VANCOUVER: Telus has rolled out the red carpet for the world premiere of Jag Jeondeyan De Mele, a Bollywood movie in which one of Telus' smart phones, the Blackberry Curve, is integrated in the movie.
Telus has invited VIPs from the South Asian community, as well as the
BC premier and the Vancouver mayor, to the opening on Monday, February
16th.
“We knew in terms of ethnic media that we would get coverage,” said
Jatinder Rai, general manager of Response Advertising, Telus' South
Asian agency which brokered the movie deal and has launched a PR
campaign to promote Telus' involvement in the movie.
To reach the mainstream press, however, he said the PR team focused
messaging on the fact that half of the movie was shot in Vancouver,
stars Harbhajan Mann, an Indian actor and singer raised in BC, and that
it is the first time a Canadian brand has been featured in a Bollywood
movie. In the movie, the main character uses some of the features of
the Blackberry Curve, including its built-in GPS.
Major outlets such as the Vancouver Sun and Vancouver Province, as well CTV, CBS, and Global TV are expected to cover the premiere. “Because of the success of other South Asian movies like Slumdog Millionaire,
there's already a buzz about this movie,” said Rai. With the product
placement, Telus aims to reach a portion of the country's 1.3 million
South Asians.
Following its premiere Monday night, the movie opens Friday across
Canada, in 13 Cineplex theatres, as well as in the US, UK, New Zealand,
and Australia.
Source: PRWeek