From Titan to Funskool to Cottonworld and D’décor, as many as 15 brands are hoping for a power boost from Marvel superhero Iron Man. Iron Man 3 , starring Robert Downey Jr as billionaire Tony Stark, will hit screens in India on Friday ahead of its May 3 US release and has already created a lot of buzz among viewers.
Roshini Bakshi, MD, Consumer Products and Retail, Disney UTV said: “Iron Man is a 365-day character as the associations with brands will extend much beyond the movie’s run. Iron Man is considered a cool superhero with an emotional connect with both children and adults. This is the most number of brands a Hollywood movie has tied up with in India.” These licensing deals will fetch Marvel a royalty.
Produced by Marvel,
Audi already has a brand association with Marvel for
Titan, which has a long-term deal with Marvel, will launch a special range of Iron Man watches under the Zoop brand, targeted at kids.
Ajoy Chawla, Vice-President, Titan, told Business Line: “This year, we will be focusing on superhero-theme watches. In fact, since the character Iron Man cuts across both kids and adults, in the coming days we will also launch a line of watches for adults.”
Cottonworld, Myntra, Bioworld, Zovi and Max have tied up to launch a range of apparel that is not just for kids but also for adults. Cottonworld Director Lavin Lekhraj said this was the first time the retailer had tied up with a Hollywood Studio to come out with a range of adult T-shirts.
Simba and HM International are launching a range of back-to-school products. Funskool, Hasbro, Frank Puzzles and Excel will come out with a range of scooters, skates, plushes, masks, figurines and wrist armour for kids.
Even food and health brands want an Iron Man 3 power up. Wipro Glucovita will dole out Iron Man tiffin boxes, tattoos and pop-up stickers with its glucose-based drink for kids. Other brands include Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil, and pharmaceutical company Merck that will give away Iron Man-branded compass boxes.
IPL franchise Mumbai Indians has also released an Iron Man range of cricket merchandise.