiantelevision.com Team

(10 July 2006 9:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Sab is trying to set itself apart from other general entertainment channels not just by its light hearted programming promise but also in the way it promotes its upcoming shows.

The latest show to launch from Sab - Left Right Left - is one such show, which is being promoted with a difference. The show is about six youngsters who have joined a pre-military camp and have no idea where life is going to take them.

"As a channel we don't yet have the might and moolah like that of the other general entertainment channels to promote our shows. We may spend one fourth of what other do on promotions, but our aim is to get noticed and be seen as a different GEC. We have made a conscious effort to stay away from the typical GEC advertisement strategy," says Sab senior vice president and business head Vikas Bahl.

A music video around the show by music composer duo Vishal and Shekhar was launched a month ago and played across the Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India network channels as well on music channels like MTV and radio stations. "We hadn't revealed the name of the show in the music video and this helped in building curiosity around the show," says Bahl.

The channel also played the music video of the show in theatres across the country where Krrish was released. "We believe that the target audience for the movie and our show is the same. While the movie is targeting the youth, simultaneously it draws in the family too, which is what our show will also aim to do and hence we saw the fit there," says Bahl.

The next step was hit the grounds literally. Since the show is about the youth and they are many a times linked to spray painted walls with graffiti, Sab used spray painted messages with Left Right Left across the city on bus backs, trains, hoardings etc. "We created various backgrounds and spray painted on it to create the effect," informs Bahl.

What's more, Sab has also tied up with Indiatimes.com and created a viral campaign with an interstitial which appear with the show's name being spray painted by a girl, before the content of the site is visible.

Innovation in print was also carried out with publications like Hindustan Times Delhi, Navbharat Times, Punjab Kesari, Maharashtra Times etc, where some articles sported the spray painted look.

Sab has also tied up with Hutch wherein the tune of Left Right Left can be downloaded by mobile users. Apart from that, 15 seconds ad films were also made with each of the character in the show who gives his/her different take on life. FM stations like Radio Mirchi, Radio City and Red FM played the 50 second radio spots of the show.