The article discusses the evolution and growth of in-film placements in India, which has grabbed the attention of corporates, advertisers and film producers alike in the country. Corporates and advertisers get the opportunity to reach the right consumer segment or the masses based on their type of product through diverse genre of films in India.This enables them to leverage on clutter free nature, emotional quotient and psychological impact of the films. In-film advertising is also an additional source of revenue for the film producers. This article talks about the modus operandi of the in-film advertising in India and the flip side of this advertising tool.

Films are a prominent medium of entertainment in India. Impact of films is evident from the fact that film stars have iconic status in India. Since 1940s and 50s they have been successful in promoting styles, trends and propagating ideology. The reach of this medium has high emotional value and effective psychological impact. In the Indian entertainment industry, films occupied 28%, second after television, which occupies a major chunk of 65% in the year 2004. With the Indian economy booming due to sustainable growth, the purchasing power parity of consumers is also increasing.

Clutter in the media environment and in the product market are making difficult for marketers to sustain. They are constantly in search of innovative ways to promote goods and reach consumers. In-film advertising is one such weapon which is helpful and is gaining importance in India. Product placement in Indian movies is not something new. Emami was able to successfully undertake product placement in 1970s. The famous product placement was of the yellow "Rajdoot" motorcycle in Raj Kapoor's film Bobby starring Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in the year 1975. This motorcycle made its maiden appearance along with actress Dimple Kapadia and it was famously known as the "Bobby Motorcycle" among the consumers. Subsequently, many such product placements took place like "HMV records" in Karz and "Yamaha Rajdoot" in Hero, both produced by film producer Subhash Ghai and "Vimal" was used in one of the fashion show sequence in BR Chopra's film Insaaf ka Tarazu. The first recognized product placement in Hindi film is "Coke" in Subhash Ghai's Taal (1999). This trend is gathering momentum because corporates and advertisers get an opportunity to promote brands, and for film producers it's an added source of revenue.

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