MxMIndia

Tag: Sony Pix

  • Conducts a 3-day long on-ground activation on Passenger Day to bolster consumer engagement

    SPN English Cluster executes unique innovation at Mumbai Airport

    By A Correspondent

     

    SPN English Cluster comprising Sony PIX, AXN and Sony BBC Earth, partnered with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) recently to celebrate Passengers Day. The association was aimed at creating passenger deight with a series of activations at the airport from May 3-5.

     

    Said Tushar Shah, Business Head, SPN English Cluster: “Our partnership with Mumbai International Airport is a unique, innovative initiative in consumer engagement that helps us target the right audience for the English Entertainment category. The association showcases our content strength to the consumer, which not only adds value to their time spent on the go but will also help them make the right choice while subscribing to channels in the current regime.”

     

     

  • The movie content deal will strengthen Sony PIXÂ’s library

    Sony Pix inks movie content deal with Warner Bros

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pix has signed a content licensing deal with Warner Bros International Television Distribution. The movie content deal will strengthen the channel’s library by bringing films like Harry Porter, Matrix, Batman Vs Superman, Dunkirk, Wonder Woman, Hangover Series, Conjuring Universe, Final Destination series, Oceans Series, Shawshank Redemption, and many more, for its viewers.

     

    Said Tushar Shah, EVP and Business Head, English Cluster, Sony Pictures Networks India: “SPN’s English Cluster aims to bring the best international content for its viewers. With the new Warner Bros. deal, Sony PIX – the destination for Hollywood blockbusters and premieres – will now also become the destination for biggest franchises in the genre. We will continue to invest in content that will delight our viewers.”

     

    Added Jeffrey Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution: “We are pleased to have completed this deal with Sony PIX enabling Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to bring our films to television viewers in India.  We are confident that the diverse selection of films will offer something different for fans of all genres.”

     

     

  • All 5 Spider-Man movies can be watched back to back on 26th January, 10:00am onwards only on Sony PIX

    Spidey to cast his web on Sony PIX for the entire day

    By A Correspondent

     

    The entire series of Marvel comic’s superhero Spider-Man will be shown in the form of a movie marathon as part of Sony PIX’s Spidey PIXathon. Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will play back to back from 10:00 am onwards on Tuesday 26th January on Sony PIX.

     

    Apart from the telecast, Sony PIX has also arranged to bring a copy of ‘Daily Bugle’ a fictional New York City tabloid newspaper from the Spider-Man world to India. This is the original copy of the newspaper used in the movie Spider-Man 3 and PIX is going to make it available for viewing across multiple cities in India.The newspaper will be making its round across Hard Rock Café outlets in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad starting 15th January, 2016.

     

    A robust marketing plan has been put in place to promote the PIXathon with special focus on social media. Apart from an exciting contest, where in winners canwin exclusive Spider-Man merchandises, PIX will do an all India tour with the original ‘Daily Bugle’ engaging with fans and followers of Spider-Man. The Sony Pictures Networks will be utilised to the fullest to promote the PIXathon.

     

  • This strategic multi-year deal will give Sony PIX access to Universal’s latest movie releases

    MSM inks a multi-year deal with NBCUniversal

    By A Correspondent

     

    Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd. (MSM), which owns and operates the Sony network of television channels India announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with NBCUniversal International Distribution. As a result of this agreement, Sony PIX (a part of the MSM Network) will now have access to Universal Pictures’ new U.S. theatrical releases, in addition to numerous other beloved titles from the studio’s vast film catalogue.

     

    NBC Universal has had a landmark year with Universal Pictures breaking records for the industry’s highest-grossing year ever for a studio at the domestic, international and worldwide box offices; enjoying the biggest year of all time for any studio in 43 international markets; and is the first studio ever to have three films (Minions, Jurassic World, Fast & Furious 7) each cross over the $ 1 billion mark in the worldwide box office in a single year. The studio also recently passed the $ 5.53 billion mark at the worldwide box office, breaking the record for highest-grossing year – ever – for a studio in industry history. The current worldwide total to date is an unprecedented $6.38 billion.

