How ‘Saifeena’ became an ideal fit for Tata Sky’s rebranding exercise

At times, it can be tricky to crack the right brand-celeb deal. Co-founders of M5 Entertainment tell us how they managed to make this match.

DTH and Pay TV platform, Tata Sky, recently undertook a rebranding exercise to introduce its new name ‘Tata Play’. It also added newer avenues to its offerings.

The brand onboarded celebrity couple Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan, known as ‘Saifeena’ together, to communicate this refreshed identity to its audiences.

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Also Read: “The new name stands for a broader definition of entertainment”: Anurag Kumar, on Tata Sky to Tata Play

M5 Entertainment, the celebrity and brand collaboration agency, helped get the deal done between Saifeena and Tata Play. While the campaign has managed to create quite a buzz for the brand, we wonder why Tata Play went for the Bollywood couple.

Sonya V Kapoor, co-founder, M5 Entertainment, shares that the script required a real life couple. “We did have some other suggestions, which included a young couple. But eventually, it was a spontaneous decision on the part of the brand to get Kareena and Saif onboard, because of their onscreen chemistry.”

The entire thing was pulled off by the agency within two weeks. Kapoor shares that they had a brief chat with the acting couple after receiving the script from the brand. And, within a day, the celeb couple were finalised to be a part of the rebranding campaign.

As per Amrita Mendonza, M5 Entertainment’s co-founder, the Khans were equally excited about the campaign and the script. “The creative agency had a quick narration call with the actors. The shooting also went on smoothly and within two weeks, the final edited ad films were released. The timelines were a bit tight, but it was smooth sailing.”

Amrita Mendonza & Sonya V Kapoor

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It is interesting to note that in the past, the couple was also be seen in ads for Airtel DTH. Brands usually avoid associating with a celebrity, who has endorsed a competing brand in the past.

Since there was quite a time gap between the two campaigns, Tata Play had no problem. Also, it does fade away from public memory after these many years.

Since the campaign’s aim isn’t to generate any sales or revenue, it can be a little tricky to analyse its impact or ROI.

Kapoor talks about the campaign’s success. It has already gone viral and people are talking about it. “Tata Sky has always been known to bring out entertaining campaigns, with its ‘Life Jingalala’ being a catch jingle. This one is another addition to their successful campaigns.”

M5 Entertainment has been working with Tata Sky on its campaigns for over three years now. This one was one of the biggest campaigns for the agency too. “Our target is B2B, but the campaign will establish us in the B2C space as well, and provide us the desired credibility,” adds Kapoor.

When it comes to brand-celebrity collaborations, the latter should be the right fit for the former’s communication and positioning. The campaign’s timeline should align with that of the celebrity, and both should agree on a set budget.

Mendonza shares that one of M5 Entertainment’s primary aims has been to get the right celebrity for the brand within its stipulated campaign budget.

At times, it can be tough to crack the right brand-celeb deal in Bollywood. M5 Entertainment, as per its co-founders, helps the brands to find the right match. It also ensures that the brands are well guided throughout the campaign.