My Name is Khan: First film to use ad roadblock strategy

MUMBAI: If big-spend advertisers such as Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), Nokia, Cadbury India and Vodafone have used the advertising roadblock strategy, My Name is Khan will mark the first instance of a film using such a tack.

The roadblock, which will be the film’s three-minute trailer, will be on air on all Star India channels on Wednesday at 10 PM.

My Name is Khan, produced and directed by Karan Johar, is scheduled to be released in February next year. Fox Star Studios has acquired the worldwide distribution rights for this film for around Rs 80-90 crore for a 15 year period.

It covers all rights except music, which has been bagged by Sony Music. Fox STAR Studios, a production and distribution company, is a joint venture between Twentieth Century Fox and STAR. My Name is Khan stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

"This kind of roadblock has never been done before for a film. About eleven Star India channels including Star Plus, Star One, Star Gold, Channel V and Star Pravah, will telecast a three minute trailer of the film," says Anupam Vasudev, executive vice-president (marketing), STAR India. This will be across the network’s audience in 70 countries.