     

    This strategic multi-year deal will give Sony PIX access to Universal’s latest movie releases such as Fast & Furious 7, Jurassic World, Ted 2, Pitch Perfect 2 and Illumination Entertainment’s Minions, as well as the first installment in the studio’s various blockbuster franchises such as Jurassic Park, The Mummy, The Fast & Furious, The Hulk and Despicable Me. Sony PIX will also be able to provide their viewers with access to other hit films from the studio such as Gladiator, the first three films in the Rambo franchise, King Kong, Schindler’s List, Ted, Notting Hill, amongst others.

     

    NP Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Multi Screen Media (MSM) said, “We are extremely pleased to announce this deal with NBCUniversal. We always strive to get top quality content for our viewers. With access to Universal’s movie titles, we have put ourselves in a position to get the best movies that Hollywood has to offer. I am confident that with this deal, viewer needs will be well-met and their enhanced movie experience will steadily increase viewer loyalty to Sony PIX – our English movie channel.”

     

    Belinda Menendez, President, NBCUniversal International Distribution & Networks said, “With one of the world’s fastest growing major economies, we see tremendous growth potential in India and this deal reinforces how important this market is to NBCUniversal. Further, we have always had a wonderful relationship with MSM/Sony PIX and are thrilled to partner with them to expand our reach in India and bring Universal’s new blockbuster hits and beloved library titles to their viewers in India.”

     

  • Weekends will witness the latest seasons of shows with fresh content airing closer to US dates

    AXN announces slew of programming initiatives for 2015

    By A Correspondent

     

    AXN has announced a new programming line-up and schedule for 2015. It has tied up with a host of international studios such as CBS, Sony Pictures, BBC, WB, MGM, NBC Universal, Buena Vista International, Fremantle Media, Endemol, FOX and many others.

     

    During weekdays, signature shows like Guinness, Ripley’s, American Ninja Warrior, Wipeout will be aired at 8pm. This will be followed by reality television at 9pm with shows like Fear Factor, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, America’s Next Top Model, Survivor, The Amazing Race etc. The 10 pm slot has a host of famous crime shows like 24, Elementary, NCIS, CSI and many more.

     

    Adding to the dosage, weekends will witness the latest seasons of shows with fresh content airing closer to US dates. Sherlock S4, Supernatural S11, Orphan Black S3, Hannibal S3, Elementary S4, Voice S9 & S10, Madam Secretary S2, Extant S2, CSI: Cyber and Scorpion S3 being some of the best international TV series to watch out for.

     

    Saurabh Yagnik

    Commenting on the new programming strategy and the AXN HD launch, Saurabh Yagnik, Executive Vice-President and Business Head, Sony PIX and AXN said, “Digitisation has opened an interesting opportunity for the Category. For a start issues relating to Distribution and Availability have been addressed. Further, the category has now become more amenable to appointment based viewing. The audience is seeking two kinds of content. One, shows which are iconic and familiar and two, which are served fresh from the US. With strong content partnerships, AXN offers the widest variety of iconic shows in the most diverse genres like premium reality, crime, edgy drama and signature AXN shows. It is home to some of the most iconic characters from various shows. It also offers fresh from US shows on the weekend.”

     

  • Q&A Saurabh Yagnik, Saurabh Yagnik, Executive Vice-president and Business Head, Sony PIX & AXN India on the ongoing 'Pix School of Bonding' campaign with Sania Mirza is doing for the channel

    Maximising on Bond way for life:Saurabh Yagnik

    By A Correspondent

     

    The world of movie channels have a peculiar problem. There are over half a dozen players, all waiting to break the clutter. And chasing the same audiences, showing similar fare. The challenge then is to look and feel different to viewers. And this is what Sony Pix from the Multi Screen Media stable has been trying to achieve in the last year-odd. That’s how we came up with this entire clutter-breaking packaging and communication, says Saurabh Yagnik, Saurabh Yagnik, Executive Vice-president and Business Head, Sony PIX & AXN India, in an interview, adding: “This got embodied in the words Stay Amazed!”

