Multiplex audiences who went to watch Shahid Kapoor-Vidya Balan starrer Kismat Konnection last month, were also the first ones to catch a glimpse of another much-awaited film Hello.

Directed by Atul Agnihotri, Hello is an adaptation of author Chetan Bhagat’s popular novel One Night@ the Call Centre.

The 88-second teaser promo from the film screened during the intermission was specially-made and was made to coincide with Kismat Konnection’s release.

“My target audience was right there in the auditorium,” Agnihotri said. “It was a great way to test the look of the film, which releases in October. Trade pundits had predicted Kismat Konnection to be a popular choice amongst young cinegoers.”

Hello’s teaser is not a solitary example. A couple of weeks back, when Hollywood blockbuster The Dark Knight released, Warner Bros also released a trailer of its big-budget Diwali release, Chandni Chowk to China.

A company spokesperson said that the CCTC trailer, which is also being shown during the intermission of the recent box-office grosser Singh is Kinng, was the right way to build up rushes for the film.

Usually, big banners such as Yashraj Films, UTV, Eros, Percept Picture Company, Sahara One, and Ashtavinayak Cine Vision ensure that previews of their forthcoming films are unveiled with their latest release to give audiences a sense of what’s coming from their stable.

But both Hello and CCTC mark a significant change in the way forthcoming releases from various banners are piggybanking on big-ticket films to coincide releasing their first promos.

In fact, multiplex owners said for Singh is Kinng, as many 5-6 films - including Kidnap, Victory, Heroes, The Last Lear - had lined up to showcase their promos along with four films slated for release in the consecutive weeks.

That’s not all, as many 10-12 brands such as Aditya Birla Group, Sony Bravia, Compaq, Jeevansaathi.com, MetLife and Himani Fast Relief also came on board to show their ads in those few minutes before the film began.

“Brands are coming back to films,” Abhijeet Thakar, AVP, P9 Experience, a film-marketing company, said. “The first half of 2008 saw very few big-budget star-studded film releases. In the second half, spends on brand associations for films are only going to increase.”

Abhishek Raina, AVP, marketing and ad sales, Fame Cinemas, said for multiplex owners, ad sales through cinema advertising currently account for about 10-15% of total turnover, growing at 20% year-on-year,

“The first weekend of a highly anticipated film’s release is an exciting time for advertisers since it sees maximum footfalls with average occupancies ranging between 70% and 80%. Most multiplexes are running about 20-25 shows of Singh is Kinng. Advertiser messages can be seen by a captive audience throughout the day.”

Raina, however, cautions that the number of ads that can be shown during the screening reduces if too many shows of the film are lined up during the day. Film marketing agencies say other emerging forms of cinema centric brand associations include in-film product placements and product-based activation in the foyer of the multiplex.