South African Tourism has created a 30 second co-branded TVC using footage from the film shot in Cape Town, showcasing its picturesque locales and fun experiences. The campaign has been on air since 6 July across channels like MTV, Channel V, ETC, Zing, Star Movies, HBO and NDTV Good Times, targeting young adults and couples. Lodestar UM was the agency behind the tourism board’s tie-up with the movie. The film has been co-produced by Illuminati Films and Eros.
Dhruv Jha, business head - brand experience, Lodestar UM, said, “We had been on the lookout for a movie covering South Africa and its locations in detail, and had kept Eros informed of our requirements. They told us to wait for Cocktail, for which they’ve shot for 20 days in South Africa. There were other movie options, but nothing fit our requirement as well as Cocktail.”
The campaign will go on until after the movie’s release, running for around 14 days, according to Jha.
Cocktail’s storyline features the three lead characters played by Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty visiting Cape Town for a holiday together: a trip that marks a turning point in the story line.
Hanneli Slabber, country manager (India), South African Tourism, said in a statement, “We want to showcase the best that Cape Town has to offer to Indian travelers. The movie showcases the star cast having a fun-filled holiday in South Africa and it blends perfectly with our positioning as being an exhilarating, fun and memorable holiday destination. This association gives us an unprecedented opportunity to showcase South Africa on the Bollywood stage and reach out to the vast section of movie going audience.”
Indian tourist arrivals to the country touched 21,139 in the January-March 2012 quarter, a jump of over 23 per cent from the previous year, according to South African Tourism. It's too late to get there this weekend, but you can catch glimpses of South Africa in Cocktail, for now.
