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Zoya Akhtar-led Netflix original, The Archies, is here and it is a movie that cannot be missed. You can choose to not watch the movie but its high-decibel promotions cannot be ignored.
From massive brand collaborations to on-ground events, The Archies is pulling all the stops to get India excited about Riverdale. With a 360-degree approach, the promotion tactics have taken the audience down memory lane and brought in a flavour of nostalgia to their marketing. The movie also attempts to connect with Gen Z by partnering with young brands.
Here’s how it all rolled out:
Milking brand collaborations and contests
Netflix went all out promoting the movie collaborating with brands such as Maybelline India and Starbucks India to tap into its target audience in Tier I and metro cities. The collaborations seemed to specifically focus on targeting Gen-Z and to an extent millennials.
Starbucks India
Starbucks India came up with custom Archies-themed beverages that were created based on the comic book characters’ particular traits. This coincided with Starbucks’
Christmas makeover–introducing Christmas-themed colourful packaging–that the franchise does annually. The custom beverages included Archie’s Crunchy Red Hat Mocha, Veronica’s Toffee Nut Crunch, and Betty’s Chestnut Mont Blanc. The Coffee franchise went on to promote these custom beverages individually on its social media.
Beside the custom drinks, Starbucks India introduced a contest wherein it asked fans to decorate their cups with Archies stickers available at select Starbucks stores and upload their pictures tagging the brand. The winners were said to win exclusive Archies-themed goodies.
Maybelline India
The retro-theme reigned supreme as The Archies collaborated with Maybelline India offering limited edition Archies-themed makeup products. The brand’s Instagram was flooded with retro looks, the cast’s pictures and videos of influencers using these products. The cosmetics brand shared creatives depicting how users can replicate the looks of these characters using the custom products. Suhana Khan already being ambassador of the brand further propelled this collaboration making it seem like a natural fit.
Maybelline India, too, announced a contest which engaged customers in cosmetics-related questions promising a limited edition Maybelline-Archies collection to the winners.
Skybags
Similar to collabs with Starbucks India and Maybelline India, The Archies gang collaborated with the travel and lifestyle accessories brand Skybag to connect with younger audiences. A range of limited-edition Archies-themed bags were created which reflected the traits of the era and emphasised the retro theme. A similar contest was introduced to tap into younger customers and college students.
Vistara Airlines
Netflix India collaborated with Vistara airlines for a special flight to Riverdale. Popular influencers and creators were invited to join the cast on their surprising journey to Riverdale. A considerable amount of effort was put into making everything Archies-themed and decorated in the retro aesthetic.
boAt
boAt created limited edition speakers called ‘Riverdale Rocker’ and collaborated with several influencers to propel the promotional train.
Spoyl on Flipkart
Flipkart’s app-in-app Spoyl, which caters to Gen Z launched a clothing line created around the characters’ looks. The merch recreated the retro vibe incorporating modern elements into it and featured the aesthetics of Riverdale.
Apart from brand collaborations, the movie has also been promoted in a traditional manner which involved revealing the newly minted star-studded cast, dropping catchy songs, making public appearances and more.
Cast Reveal
To get the ball rolling, the cast was announced by director Zoya Akhtar with a video clip revealing the seven principal actors and the characters they play. Since the cast of the movie includes a lot of newcomers, this stirred conversations on social media.
The film stars Agastya Nanda as Archie Andrews, Suhana Khan as Veronica Lodge, Khushi Kapoor as Betty Cooper, Mihir Ahuja as Jughead Jones, Vedang Raina as Reggie Mantle, Aditi "Dot" Saigal as Ethel Muggs, and Yuvraj Menda as Dilton Doiley.
Even before the production was complete, the cast of the film was introduced in a musical video revealing the aesthetic of the film. This helped build anticipation about the film among fans of the comics as well as those not acquainted with it.
Venturing Outdoor
Later, The Archies ventured outdoors and created intrigue around the movie. This activity saw a plane flying over the historic Gateway of India with a flyer attached to it that read, “Follow @archiesoninstagram”.
