Disney India has inked a record deal with 67 brands as sponsors for its upcoming animated musical fantasy Frozen 2 that opens in theaters this Friday. This is the highest number for an animation theatrical in the country till date.
The range of consumer products includes partnerships with brands like toy retailer Hamleys, fashion brands Max and Reliance Trends, clothing chain Pantaloons and e-commerce company Flipkart.
Disney India executive director and head, consumer products Sanjeet Mehta commented, “Frozen merchandise has been one of the top-selling products for us and is enjoyed all year round. On the occasion of the movie’s release, we will be launching an all-new range of Frozen inspired products to celebrate the love young fans have towards the franchise and give them an opportunity to take home a piece of their favourite character.”
Pantaloons has come up with a special Frozen collection for toddler and junior girls which includes printed joggers, leggings, sweatshirts and sweater dresses with interactive prints, fancy sequins and appliques and footwear featuring the film’s characters. Toy and board game company Hasbro, will also introduce a range of new dolls and playsets inspired by the two protagonists, Elsa and Anna while multinational conglomerate ITC has launched a line of stationery products such as notebooks, geometry boxes and colouring sets based on the movie.
Hasbro India and Middle East country manager Bhavesh Somaya added, “We are excited to give Disney’s Frozen fans an opportunity to relive their favorite movie moments through the best play experiences. To celebrate the magic of the film, Hasbro has introduced play patterns such as singing Anna and Elsa dolls in new signature outfits, hair braiding tools, and even a Fold and Go Arendelle Castle portable playsets.”
Asian Paints too has brought out a line of wall décor products (decals) around the Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee directed film while Flipkart will be offering Frozen 2 merchandise across categories like kids’ fashion, toys and school supplies.
Pantaloons head of marketing and e-commerce Ryan Fernandes noted that the company understands how kids connect with their favourite movie characters. Its new range for toddler and junior girls captures the movie’s essence and lets the little ones flaunt their favourite character merchandise.
Localisation and marketing initiatives by Hollywood studios in India have come a long way over the past five years, with the increase in the number of partnering brands, getting high-profile local names to dub and create conversation about the film on their social media accounts.
While the Hindi version of Frozen 2 will be dubbed by actor sisters Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Parineeti Chopra, the Tamil dub will feature the voices of actor Shruti Haasan and and popular television anchor Dhivyadarshini in the roles of protagonists Elsa and Anna. While popular actor Nithya Menen will dub for Elsa in the Telugu version, superstar Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar’s seven-year-old daughter Sitara Ghattamaneni will voice for Baby Elsa.
