Indiantelevision.com Team

(10 July 2008 2:30 pm)

MUMBAI: The pressure is on for direct-to-home (DTH) operators to go heavy on marketing as new players like Reliance ADAG's Big TV and Bharti are preparing to launch their service this year.

Tata Sky, the DTH joint venture between the Tata Group and Star, has roped in Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as its brand ambassador.

"This is for the first time that we have roped in a brand ambassador. We have earlier used various Bollywood celebrities for different campaigns like Hritik Roshan, Kiron Kher, Boman Irani and Paresh Rawal. But now with Aamir Khan, we have taken a long term strategic move," says Tata Sky chief marketing officer Vikram Mehra.

Dish TV already has Shah Rukh Khan promoting the brand as it went on an aggressive push to ramp up subscribers. So while Shah Rukh Khan will make consumers "wish with Dish", Aamir is "excited to make life jingalala for Tata Sky's consumers."

Khan will feature across all Tata Sky brand and product communications including advertisements on TV, print, outdoor, radio and other media platforms.

Says Tata Sky CEO and managing director Vikram Kaushik, "Aamir fits correctly with the Tata Sky brand values of trust, high-quality entertainment and innovation. As our brand ambassador, he will be instrumental in communicating the benefits of Tata Sky to consumers across the country. It is our privilege to be associated with an actor of the highest caliber and excellent standing in the entertainment industry."

Commenting on his association with Tata Sky, Aamir Khan said, "I am delighted to be associated with Tata Sky. Since its launch, Tata Sky has redefined television viewing in India and I am proud to be associated with a brand that epitomises continued innovation and excellence in home entertainment."

Tata Sky claims to have over two million subscribers in a period of 20 months. It plans to launch a high-end personal video recorder (PVR) later this year.