Yash Raj Films (YRF) & SOTC Sign Licensing Agreement with Swiss-based Brandinvest AG

Yash Raj Films (YRF) & SOTC Sign Licensing Agreement with Swiss-based Brandinvest AG to Offer a Customized Entertainment Experience to Indian-Movie Fans Visiting Switzerland

Yash Raj Films (YRF), India’s Premier Film Studio, has entered into an agreement with SOTC, a part of the Kuoni Travel Group, India, the country’s largest Travel & Tourism Company, and Brandinvest AG, a Switzerland-based enterprise. The partnership, signed by Mr. Yash Chopra, India’s most renowned Producer & Director and Chairman of Yash Raj Films,

Mr. Zubin Karkaria, CEO & Managing Director of Kuoni India & South Asia, and Mr. Marco Casanova, Co-Owner & CEO of Brandinvest AG, offers a unique and once in a lifetime entertainment experience to Indians and Indian-film fans visiting Switzerland. The ‘YRF Enchanted Journey’ gives consumers a firsthand opportunity to live the authentic YRF experience by visiting original sites and locations in Switzerland used by Yash Raj Films, as well as engaging with various themes and elements seen in the Studio’s most famous movies, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein, Veer Zaara, Chandni, Darr and Bachna Ae Haseeno.

We at YRF are convinced that this very special offering in Switzerland will provide a previously unattainable opportunity to a lot of Indians and fans of our films. It is a unique entertainment product that we are bringing to the market that promises to be a showcase offering for tourists visiting Switzerland. Film Studios across the globe have slowly shifted their focus to creating derivative “entertainment experiences” around their actual movies, such as theme parks for instance, and we feel that this very innovative approach is a natural extension of the YRF brand of entertainment and provides a very personal experience for our audiences – something that has never been done before by an Indian entertainment brand. Moreover, I have lived some of the most intense and emotional moments of my life in Switzerland and I have used its spectacular locales extensively in a number of my flagship films that have been seen and loved by millions worldwide. I feel it is only apt that I now share this journey with YRF fans through a personalized walk down memory lane, and allow them to see these moments through our eyes. I am very excited to partner with India’s leading travel brand, SOTC, and the highly reputed and skilled professionals at Brandinvest AG, in bringing this YRF experience to you”, said Mr. Yash Chopra.

Mr. Zubin Karkaria said, “Bollywood is deep-rooted in the psyche of most Indians, and it gives us immense pleasure to be able to offer our customers a taste of Mr. Yash Chopra and Yash Raj Films’ several blockbuster films shot in Switzerland. It is also an honour to be able to work with Yash Raj Films on an exclusive basis in this venture. We are convinced that this will be a very successful project, where we would be able to offer our customers an authentic Bollywood experience on our tours to Europe.”

Mr. Marco Casanova said, “We are proud to have developed with our partners, Yash Raj Films and Kuoni, an innovative tour concept that we will implement in our home country of Switzerland. We feel honoured by the trust of Yash Raj Films and Kuoni and are convinced that our product offering will be very well-received by the multitude of YRF fans around the world. It is because of Mr. Yash Chopra and his films that Switzerland has become a dream destination for many Indians, and we are confident that through this unparalleled experience we will give audiences some truly memorable moments in Switzerland that they will cherish for a lifetime.”

Mr. Jörg Krebs (Director Markets, Switzerland Tourism), representative of the ‘YRF Enchanted Journey’ Co-Host, Switzerland Tourism, added, “Switzerland is still a highly appreciated destination. Our travellers want to see our lakes and mountains and to touch our snow, of course. The ‘YRF Enchanted Journey’ tour spans the famous regions of Saanenland, Berne, Lucerne, Mount Titlis and Ticino and fits perfectly with our corporate strategy. Our guests can explore wonderful, dramatic landscapes and a truly diverse Switzerland experience. This first collaboration between a film studio, a tour operator and a country with a national brand, will bring fruitful results for all involved as well as new emotions and experiences for our guests.”

YRF is the leading player in the Indian film industry and the country’s premier independent Studio conglomerate. The Company’s core lies in the production and distribution of some of the industry’s highest grossing films. With offices also in New York, London, and Dubai, YRF handles the global distribution of its own films as well as films of other leading Indian producers. The Company also has its own music and home entertainment labels, design cell and post-production facilities, internet, digital, merchandising and marketing divisions, as well as in-house units focused on the creation of television software, ad films, and music videos. YRF also has its own state-of-the-art fully integrated Studio, producing a slate of films annually, and thus making it an integral part of the entertainment business in India.

SOTC is a leading brand of the Kuoni Travel Group, India, the country’s largest travel company. SOTC is an undisputed leader in all travel segments, namely Escorted Tours, Free Individual Travel, and Domestic Holidays. SOTC Corporate Tours is a leader in Incentive and Trade Fair tours and conferences with a large spectrum of corporate clients in almost all industry segments. For the sports enthusiast, SOTC Sports is a one-stop-shop for all travel arrangements to desired sport events. SOTC's distribution network comprises over 71 sales outlets and 102 preferred travel agents retailing the SOTC range of products across India. Furthermore, SOTC has been voted the Best Outbound Tour Operator for the fifth time in a row at the Galileo Express TravelWorld Awards and was also felicitated with the Consumer Superbrands India Award 2009.

Brandinvest AG is owned by a group of high-profile investors with a specialization in international brand-leveraging activities.