     

    “The desired response we want from our viewers is that its wow, cool and entertainment with a twist. Whenever we try to do something, we always try to pass through this muster,” says Mr Yagnik, highlighting the success of the ‘Pix School of Bonding’ campaign with tennis ace Sania Mirza.

     

    The challenge for the Bond franchise, says Mr Yagnik, was to “sustain the relevance of a 50-year iconic franchise for today’s youth”.  Bond films had changed hands across some three channels, and the challenge for the Pix thinktank was to create something different. “After our research, one thing we found consistent across Bond films was not the girls, gadgets and gizmos but his evergreen Bond attitude! That’s what we want to bring alive through this proposition. This attitude is relevant to a viewer from a 1962 Dr No right up to Skyfall.”

     

    Thus started the Sania Mirza campaign from November 22 and is scheduled for 12 weeks. Excerpts from a conversation with Saurabh Yagnik:

    It’s unusual to get a tennis star like Sania Mirza to promote a James Bond movie. Was it an easy task to get her onto this… was she your first choice?

    I think she was top of the notch. She was bang on, our first choice and when we presented this idea to her, she also liked it, because it was showing a very different aspect of her onscreen which people hadn’t seen before.

     

    Why this craze for Bond that all our movie channels have. Does Bond still have a pull?And do you think the current festival will help you get to the No 1 or No 2 which you lost recently?

    Absolutely, Bond movies rate very well on television. We want people to look at the Bond franchise in a very different manner. Ratings are cyclical, there are ups and downs, what is required is to have a consistent and a robust strategy based on a deep understanding of a viewer which we believe those pieces are in place for our business.

     

    Tell us about the Stay Amazed positioning. Has it worked for you?

    It’s worked very well. It has created a distinct differentiation for us, it brought us into the Top 2 and for many weeks we were No 1. When we look at all measures including brand tracks, ratings data etc, they both show us that things are very positive for the channel.

     

    But there’s competition from the various other Hollywood channels, from NVODs and DTH channels plus the premium HD channels which carry no ads.

    Competition is coming in more ways than one. Theatre is one competition, Digital, PPV model that DTH operators have, premium services that are being offered… When you talk about channels like ours, they are significantly lower priced compared to the pricing one has to pay for a PPV viewership of a movie or for a premium channel which is ad-free.

     

    What will eventually happen is that a new segment will get created with the right volume and the right mix which is the premium segment where affluent audiences will keep paying for better services. I don’t think we have come to a state where we have critical mass and the right mix to make a viable proposition out of a premium service, but it will evolve over a period of time. English movies in this country is still less than 1.5% of all television. So there’s a lot of headroom for growth.

     

    What’s coming up next on Pix after the 12 weeks of Bond?

    Raid 2, Amazing Spiderman 2, Hercules… We’ve also acquired the Star Wars franchise. Because of the width and depth of the Marvel franchise that we have, we’ll do something around that as well.

     

    Will any of these have promos like you’ve done with Sania Mirza?

    There’ll be differentiation. You can’t be predictable in what you do. It’s about how you create those twists. Everything won’t be in a similar template. Each of our campaigns have been very different in clutter breaking and that’s what our attempt will be.

     

    We had Rocky Pixathon when Mary Kom was happening, it was a great brand fit. We had Priyanka Chopra talking about Rocky as the hero… a hero across all times inspires generations. Watch Rocky Pixathon on Sony Pix and watch Mary Kom in theatres was the joint promotion that happened which beautifully brought out the essence of both Mary Kom and Rocky.

