Madison forays into in-film advertising

After Leo Burnett yet another media company, Madison Communications, is moving into the growing area of in film advertising and marketing of films and music.

Madison has launched its operations with ythe acquisition of TeamWorks fp&e (film promotion & events). The new company, to be called Madison Teamworks fp&e (Mates), has been incorporated with an authorised share capital of Rs1 crore.

TeamWorks, promoted by Darshana Goradia and Sooraj Bhalla, has over Rs3 crore worth of business in hand with clients like LML, Frito-Lay, Reebok and Castrol.

The company is also working on films such as AB Corp's Virudh and Creative Eye's Aabra-ka-Daabra.

According to a press release, TeamWorks has been involved in blockbusters like Main Hoon Na and Kyun Ho Gaya Na. The company managed to get Shah Rukh Khan to wear Levis jeans with Reebok shoes and have a cup of coffee at Café Coffee Day and a pizza at Pizza Hut in Main Hoon Na. In Kyun Ho Gaya Na it got Vivek Oberoi to wear an overall with the logos of Mitsubishi Lancer, Castrol, Ceat and Coffee Day.

Sam Balsara, chairman & MD, Madison Communications says, "The high cost of conventional media accompanied by the growing clutter has made in-film advertising an exciting and viable opportunity. On the other hand producers who are also constantly under pressure of making more lavish productions and then finding ways and means of meeting such expenditure are now more open to commercial exploitation of their properties."

Mates will be Madison's seventh specialised unit with Goradia as the CEO and Bhalla as director-content. Madison’s other six units include specialised creative, media, outdoor, rural, PR and retail units.