Capturing this, a reel was shared by Netflix India on June 11 with a caption that read, “It’s official! Aapki Riverdale ki yatra confirm ho chuki hai.
Buckle up for an adventure back to the era of fun, friendship and romance.”
Going Global
As of December 07, The Archies has an Instagram page with over 17.2K followers where posts are shared regularly to engage the audience.
At Netflix’s global event Tudum in Sao Paulo, Brazil the teaser of the film was unveiled. The event also witnessed a special performance by the entire cast on the song “Sunoh” from their film. The actors wore the same dresses they had worn during the filming of the song. The festival gave new comers a global stage.
Leveraging Social Media
Following the Tudum event, the teaser trailer was shared by Suhana Khan on her Instagram account as well on The Archies’ official account.
A video of the gang’s adventure in Sao Paulo as well as the behind-the-scenes footage was shared on the official account of the film.
The Archies’ official account shared an interesting video wherein the cast members are discussing a potential meet-up dinner on their WhatsApp group named “Also Known As The Archies”. The members can be seen using a fairly casual Gen Z dialect while also sharing GIFS. The caption of the reel reads, “POV: You’re the person in the group chat who only reads the messages”.
Independence Day Initiative
On the occasion of India’s Independence Day, the cast came together for a noble cause. Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Yuvraj Menda, Aditi Saigal, Agastya Nanda, and Vedang Raina collaborated with The Bombay Canteen, a local restaurant in Mumbai to serve food. A feast was hosted by the restaurant with the aim of donating all the proceeds collected from the event towards supporting underprivileged individuals.
Ascending the musical elevator
The first song to be released was the peppy title track ‘Sunoh’, from which originates the movie’s tagline. Sony Music India released the song which was emphatically promoted on the social media handles of Netflix India, Sony Music India, The Archies’ own page as well as the personal handles of the cast.
Leveraging the momentum, Sony Music India shared a behind-the-scenes video of the song’s making which consisted of interviews from the director, the crew, the cast as well footage from the sets.
The next song in the lineup was the dance number ‘Va Va Voom’ which was released two weeks after Sunoh’s release.
Subsequently, the songs ‘In Raahon Mein’ and ‘Dhishoom Dhishoom’ were released.
A video containing the BTS footage of the preparations and rehearsals for the song ‘Dhishoom Dhishoom’ was shared. The cast was shown learning roller skating to prepare for the song.
Singer Arijit Singh performed ‘In Raahon Mein’ during a live concert before the song’s actual release leading to considerable buzz.
Ramping up the on-ground momentum
From a billboard featuring a countdown to the release to painting the walls of buildings with retro graffiti art to attending live events to a CGI train, The Archies’ marketing used a mix of conventional and innovative approaches to amp up its on-ground promotional efforts.
Two days before the movie’s release, a custom Archies-themed car was spotted roaming the streets of Mumbai. It was decorated in such a way that it seemed like a shoe from the popular comics’ era.
Screenings
Netflix held multiple screenings of the movie to engage people of industry fueling marketing efforts. The movie had a screening in Paris which was attended by several people of the movie industry. It also had its premiere in Mumbai which was attended by prominent Bollywood celebrities.
Memes and reels
The Archies’ own Instagram page and Netflix India tried to make good use of their presence and following by engaging the audience with memes and reels based on popular templates.
Interviews, appearances and more
In order to ride the pulse of Gen Z, the cast made live appearances in colleges festivals and events.
The cast also made content specifically for social media.
The young debutants also appeared in interviews on popular channels such as Star Sports, Pinkvilla, and Vogue India.
The Archies’ marketing strategy not only showcased the timeless appeal of the beloved characters but also demonstrated the power of nostalgia in engaging audiences. The multifaceted campaign blended traditional and digital approaches. The strategic use of social media, merchandise, interactive experiences, OOH, and brand collabs created a comprehensive promotional journey. As the curtains rise on The Archies movie, the marketing efforts pave the way for a cinematic experience that resonates with both die-hard fans and those discovering the magic of Riverdale for the first time.