Sony's Indian Idol - 6 gets Close up as presenting sponsor; to go on-air on 1st June

Sony is all set to enthrall audiences with Indian Idol season 6. The new season of India’s most popular singing reality show Indian Idol will go on air from 1st June 2012. The sixth edition of the show has given rise to a new line of thought, “Har idol ke peeche hote hai na jaane aur kitne saare idol.” The philosophy underlying this is that behind every success is an endeavor- an endeavor of not just the successful talent but also that of his friends, family and gurus.

 

Indian Idol salutes the sacrifices made by all the people that make a success story come true and therefore the tagline “There are so many idols behind every idol” is a very important part of all of its campaigns.

 

Interestingly, the jury of Indian Idol 6 has a new addition. Legendary singer Asha Bhosale has been unveiled as the super- judge of the panel who will be accompanied by Anu Malik, Sunidhi Chauhan and Salim Merchant in choosing India’s next singing idol.

 

The sixth season of Indian Idol has a lot in store for audiences. For one, the auditioning process has been extended online for contestants. Indian Idol also conducted various city tours and the judges have personally visited remote areas of the country to discover exceptional talent.

 

On the occasion, Sneha Rajani – Senior EVP and Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television said, “Indian Idol cultivates and promotes outstanding untapped talent amongst the youth of India by nurturing them and providing a national platform to showcase their talent. While the core format remains the same this season, Indian Idol 6 will focus on the quality of talent like never before. Every episode of Indian Idol will renew our commitment on providing world class entertainment and presenting exceptional talent to Indian audiences.”

 

 She also seemed excited about Asha Bhosale being the super judge on the show.  Sneha Rajani added that the Indian Idol campaign has received phenomenal feedback from the audiences.

 

 The campaign involves about 10,000 advertising slots across 29 channels, apart from the MSM bouquet of channels. Radio Mirchi has been roped in as radio partner for the show. For Season 6, Sony Entertainment Television has partnered with Fremantle Media which is one of India’s leading production houses.

 

Anupama Mandloi- Content Head, Freemantle India said, “Indian Idol is not a TV show. It is a national movement which has been possible only because of Sony Entertainment Television’s commitment to making it one. This season will throw up phenomenal singers some of who will definitely create ripples in the Indian music industry. We at Freemantle media are proud to present this season.” The idea this season is to celebrate music and talent, she added.

 

All the three judges seemed very excited about the show and agreed that the contestants who participated this year were extremely well trained and the country has great talent to look forward to. Anu Malik, who has been associated with Indian Idol since its inception in 2004, said, “This time, the auditioning process was very tough. There was out of the box singing. Our focus has always been singing and incredible vocal performance. Indian Idol 6 will shock the nation with amazing talent.”

 

 Singer and composer, Salim Merchant also agreed that the standard and quality of music has improved this time around.  Sunidhi Chauhan exclaimed that it was a delight to watch contestants as they experimented with different styles of music.

 

Danish Khan- senior VP and Marketing Head, Sony Entertainment Television, said, “The novelty of Indian Idol Season 6 lies in the kind of talent that has come to fore. We have visited the smallest of towns and selected people from varied backgrounds to unleash the hidden talent. The focus of this season is the journey of a person from a common man to an Indian Idol.”

 

About 30-40 per cent of the total marketing budget for Indian Idol will be spent on television, while approximately Rs 2 crore will be spent on print. Elaborating on the media mix for the show, Danish Khan said,   “Radio, print and outdoor mediums have been tapped. As soon as the show starts, the digital and social media initiatives will be incorporated too. There will also be below the line activation with city concerts which will take place in different cities. The OOH campaign will be spread across 21 cities.”

 

Sponsored by Close up and powered by MTS, Indian Idol 6 promises to be a fulfilling musical journey that will touch and inspire every Indian. The associate sponsors include Flipkart.com, TVS Tyres, Vivel, Max New York Life Insurance, Amul Macho, Sunsilk and Suzuki Motorcycle.OMD and Media Circle will look after the media duties for the show. Leo Burnett is the creative agency for the channel and the show.