Dec 1, 2008

Entertainment - India;Zee TV gets a makeover

Sangeeta Tanwar

Zee TV has undergone a makeover. To mark its return with fresh programming, the channel has adopted a more vibrant look and a new tagline. For the record, all the GECs (general entertainment channels) were forced to air repeat content, owing to the dispute between producers and Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).

‘Jiyo Zee Bhar Ke’ gives way to the new tagline, ‘Har Pal Banaye Ek Naya Rishta’. The new packaging highlights the quintessential Zee TV woman, who is rooted in tradition, but is also the perfect example of a contemporary woman, inspiring confidence in her family.

Speaking to afaqs!, Tarun Mehra, business head, Zee TV, says, “After three weeks, all the GECs will be back with fresh content. We thought that this was a good opportunity to present the new face of the channel to its viewers. It was in 2005 that we coined the tagline – ‘Jiyo Zee Bhar Ke’ - which was used both for the channel and the network."

Mehra adds, "After so many years, it is but appropriate to experiment and refresh the look and feel of the channel. We are impressing upon the audience by reiterating our efforts to bring to them the diverse facets of today's woman. Like a woman, Zee too believes in building relationships. And our new tagline, ‘Har Pal Banaye Ek Naya Rishta’ reflects that. However, the tagline for the network remains unchanged and we will continue using the old tagline - Jiyo Zee Bhar Ke."


In the bid to impress upon the audience its livelier and more vibrant look, the channel has come out with a 30 second master promo, which captures the journey of the Zee woman in different roles in relation to her family, her children, her husband and God. The music for the promo (video) has been given by the popular music-director trio, Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy. The promotional video uses real images – children, wife, husband, grandparents – in place of surreal characters, to emphasize the fact that viewers can and do relate to the channel, because it is all about real people.

Elaborating upon the various elements incorporated as part of the makeover, Mehra points out, “The change can be seen in the form of lesser use of, say, silhouettes and art forms. There is a greater use and presence of human figures. The promo video captures a day in the Zee woman's life. There is an interesting interplay of graphics; we have an animated butterfly that buzzes around the logo. Interestingly, the promo has beautifully used five elements, namely fire, water, ether, air and earth to portray a Zee woman."

Tata Elxsi has worked on the new look of the channel and the video. The company has previously been associated with projects such as Dhoom, Taare Zameen Par and Roadside Romeo. The new look of the channel will be promoted on the channel alone. Mehra reasons that since the changes have been effected in terms of presentation and look of the GEC, it is best captured in the audio-visual format. Thus, the 30-second promo video is the best medium to convey and capture this change.

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