     

     A promotion like this costs top dollars. The brand ambassador, the media you’ve used… do the returns from revenues or sponsorships take care of the marketing monies or is it more of a long-term view for the channel?

    The objective is to ensure you get maximum out of the property itself and we’d like to break even within the property itself and we’re closer to that when we look at the way we’re spending versus the kind of monies we are making. The important thing is not to look at a standalone profitability of a property, but to see its impact in the overall brand.

     

  • Saurabh Yagnik, EVP & Biz Head of MSM network's English movie channel, announces a slew of initiatives with a high voltage relaunch

    Sony Pix aims at rising with Skyfall

     

    By Fatema Rajkotwala

     

    Multi Screen Media’s English movie channel offering Sony Pix has announced a comprehensive brand repositioning to be unveiled to coincide with the premiere of the latest James Bond movie, Skyfall. Announcing the channel’s upcoming plans, Saurabh Yagnik, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Sony Pix spoke to MxMIndia on the new brand philosophy, the channel’s way forward and what viewers can expect in the months to come.

     

    Brand Makeover

    Players in the English movie channel category in India have admittedly been fighting it out for the top spot and market share. Since 2000, the space has expanded and seen new entrants, HD channel offerings and even niche channels in the Action or now romance-comedy genre. While the top players – Star Movies, HBO, Movies Now and Sony Pix – continue to claim up to 75 per cent of the market pie, Mr Yagnik pointed out that there is little brand association and differentiation to help viewers recall one channel’s movie properties from another. With most channels promising to be another version of a Hollywood movie destination, Sony Pix feels that there is a need for a fresh approach to branch out to its viewers.

     

    The channel’s market research has brought other key insights to the forefront, which has helped shape the brand’s new philosophy. The channel has observed an increase in time spent and consumption on the category post-digitization.

     

    Talking about Sony Pix’s new brand promise, Mr Yagnik said that the channel will aim to entertain and excite in the way Hollywood does with its new logo, on-air look and tagline, “Stay Amazed”. The new logo uses an adventurous colour theme of blue and the in-vogue ‘neon green’ to move away from conventional colours of the genre and make a fresh connection with the youth.  Big titles, innovative programming with a relevance to the youth, strengthened library tie-ups, cooler promos and a brand new look will be the key differentiators for Sony Pix in the months to come.

     

    The 1pm and 9pm slots on Sunday October 29 are marked for the showcasing of the Skyfall television premiere on the channel. Heavy marketing promotional efforts, across both traditional and new media, are underway to generate conversations and engagement among viewers. The high grossing Bond movie has been picked as a platform for the channel’s new branding launch by correlating the movie’s theme where Bond makes a comeback with a bang. Currently, three teaser promos are on air around Skyfall, to be revealed on the premiere day. The channel has also partnered with actor Hrithik Roshan for an integrated campaign with Krissh 3 to further promote the new brand identity.

     

    Said Mr Yagnik, “Ten channels pose a lot of clutter. We are constantly evaluating market opportunities. Unless we believe there is compelling differentiation, we do not want to offer something unless it is what we think the market requires based on our consumer understanding. Fundamentally, what is most important is if the consumer views one as different from the other.”

     

    Social Media to the fore

    Acknowledging the undeniable need for presence on social media to connect with viewers, Sony Pix is extending its efforts to stand out not only on-air but even on social media. The channel has announced an online avatar, Notty Pixy, a character that will represent the channel on online platforms and talk about Hollywood trivia to differentiate its Facebook and Twitter engagement. The character will also be given an on-air slot on Fridays in the month of November to integrate the platform across media.

     

    According to Sony Pix’s marketing head Neville Bastawala, the Facebook developed app will see viewers through three levels of ‘biggest secret mission’ contest at the end of which the winner will win a trip to the ‘Bond in Motion’ Ashton Martin exhibition in London. The channel’s social media campaign offering around Skyfall will also engage consumers through Twitter.

