Mumbai: For many years, music has been a key consumer engagement pillar for the brand. Today, the youth tilts towards exploring exciting new forms of music. Contemporary genres such as hip-hop are becoming increasingly popular among the youth of the country, while Bollywood melodies remain integral to their cultural milieu. Royal Stag BoomBox intends to stir the imagination of this generation, blending music they have inherited, Bollywood scores, with the genre that speaks to them, Hip Hop. This mix will have the swag and emotional heft of Hindi cinema’s best compositions and the throbbing vibe and vigor of hip-hop.
Leading a new cultural movement and catering to the interests of the young generation, Generation Large, Royal Stag BoomBox this year is slated to be bigger and better. Building on the exceptional success of the inaugural edition–which saw a footfall of 45,000 people across five cities–the property endeavors to enhance and build its impact across two engaging formats-
. The In-studio format: A unique phygital music concept featuring three original Melody x Hip Hop music tracks that will be released as singles and videos across platforms.
. The On-ground format: This format will travel to four of India’s biggest youth hubs offering marquee musical performances with interactive physical activations.
This year, the experiential music festival is bringing back headliners Badshah and Armaan Malik. Joining them are popular artists Neeti Mohan, Nikhita Gandhi (Melody), Dino James, DeeMC, and Ikka (Hip-Hop) and DJ Ali Merchant. The property will be travelling to four popular youth hubs in India, followed by the release of original songs.
Indiantelevision.com caught up with Pernod Richard India's general manager - marketing Ishwindar Singh, where he shared insights on the creation of Royal Stag BoomBox music property.
Edited excerpts
On the purpose behind the creation of the Royal Stag BoomBox music property
Seagram’s Royal Stag is one of the oldest flagship brands of Pernod Ricard India, inspiring the youth of India through its philosophy of “It’s Our Life. We Live It Large”. Aimed at the young, daring, confident, progressive, and inspiring individuals who embody self-belief, Royal Stag likes to communicate with music as one of its key engagement pillars.
We have manifested Royal Stag BoomBox with a vision to create the original sound of today’s generation, Generation Large. The platform audaciously brings together two distinct genres of the music industry, the melody of Bollywood and the gully vibe of hip-hop, creating a new soundscape. By tapping into newer cities, which are excellent youth hubs, the brand is diversifying its marketing initiatives and connecting with its target audience on a deeper level.
On catering to the tastes and preferences of today's youth, particularly the Gen Z demographic
Contemporary genres such as hip-hop are becoming more popular amongst the youth, while Bollywood melodies remain integral to their cultural milieu. Royal Stag BoomBox intends to stir the imagination of this generation, blending music they have inherited, Bollywood scores, with the emerging genre that speaks to them, hip-hop. They tilt towards exploring exciting new forms of music, and this is where Royal Stag BoomBox comes in.
On Royal Stag BoomBox aiming to connect with the passion pillars of the youth
Royal Stag BoomBox aims to connect with the youth by offering a larger-than-life experience, focusing on music. This involves curating experiences that genuinely resonate with the tastes and preferences of the youth demographic. We have identified and collaborated with popular musicians such as Badshah, Armaan Malik, Neeti Mohan, Nikhita Gandhi, Dino James, Ikka, Dee MC and Ali Merchant for the property this year, who have a strong following among the youth. By associating with these artists, we aim to build a deeper connect with our audiences, particularly in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.
On some of the key learnings from the inaugural edition
In the inaugural edition, Royal Stag BoomBox manifested itself in two unique, engaging formats - the on-ground format and the in-studio format. With the on-ground format, the festival witnessed a footfall of over 50K across multiple cities, generating 180 Mn+ digital views & 13 Mn+ social interactions. Meanwhile, the original songs emerging from season 1’s in-studio format, Pehle Jaisi Baat Nahi Ft. Dino James X Jasleen Royal, Hoodie Ft. Bali X Nikhita Gandhi, Mohabbat Ft. Amit Trivedi X SlowCheeta and Imtihaan Ft. EPR X Neeti Mohan, garnered close to 70 Mn+ views across multiple OTT.
The immense success of the inaugural edition compelled us to bring back Royal Stag BoomBox for its second season. This year, the on-ground format will travel to four of India’s biggest youth hubs—Bhubaneswar, Indore, Jaipur and Pune, offering marquee musical performances with interactive phygital activations like Insta-live sessions, art showcases, AR/VR installations, AI-based engagement, selfie-booths etc, which will create a festive feel at the venue. Meanwhile, the in-studio format which were very successful last year will be further enhanced with three new original Melody x Hip Hop music tracks that will be released as singles and videos across platforms later in the year.
On planning to leverage the presence of headliners like Badshah and Armaan Malik, along with other popular artists
With a platform like Royal Stag BoomBox, where some of India’s best musicians come together to collaborate, the artists will always play a crucial role in amplifying the events’ impact and elevate the engagement with our target audience. While they help draw in an enthusiastic crowd at each of the on-ground festivals, the artists’ fan bases often extend beyond the immediate geographical location of the event, and we can see the impact in culture celebrating conversations in social media also. The headliner acts are often catalysts to elevate the experiences to another level, drive strong audience engagement and drive very strong youth reach and make Royal Stag Boombox a experience that lingers on long after the event is over.
On the brand's long-term vision for Royal Stag BoomBox
We are looking at continuing our focus on building music as a key passion & engagement pillar with the youth through Royal Stag BoomBox. We look forward to expanding our presence in youth culture, both through physical and digital intervention, especially where cultural energy thrives. We will continue to forge new partnerships with a mix of culture shaping artists across our focus genres, ensuring that our platform resonates with its unique amalgamation of diverse musical tastes and experiences. Through these collaborations and immersive experiences, we aim to deepen our connection with the target audience, fostering a community that shares our passion for music and experience the ‘Live It Large’ philosophy.
