In a first-of-its-kind deal, India’s largest-selling cola brand Thums Up will feature in Hollywood flick Mission Impossible — the fourth and last part of action thriller starring Tom Cruise. This is for the first time that an Indian beverage brand will be seen as an in-product placement in a Hollywood movie, alongside international brands.
The movie is partly being shot in India — around Rajasthan. Slumdog Millionaire star Anil Kapoor has also been approached for the movie.
It is this Indian touch to the movie which Coca-Cola is leveraging on — Thums Up will replace Coke’s international brand diet-drink ‘Zero’ in India release of the film.
Zero is officially not available in the country, though retail outlets import it in small quantities. The film is being produced by Paramount Pictures and is slated to release by the end of 2011.
Globally, Paramount Pictures has tied up with Coca-Cola for two of its products, “Coca-Cola Zero” and “Thumbs Up” for certain scenes in the movie.
Mission Impossible 4 is directed by Brad Bird at an estimated budget of over Rs 681 crore.
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Coca-Cola, however, has refused to comment on the deal. A spokesperson of Coca Cola India said: “Speculation of a Thumbs Up partnership with any movie, at this point, is just a speculation. We do not comment on rumour and speculation.”
Thumbs Up is the number one beverage brand in the country, which Coke had bought from maverick soft drinks maker Ramesh Chauhan some years ago. Pepsi is number two in the pecking order.