Poacher's marketing raises awareness about the biggest Elephant in the room
Amazon Prime Video's Poacher highlights the dire consequences of poaching as its marketing strategy also drew eyes globally calling attention to the urgency of addressing wildlife crime and protecting endangered species. We unpack the awareness campaign.
In India, the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 prohibits the illegal capturing, killing, buying and selling of animals and animal parts. The country amended the Act to prohibit all forms of wildlife hunting in 1991. Richie Mehta's Poacher, which first premiered its first three episodes in the Indie Program Section at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, begins with a disclaimer reminding the very fact to its audience.
Yet, the series explores the killing of elephants for illegal ivory trade based on a real-life investigation carried out between 2015-17 into elephant poaching in the jungles of Malayattoor, Kerala, that led to multiple arrests. This thrilling crime series, starring Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and is produced by QC Entertainment in association with Alia Bhatt’s Eternal Sunshine Productions.
It tells the story of a group of Indian Forest Service officers, NGO workers and police constables trying to track down the biggest elephant ivory poachers in the history of India and bring them to justice after a forest watcher confesses to his participation in the stealing of raw ivory.
While the series attempts to highlight the dire consequences of poaching, its marketing strategy also drew eyes globally calling attention to the urgency of addressing wildlife crime and protecting endangered species.
During the OTT debut, Prime Video brought attention to the subject matter through a story of its own. The teaser featuring Alia Bhatt delivered a strong statement - Murder is Murder. Showcasing a crime scene of the victim Ashok, a ten-year-old elephant, the teaser aimed to emphasise that murder isn’t justifiable, even if the victim is an animal.
Post this, came the official trailer launch where Bhatt's presence lent star power, and the trailer garnered widespread attention from both media and eager fans.
Poaching in India remains a pressing issue, and Poacher’s marketing is an awareness campaign meant to reflect the same. We unpack how the marketing unfolded.
Installations
At the heart, it's about raising awareness about the illegal ivory trade. That’s exactly what the marketing did. Through strategic initiatives, they created life-sized installations in prominent locations across the country.
From oversized faux elephant tusks in glass boxes at prominent locations in Mumbai to highlight the scale of the issue, to elephant crime scenes in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, it attempted to create conversations about the issue of wildlife crime and convey that Murder is Murder, be it a human or an animal. The crime scenes were located in areas including Mumbai's Bandstand and Powai, Bengaluru’s Shantiniketan, and Delhi's Janakpuri and Saket.
The Missing Elephants in the marketing
To connect the audience with the grave issue, its marketing excluded the very reason for the series from its theme - Elephants. While a crime scene depicting murdered elephants brings home the point, the strategy involved removing elephants from the logos of brands.
The Times of India’s front page showcased a poster for the series talking about how elephants go missing every year due to poaching, subsequently drawing attention to the missing elephants in the newspaper’s logo. Similarly, the Flying Elephant restaurant at the Grand Hyatt, Chennai followed suit.
Social media buzzed with concern 30+ brands chiming in, urging consumers to speak up for elephants before they disappear. MakeMyTrip highlighted the importance of responsible travel, emphasizing that our jungles hold sacred significance and remain incomplete without the presence of elephants. Unacademy emphasised on the essential role of elephants in childhood and the world, noting that a world without 'e for elephant' is incomplete. On the other hand, Toothsi talked about the value of protecting elephants' smiles, just like our own.
Overall, the cause saw brands like Asian Paints, Make My Trip, Dabur, The Bombay Store, Spice Jet, Shaadi.com, Rapido, BoAt, Aqualogica, Zepto, Dabur Hajmola, ixigo, Swiggy Dineout and more joining hands.
Engaging via social media
The marketing campaign also made use of social media platforms to engage with audiences and drive conversations. Through impactful posts, videos, and messages, Prime Video shed light on the unethical practices involved in poaching and urged viewers to take action.
Utilising a dialogue from the movie itself, they made social media aware that the profit from this unethical practice comes at the price of one crore. Additionally, the creators shared behind-the-scenes content, messages from the cast, and reasons to watch 'Poacher,' further building anticipation and interest among the audience.
The marketing strategy ultimately led to screenings in key locations such as Kerala and London, providing audiences with the opportunity to experience it firsthand. These screenings not only generated buzz around the show but also provided a chance for discussions on wildlife conservation and the need for collective action.
In conclusion, Poacher's marketing has not only attempted to captivate audiences with its storyline but also engaged them by building awareness through innovative narratives.
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