     

    In defence of contest-based efforts for engagement on social media, Mr Yagnik said that one of the focuses of the channel is to build a Hollywood eco-system to bring it closer for Indian audiences, “We are not looking at armchair engagement; we are aiming at active, differentiated engagement where we want people to come and talk. Even internationally you will find bursts of social media engagement or the other kind where the brand’s personality comes alive through social media. We cannot discount the power of social media because the conversations are a fertile ground for consumer insights. I see it as an extension of the brand’s personality. While there may be many ways of engagement, our social media focus is about differentiation, creating compelling property and encouraging interactivity.”

     

    Some may argue that English movie channels continue to bank on blockbusters and crowd favourites while considering franchise picks to add to their library. Since 2008, the top viewed movies on television have undoubtedly been Avatar, Amazing Spiderman, Men in Black 3, Iron Man etc. How long till we see unconventional movies on English movie channels as opposed to ‘popular’ or ‘blockbuster’ movies that present a lower risk and larger crowd pull, we asked Mr Yagnik. “We have plans to but there are two challenges involved, the first being that we are judged by relative share and in an advertising-based business model, where TVTs and market share are important. It is also to be remembered that for an English movie channel what also matters is the brand’s perception. We will consciously work on both and not just on viewership. We will not compromise perception just because of viewership. We believe in maintaining diversity of movie genres and an equitable genre skew as opposed to showing only action or male-centric movies. If you package a cult movie well, people will consume it if they get the feeling of ‘wow’ or ‘cool’.”

     

    In the upcoming months, viewers can expect to see Sony Pix’s new on-air look, Pixathons – movie marathons on various movie sequels, social media campaigns and contests and juicy gossip from Notty Pixy and PIX Premiere Night – exclusive red carpet screenings for viewers in four cities.

     

    While the English movie channel genre may be cluttered, clearly the Pix attempt is to break through the clutter and wow viewers with action on the telly. And elsewhere.

     

  • The Hollywood movie channel to get on aggro mode with the former marketing head of Star India's Hindi movie channels and earlier English channels joining yesterday (Aug 19)

    Neville Bastawalla joins ex-boss Saurabh Yagnik at Pix

    For Neville Bastawalla, the Saal Mubarak greeting on Parsi New Year day on Sunday had a special meaning. The following day was his first at Multi Screen Media as Marketing Head for Sony Pix.

     

    A marketing professional with over 14 years of multi-brand experience, Mr Bastawalla’s previous stint was with Star India where he joined in January 2011 as Marketing Head for its English channels and was most recently Head – Marketing for Star’s Hindi movies channels since February 2013.

     

    Saurabh Yagnik

    Announcing the appointment, Saurabh Yagnik, Executive Vice-President and Business Head – Sony Pix who was not too long ago Business Head of the English channels at Star India (and hence Mr Bastawalla reported to him there), said, “We are delighted to have Neville join the team and we are certain that his experience and understanding of the business and our audience will help us consolidate our position in the genre. We look forward to a long and fruitful working association with him.”

     

    Commenting on his appointment, Mr Bastawalla said, “I am delighted to begin my association with Sony Pix.  The channel has always uniquely positioned itself in the English movie genre, with a strong content library and innovative campaigns for its premieres and other properties.”

     

    Prior to joining Star, he was Head of Marketing at Mid-Day Infomedia where he spent about four years after a stint with Nickelodeon as Senior Marketing Manager. A management graduate in marketing, Mr Bastawalla has previously done stints with HSBC, Walt Disney Company, Contract Advertising and Mudra Communications.

     

  • Tintin – Sony Pix has planned a 360-degree – marketing and advertising – campaign around The Secret of the Unicorn on the 16th of this month

    PIX goes all out for Tintin premiere

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    With numerous English movie channels trying their best to catch as many eyeballs as possible, merely showing the best and the latest movies won’t fulfil the agenda.

     

    Sony Pix which will showcase Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn on the 16th of this month is going all out to make sure the audiences don’t miss out on the opportunity. The channel has planned a 360 degree – marketing and advertising – campaign around it.

