Media2win creates Barfi's app with Ranbir Kapoor

It’s no secret that Bollywood is constantly exploring newer ways to tell stories and enthrall its audiences. It has also realized that its audience now consumes and is influenced by media in a whole new way – via the Internet. Thus the love between Bollywood and Digital that was destined and pre-ordained, in true filmy fashion has come in all its glory with UTV Motion Pictures’ innovative gadget on YouTube for its upcoming film, Barfi! The gadget which can be accessed at www.youtube.com/barfi allows users to meet Ranbir Kapoor at their convenience and make him enact the many moods of Barfi!. Ranbir will smile, dance, cry, love and even flirt with the users as per their wish all in real time on their computer screens!  

 

Barfi follows the story of a sweet and charming young man, who cannot talk or listen but speaks volumes through his actions and antics. The story is compelling and the character endearing. But how does one reach out to the Indian audience, who are used to listening to their heroes? It was a challenge which the digital medium rose to, by making Barfi!’s actions speak louder than words through the most dynamic channel the internet has to offer – YouTube. The idea for the application was conceived and scripted by the in-house digital team of UTV Motion Pictures. Media2win was then approached to design the user interface and to execute the coding and technology that runs the app. Another agency, Glitch, produced the videos that are used in the application. 

 

‘The Flavour of Barfi’ offers the audience a chance to interact with the character, Barfi, not by speaking to him directly, but through their keyboards. By typing a few words they can either cheer him up or witness his charm in action as he tries to woo girls ‘Barfi!’ style. Any which way, he tugs at your heartstrings one keystroke at a time. It also goes to show that the love affair between Bollywood and digital has just begun.  

 

“We had a unique opportunity in working with UTV Motion Pictures on this application. It fits so perfectly with Ranbir Kapoor’s character in Barfi! While we would like to say more about the character, it is best if one sees him in action,” said Namrata Balwani, COO, Media2win.  

 

“We constantly innovate in our film marketing to keep audiences engaged. Ranbir is a youth icon and has a huge online fan following, so we decided to marry the theme of Barfi! with Ranbir’s charismatic personality to create an exciting new experience on You Tube that will keep users entertained for hours,” said Shikha Kapur, Executive Director – Marketing, Studios, Disney UTV.