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DOUBLE TRAILER: FORMULA FOR DOUBLE IMPACT?
Makers of many films have been releasing two trailers of late. We unravel the trend
If the first look, teaser and trailer weren’t enough, Bollywood is now witnessing another trend for marketing a film — a second trailer. The latest example is actor Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey. The makers of the film, which was scheduled for a December 2021 release and got delayed due to the pandemic, released a second trailer a week ago. The actor says, “Nobody ever faced a situation like this [before]. Even though films have had to re-release, they were in the initial stages of marketing. We were just a few days away from release in December when the film got postponed. So, we thought of giving the audience something fresh (the second trailer).”
But weren’t they worried about giving away too much of the film? “Yes, [but] we didn’t want to put out something just for the sake of it. The second trailer got a better response than the first one.”
The makers of actors John Abraham’s Attack and Ajay Devgn’s Runway 34 have also released a second trailer. In fact, Abraham’s Satyameva Jayate 2 (2021) had two trailers, too. Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey says, “A second trailer depends on the producers. I didn’t release a second one for my next. I am happy with the response the first one got.”
According to trade experts, it happens if the first trailer doesn’t connect with the audience. “They (the makers) understand they haven’t been able to generate the hype they wanted to, and hence, come up with a second trailer. In case of Satyameva Jayate 2 and Runway 34, people shared confusing remarks and didn’t get the storyline. In case of Jersey, it was pushed threefour times, so to keep themselves fresh in audiences’ minds, the makers had to come up with a new trailer. I feel songs are enough for music sales and enhancing the popularity of a film. Giving away four minutes in the trailer wouldn’t make any difference,” explains trade expert Atul Mohan.
Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi feels that the style of promotion varies for every film: “Marketing is not a set template. What happens is, you often put out a song or teaser, and depending on the traction they get, you tweak your [marketing] plans.”