     

    Speaking about the importance of a 360 degree campaign, Himmat Butalia, marketing head of the channel says, “In today’s day and age message ‘muddling’ can often prove to be a challenge for marketers. There are many similarities between rival brands and even channels, which can often lead to confusion in the minds of consumers. Our endeavour has always been to create a clear distinction between us and competition through interesting and unique touch points. A 360 degree campaign aids in escalating a campaign’s scale and spreading one message through many mediums such as print, television, radio, outdoor, BTL, on ground activation or digital.”

     

    The channel is using a number of mediums to create the right balance for the campaign around the film. It will focus not only on quantity but also quality of messages through the mediums like print, digital, television, radio, BTL or OOH. The outdoor creatives have been kept simple with key messages such as adventure, courage & mystery to connect with the audiences. Apart from hoardings, bus panels & bus shelters in key markets and Metro Station branding in Delhi. In terms of Below The Line activations, the channel has tied up with major malls as well as upped their presence in retail stores such as Spencers and Crossword across the country.

     

    In addition to this, Pix has also initiated two unique on ground activities for this film – Comic Con 2012 in Bangalore & an inter-college treasure hunt in tune with the theme of the film. “Comic Con has been a great success in directly creating touch points with fans of TINTIN as well as young movie buffs. The inter college treasure hunt held in Mumbai with over a dozen colleges participating. This initiative is a first of its kind in not just connecting with younger audiences but also in creating an extension of the premise of The Adventures of Tintin – The Secret of the Unicorn,” explains Mr Butalia.

     

    The digital space is also being utilized by the channel – through various social media engagements like Tintin games and advertising on sites like Yahoo, Google, YouTube. The channel believes that the new media is clearly the most potent weapon in every marketer’s arsenal today. “We recognized the scope of the digital space a couple of years back. And since then our digital presence and social media groups have grown by leaps and bounds. India has witnessed a significant traction towards social networking in the past to start conversations but today it has also become as significant tool for people to run their businesses. Unlike other mediums the digital space requires minimal investment. The number of connections and viewers reached through the online medium is the highest compared to all mediums since you can reach millions of people through one single post or advertisement. Another important attribute of using this medium is its quick turnover time. Websites and social media has minimized time lapse between a brand’s communication and its consumer’s response. At the moment, I would place digital mediums right on top of the marketing pecking order,” adds Mr Butalia.

     

    According to Mr Butalia, in his career so far, he has learnt one major lesson through various marketing activities – power of simplicity. “It’s something I learnt, that a simple yet effective touch point can do wonders for a brand.”

     

  • On Week 4 of our new Thursday 'getting personal' series, we will bring you media practitioners tell us how they unwind. Kicking off the series is Himmat Butalia, Marketing Head, PIX

    New series | How I Unwind: Himmat Butalia

    By Himmat Butalia

     

    I’m writing about my favourite ways to unwind while I’m sitting at my desk with heaps of work to finish (what an irony).

     

    Movies: I often think about how lucky I am to be working at PIX since I’m a huge movie buff. A great movie at the end of a hectic working day or a holiday is the cherry on the cake. My 500 (plus) DVD collection validates my belief in this mantra!

     

    Food food food: My personal motto is ‘You are what you eat’, but on more occasions than one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed food which I would not even dare name let alone eat. Yummy Italian food consisting of some good wholesome spinach soup, fresh steamed fish as the main course made with less cheese and lots of chillies and black pepper or some Chinese stir fried noodles and Sapo chicken with some dry chilly lamb (yup, I’m a foodie) are ideal meals at the end of a power packed day and a great way to relax, before hitting the bed( not to forget a good cup of hot Chinese tea post a scrumptious dinner)

     

    Yoga and Swimming: My defence background has instilled a great amount of self discipline in me and also helped me recognize the significance of good health. Yoga and swimming are not only a great way to unwind but also to keep mind and body healthy and hearty, thus a good way to start and end a hectic day.

