Viacom 18: Something fishy

In an attempt to promote its latest movie, Viacom18 is sending out goodies that spark the reaction, 'What the fish'.

What will be your first reaction if you receive a condom, a joint and sex booster pills hidden in a fish bowl, sent as a gift? It would be WTF - What the fish!

Viacom 18 came up with the idea to promote its latest movie, What the fish, directed by Gurmmeet Singh and co-produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

It sent more than 300 such fish bowls to trade media organisations, celebrities, twitter-digital influencers, media houses and a few others with an attempt to generate buzz and create social media visibility.

The film is set in Delhi and revolves around the theme of the crazy things that can happen when parents take a vacation and the youth they leave behind grab the opportunity to party. The film has two important characters, 'Masi' played by Dimple Kapadia and 'Mishti' the fish. The fish and the bowl also play an important role in the film.

In an interesting activity, Viacom18 Motion Pictures has placed fish bowls with several fish sellers and on some rickshaws in Mumbai. It has also kept fish branded with the film's title, 'What the fish', to create a buzz among the buyers who come to purchase fish.

While the BTL activation has been done across Mumbai now, it will be extended to Delhi, Pune and a few other select towns.

Viacom18 Motion Pictures has kept a small marketing budget for the film, to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore. This includes television, digital, BTL and radio.

Speaking about the campaign, Rudrarup Datta, head, marketing and operations, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, says, "The film is being based on what all happens when parents are not at home. Through our campaign we wanted to create a quirky moment and capture people's attention when they say 'What the fish'.

The film is mostly meant for the youth and will be released on December 13. Some of the other films from the production house are Special 26, OMG, Bombay Talkies, Chashme Baddoor and others.