Entertainment marketing is an ever-evolving scene. From producing immersive experience yards to creating podcast episodes to promote a film or a show set to be released on an OTT platform, the rules of marketing keep undergoing a shift.
Traditional promotions like hoardings, TV spots, and press junkets have found a powerful ally in these new outlets of promotions for OTT.
Social media influencers are all the rage in terms of creatively reaching a larger audience base and marketing the film or show effectively, especially in India.
Netflix and Amazon Prime seem to have emerged as the flag bearers for these collaborations.
Squid Game is bound to top the list of these influencer-collab-driven marketing strategies. With various genres of influencers across India—be it comedy creators, gamer/streaming creators, beauty creators, vloggers—and including their immersive experience for Squid Game, most of the prominent influencers (with very high viewerships) were signed to make content around the release of Squid Game Season 2.
Various brands, including Knorr, also participated in this influencer marketing wave, where influencers like Orry took the #DareToSlurp challenge for Knorr India's new Squid Game-themed Korean flavors.
Here is a list of some recent films/shows that used influencer marketing videos for an OTT release:
Singham Again
Singham Again, the 4th film of the Singham Franchise of the Cop Universe by Rohit Shetty, just got released around New Year on Amazon Prime Video. To promote the release, influencers like Deesha Katkar, Vikalp Mehta, and Khushaal Pawaar created their own cop-themed videos on their Instagram, centered around New Year plans and Singham-related content. Not just this, Sonalika Puri went viral for mimicking Deepika Padukone's trailer acting and actions, which, in turn, gained the film a lot of traction.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEFObGpzMJj/?igsh=MTJzbXF5b2puYTFhaw==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEEmJrDzp8H/?igsh=N3RiaTZxeWd5dGRk
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEE6w5UJNv1/?igsh=MWJkODRsNjFrbncxMA==
Wicked Movie
This film was a global success that gained Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey millions of new fans. As viewers were hesitant to watch a live-action version of their beloved animated story, influencers helped ease the audience into the Wicked live-action experience. With a special premiere and various brand collaborations that helped create the Wicked live experience, influencers were called to enjoy their free stay and fully dedicated schedule to try Wicked-themed fashion, food, and various other specialized events centered around the Wicked theme. Influencers like The Rebel Kid (Apoorva Mukhija), Hana Mai, Haley Kalil, and many others posted their experiences of the movie, which helped the audience connect more with the film.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDXMqs3Pt2W/?igsh=ejh4dmw5ZTFtbDlt
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCjqDA4sOa6/?igsh=Z24zejRuc3E4bGt2
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCYMsDxtB7d/?igsh=MTl0bTExZ2wzejkzYg==
Girls Will Be Girls
Holding the hand of all girlie pop influencers on Instagram, the creators of the film Girls Will Be Girls, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, have taken it upon themselves to lead the influencer marketing collab-based promotions for the OTT release on Netflix. With various influencers like Funyaasi (Dhruv Bisht and Shubham Singh), Sukriti, Srishti Garg, and others, Richa and Ali have created trend videos, sketches, and even funny reels centered around the film to show how growing up is much more complicated as a teenager, which is also central to the theme of the film.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEHfVTUIVgd/?igsh=YjFhbnk5ejkzM2Fw
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD9wMZOz8zz/?igsh=cHc0cHQxM2Yzb3A1
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEe0wxtu9HE/?igsh=bGtnYzU2YnpqeXR4
Your Fault / Culpa Tuya
This sequel to the highly successful film My Fault (Culpa Mía in Spanish) has been released on Amazon Prime Video. Using immersive experiences, red carpets, and creative influencer concepts, creators like Aastha Shah, RJ Mahvash, and Neeraj Choudhary, along with many others, have helped Your Fault reach the feeds of most chronically online Gen Z audiences. These videos not only create suspense among viewers but also use fun concepts to increase the relatability quotient of the film.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD9yq6ptW3g/?igsh=dGowMmNndW9xcnJm
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEFzAcANkMe/?igsh=Y3d1b2JraWszMjZl
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEXQv6ozkR5/?igsh=N3lxOGU0eDFmcDd3
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEey5LEA8OY/?igsh=MzJkOXk0bm1oMjYz
Sikandar ka Muqaddar
Sikandar ka Muqaddar, starring Jimmy Shergill, Avinash Tiwary, and Tamannaah Bhatia, has been released on Netflix. Creators have found fun ways to market the film, including public stunts and influencer-driven promotions. Creators like Gauravmotivegroom (Gaurav Khanna) and Vijay3guy (Vijay Kumar) have made content centered around a robbery and police stations—both key elements of the plot—enticing viewers with a FOMO-inducing mystery that can only be solved by watching the film. This approach is both clever and slightly risky but has proven effective.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC_HljCSlWt/?igsh=MW5zenJlbjdlMWJtcQ==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDE3_JsyAQd/?igsh=aTA2bWw0NTQzN3ph
Mr. Beast Show
The Mr. Beast Show has become the most talked-about gaming show of 2024 and a milestone in YouTube history. The setup is straightforward: a gaming show with rounds and participants, like any other game show. What sets it apart is the marketing and experience created around it. A notable promotion includes a content creator, Badshahig's (Aditya Shetty), voiceover being used on Mr. Beast during the show. This unique approach to marketing brought a refreshing twist and captured the audience’s attention.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD83vGoiva3/?igsh=MXJkMGh5YWhmcmw1dg==
Mismatched Season 3
This show by RSVP Movies, starring YouTube creator and influencer Prajakta Koli (MostlySane), leveraged her massive reach for promotion. Prajakta shared exclusive content on her page, engaging her audience in creative ways. Additionally, creators Unnati and Manav, a beloved couple and former members of the popular YouTube group DamFam, made a wholesome video around a mismatched couple, aligning perfectly with the show’s central theme.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD1IBPISdwh/?igsh=MWp4MXcwMjRsc2ZtZQ==
Squid Game: Unleashed
If there’s one show that has fully maximized influencer marketing for its new season, it’s Squid Game. Netflix collaborated with a diverse range of influencers, from comedy creators like Munawar Faruqui, Elvish Yadav, and Funcho (Dhruv and Shyam) to stand-up comics and podcasters like Tanmay Bhatt, Aishwarya Mohanraj, Rohan Joshi, Naveed, and Akash Sharma. These creators produced podcasts, reels, and sketches inspired by the show. Gamers and entertainers such as Aryan Kataria, Gamerfleetog (Anshu Bisht), and Slayy Point participated in immersive events, while beauty, dance, fashion, and acting creators joined the Squid Game experience. Netflix left no stone unturned, ensuring Squid Game dominated social media with its “Pink Guards” marketing blitz.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEO3o0KyoD4/?igsh=dHJtdmlhd3h5cjFv
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEM9E2_Pz-e/?igsh=MWI4eWlzdzYxYXM4MQ==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD9hZnhSXeC/?igsh=MWhoeWJuaHh2dzNheg==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD64TStPoh6/?igsh=MzdvNmV4bXJhcDlh
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD6DmvBSHtQ/?igsh=MWVnaDUzY2F2dnlpOA==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD2LWXCShBH/?igsh=aXowZDlqNzk5ZXBr
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDzYoMPowTS/?igsh=eG96NDZ3c2gzdWs2
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDt8SBhy8EZ/?igsh=MTdrcDR2aTNvZ3
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