     

    Himmat Butalia, Marketing Head, PIX.

    Compiled by Meghna Sharma

     

  • Will reach approximately 10,000 students and 800 coaches across five cities

    HP, others to parner junior NBA/WNBA school-based programme in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    The National Basketball Association (NBA), in collaboration with HP and Basketball Federation of India (BFI), announced that it will launch the 2012 Jr NBA/Jr WNBA basketball development program in India on May 26.  The program will reach out to approximately 10,000 students and 800 coaches in five cities and marks an important step in incorporating basketball into the regular sports routine of India n youth at the school level.

     

    BFI and HP will support the Jr NBA/Jr WNBA program and enhance the experience for India n youth throughout the event. Adidas is the official outfitter for the program and will provide apparel and footwear for participants and coaches.

     

    “The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program demonstrates the NBA’s commitment to growing basketball at a grassroots level and will reach more children in its second year as one of the league’s most inclusive programs in India ,” said Akash Jain, Sr. Director, Development, NBA India .

     

    The program will visit Delhi , Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Chandigarh, and will culminate with the Jr NBA/Jr WNBA Skills Challenge National Finals in Delhi on July14-15.  The NBA has now implemented sustainable grassroots programs in seven cities in India .

     

    A dedicated Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA microsite on NBA.com India  will provide all coaches and physical education instructors access to videos, photos and other materials to reinforce proper training technique. HP will provide laptops and Dream Screens to enhance the training experience.  An HP Technology Zone will be created at each City Championship and the National Finals where fans can create their own basketball player with the NBA Avatar game.

     

    “With a very strong focus on the youth of the country, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA will help create yet another platform with the NBA to reach our young and active audiences while promoting the game of basketball,” said HP India Chief Marketing Officer, PSG, Ranjivjit Singh.

     

    At the center of this program is the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge, which begins with a City Championship tournament in all five cities with approximately 2,000 participants between the ages of 10-12 in each city. The top five boys and top five girls will qualify to represent their city at the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Finals.

     

    Since 2008, the NBA has staged grassroots programs in seven cities in India including the Mahindra NBA Challenge which has become the largest, multi-city, community-based basketball league in India .  Six live NBA games air each week during the regular season on Ten Sports, Sony PIX, Sony SIX and NBA.com/India , and the NBA currently has its widest assortment of NBA merchandise available in 200 adidas stores across the country.

     

    The NBA has marketing partnerships in India with Adidas, Coca-Cola, HP, Mahindra, Nike, Reebok and Spalding.

     

  • The 360 degree campaign gives movie buffs an opportunity to be a superstar and be featured on the channel

    Sony Pix launches new campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Pix is all set to launch a brand new campaign for 2012 called ‘Big Break’ which gives movie buffs an opportunity to be a superstar and be featured on the channel. It is a 360 degree campaign which will have on air as well as off air promotions – radio, outdoor, print, online and on ground activities.

     

    The promotional on air and print campaign for ‘Big Break’ will run over a couple of months. The on ground activities will take place in key metros, as well as multiple promotions in colleges. Details of Big Break will also be shared on radio to encourage participation.

     

    In order to enhance convenience for the applicants, PIX has created a micro site to aid the masses to send in their entries and acquire further details about the campaign. An exclusive ‘Big Break’ application has also been created on for social networking sites like Facebook.

     

    To be a part of this campaign, all one has to do is send in a one minute video clip of themselves enacting aHollywoodscene of their choice. These entries will be reviewed by a special team appointed by PIX and ten lucky applicants will be flown down to Mumbai.

     

    PIX also offers the audiences innovative initiatives like the PIX Movie Club, Hollywood Top 10 and Chicks on Flicks to keep them updated on all thingsHollywood. These efforts have given PIX a distinctive identity offering entertainment beyond justHollywoodfilms.