How Netflix’s marketing blitz pushed ‘Money Heist’ to the top of viewers’ list

“The first time is special. Unique. But the last times are incomparable, priceless.” Berlin’s words have never felt truer or hit harder. The wait for the final season of ‘Money Heist’ is finally over, with the hugely popular show currently streaming on Netflix.

‘Money Heist’, which has become a global phenomenon, is coming to an end this December. Its theme song ‘Bella Ciao’ has also attained cult status. It’s no secret that this iconic Spanish heist drama on Netflix has seen unmatched fandom, with people rooting for the Professor and his team of misfits, who have quickly become the face of resistance and overcoming challenges.

‘Money Heist’ has a sizeable fan following in India as well. And Netflix has come up with a marketing blitz for the series. Last week, we saw ‘Money Heist’ finding its ‘Sabse Bada Fan’ in Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, where he brings his charm, acting skills and musical talents to a new video from Netflix, making it one for the ‘history’ books.

In a fun take, the superfan paid homage to the famed Professor character, launching the #IndiaBoleCiao Fan Contest, allowing fans to capture and share their love for the series. Indulging with fans, Ayushmann is also seen singing his own rendition of the classic ‘Bella Ciao’.

Speaking about his love for Netflix’s ‘Money Heist’ and its global popularity, Ayushmann in a release issued said, “Over time, I’ve become a huge fan of ‘Money Heist’ and it has rightfully found a prominent place in pop culture. Getting to work on this unique project has been special, given my fondness for the series as well as The Professor. The characters give us an immersive experience and you feel completely invested in their journey throughout the series. While I’m super excited for the finale, it is definitely disappointing that this heist is coming to an end.”

In a first of its kind innovation, Hindustan Times collaborated with Netflix and Wavemaker to create a newspaper-ad-as-a-collectible innovation. The cutouts of the ‘Money Heist’ characters can be pulled out from the newspaper and used as stickers by the fans of the show, bringing the beloved characters literally to people’s homes.

Elaborating on this innovation, Shekhar Banerjee, Chief Client Officer & Office Head, West – Wavemaker, said, “Every fan of ‘Money Heist’ wants a piece of this cult show and they are in millions! We literally made that possible for them by transforming a newspaper into a souvenir. We thank our partner Hindustan Times for pushing the envelope and reinventing their printing process to bring alive such a unique delivery of memories attached to this show. A perfect way to say ‘Bella Ciao’.

Just before launching the series on December 3, 2021, Netflix India uploaded multiple videos on its YouTube page of influencers and just like no other, Bhuvam Bam’s video meeting the whole cast of ‘Money Heist’ created quite a frenzy and was shared by maximum of the netizens.

As ‘Money Heist’s last season is divided in two parts, Part 1 gained huge traction in India as well, with Netflix Indianising the theme song ‘Bell Ciao’ to reflect Indian fans excitement as ‘Jaldi Aao’. The desi version was composed by Nucleya and the music video featured several celebrities such as Anil Kapoor, Radhika Apte, Rana Daggubati, Hardik Pandya, Vikrant Massey and Shruti Haasan.

Speaking about his funky recreation of an iconic song, Nucleya said, “I’m a huge fan of ‘Money Heist’, so working on this anthem was super fun. As someone who loves the series, the song expresses what I and all other fans are feeling. Shooting the video was such an amazing experience and all the great artists who are featured in it have made it come to life. The song is peppy and in multiple languages, truly celebrating the spirit of fans who are spread across the nation.”

Netflix also collaborated with Pepsi for the first time in India to celebrate the finale of the globally loved series. Ahead of the premiere of Part 1 of the series finale on September 3 on Netflix, Pepsi unveiled a limited edition set of golden cans and packs inspired by the iconic series, leading up to the ultimate virtual fan party in October 2021 for all ‘Money Heist’ fans.

The golden cans & packs featured iconic elements from the hit series – the ‘Dali mask’ and ‘Bella Ciao’. They also served as a golden ticket to the virtual party, which gave fans access to exclusive content, bringing them closer to their favourite ‘Money Heist’ characters and celebrating with fans from across the country.

Pepsi also collaborated with Bollywood director Ahmed Khan for a high-octane digital film featuring brand ambassador and actor Tiger Shroff in a never-before-seen avatar. The film shows Tiger being sent on a mission by The Professor to retrieve the missing golden cans and packs.